Saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Caleb Wheeler Curtis is a musician known for his "intensely focused and garrulously inventive" style, which draws from a wide range of influences including progressive bop and post-Coltrane/Ornette free improvisation. His work spans a wide range of projects, each offering a distinctive and direct approach to creating and performing music. The press has described him as “one of the more daring musicians in jazz today” (All About Jazz) and hailed his music as “a masterpiece—we cannot find a term that defines it more precisely” (Musica Jazz).
As a bandleader, Caleb’s most recent release, The True Story of Bears and the Invention of the Battery (2024, Imani Records), showcases the breadth of his musical ideas. Across both discs, Caleb plays stritch (a straight alto saxophone), sopranino saxophone, trumpet, and tenor saxophone. The first disc features Sean Conly on bass and Michael Sarin on drums, while the second disc, Raise Four: Monk the Minimalist, presents interpretations of lesser-known compositions by Thelonious Monk with Eric Revis on bass and Justin Faulkner on drums. The album was described by All About Jazz as “a jubilant and invigorating release that can lay its claim to be considered alongside the best of 2024.”
Caleb’s HEATMAP (2022), composed during a MacDowell Fellowship, features Orrin Evans on piano, Eric Revis on bass, and Gerald Cleaver on drums. The album was praised for its bold energy and inventive interplay, with Jazzwise describing it as “truly exhilarating post-Ornette free-jazzmaking.” Earlier recordings, such as Ain’t No Storm (2021) and Brothers (2018), emphasize his interest in creating dynamic group interactions and compelling compositions.
Caleb’s collaborative work is equally vital to his career. As a founding member of Ember, a trio with bassist Noah Garabedian and drummer Vincent Sperrazza, he continues to explore new ideas in group interplay and improvisation. Ember recently performed at Dizzy’s Club with Orrin Evans and Steven Bernstein, and their 2023 album, August in March, was praised by Jazziz for its “refreshingly novel style, distinctive ideas, and superlative musicianship.” Caleb also collaborated with Swiss pianist Laurent Nicoud on Substrate (2022, Unit Records), a saxophone and piano duo exploring the relationship between composed and improvised material with clarity and precision. He was also a co-founder of Walking Distance, whose 2018 album Freebird—featuring Jason Moran—was named one of The New York Times “Top 20 Jazz Records of 2018.” Walking Distance was a significant part of Caleb’s development as a collaborator and bandleader.
In addition to his work as a leader and collaborator, Caleb has performed at major international festivals, including the Chicago Jazz Festival, Pittsburgh Jazz Festival, DC Jazz Festival, Festival de Jazz de Providencia (Chile), and Festival de Jazz de Madrid (Spain). His performances at renowned clubs such as The Jazz Gallery, Smalls, Smoke, and Bar Bayeux have further established his reputation as a versatile and in-demand performer.
Caleb has also performed extensively with large ensembles. He was a featured performer on three GRAMMY-nominated albums by the Captain Black Big Band, including Walk a Mile in My Shoe (2024), The Intangible Between (2020) and Presence (2018). He has been a frequent collaborator with Kris Johnson, contributing to projects such as Jim Crow’s Tears, a concert jazz musical that addresses the history of blackface and minstrelsy, and the Paradise Jazz Series Big Band, which debuted with two sold-out concerts at Detroit Symphony’s Orchestra Hall.
As a sideman, Caleb’s discography also includes Triptych (2019, Posi-Tone Records) with Josh Lawrence and Inner Agent (2016, Posi-Tone Records) with David Gibson.
For listeners new to his music, “The First Question” from The True Story of Bears and the Invention of the Battery is an excellent introduction to his approach to composition and improvisation.
