Zaccai Curtis pays forward the lineage of Afro-Cuban Jazz on Cubop Lives!. Zaccai Curtis is a multi-faceted pianist for whom every side of his work gleams. Equal parts performer, composer, educator, and producer, he vibrantly showcases his mastery of both the Jazz and Afro-Cuban Jazz lineages. Curtis holds professor positions at the University of Hartford and the University of Rhode Island, and as a producer, Curtis has been nominated for a GRAMMY for his work on Entre Colegas by Andy González. Now, after honing his craftsmanship in every area of musicianship, Curtis embarks on a journey near and dear to his heart with Cubop Lives!, an album that stands as the culmination of his work as a composer/arranger, performer, and educator steeped in the Afro-Cuban Jazz tradition. Cubop Lives! is an album born from a passion of the heart. As a musician who is so deeply steeped in the Jazz and Bebop tradition and so vivaciously immersed in the worlds of Afro-Cuban Jazz, Curtis found himself wanting to pay homage to the great musicians in whose steps he has trod who brought together the distinct fusion of these musical cultures.