GRAMMY-winning pianist and composer, Zaccai Curtis, returns with Sonoluminescence Vol. 1. The record marks a distinct turn in Curtis’s artistic evolution which finds him evolving from the Afro-Cuban focus of his GRAMMY-winning Cubop Lives! into a wider sonic landscape, rooted in the textures and grooves of 1970s jazz and funk while pushing confidently into modern territory. One of the hallmarks of Curtis’s compositional approach on this record is his method of placing traditional Afro-Caribbean rhythmic concepts in unexpected parts of the ensemble. Cascara and montuno figures are relocated into the bass line, freeing the piano to focus on harmony and melody and the drums to function more openly around the groove. The result is music that is rhythmically intricate beneath the surface while remaining natural and grounded on top.