Former University of Rhode Island professor and composer Zaccai Curtis just won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album with “Cubop Lives!” – but was it Grammy worthy?
I’ll start this review off by saying that jazz is usually not my cup of tea when it comes to music. I am a rock and metal fan, and I also enjoy some hip-hop. I’m probably not the most credentialed person to be reviewing this album, but I’m going to do it anyway.
This album is objectively good from a music production standpoint and it fits within its assigned genre well.
The album combines both classic and contemporary jazz elements and it’s put together extraordinarily well. On top of the stellar production of the album, I liked the use of different and more unique instruments and sound profiles that you just don’t hear very often. The album flows very well, almost too well.
It got to the point where there were no unique elements to decipher one song from another.
I value uniqueness in every song on an album very much. To me, it shows the tender love and care the artist puts into each track and in going that extra mile to make each song a new experience for the listener.
This album simply doesn’t have that. It’s a boring album, and I can’t describe it any other way. It failed to keep me interested throughout the album’s 64-minute runtime. Each song felt like a chore to listen to and I was far from entertained.
I understand that this genre of music is very meaningful to people and there’s so much history and culture behind jazz and Latin-style music, and I will always respect that fact. If this kind of music is for you, by all means listen to the album.
However, I couldn’t enjoy this album at all. But in a genre that isn’t as prevalent as it once was, it makes sense that this album was awarded the Grammy.
I found this album to be nothing but Grammy-winning elevator music. I won’t ever play this album on my own time again. I can’t even tell what my favorite song on the album is because all of it sounded the same. There was nothing special about it.
I understand that repetition is an aspect of music that can be used well, when it’s done effectively. But when I can’t decipher one song from another, it’s an automatic no for me.
I feel it lacks uniqueness and authenticity and that it was specifically made to win a Grammy. It was blatantly obvious who this album was made for. Not for me nor you; it was made for the Grammys and the critics, plain and simple.
I respect the artist and obviously winning a Grammy is nothing to scoff at, but I didn’t like this album in the slightest. It’s not my sound nor my taste, and I’ll be fine living the rest of my life not listening to this album ever again. But that’s according to me, an overly opinionated rock and metal fan. If Latin or jazz is your kind of music, you may like this album, but I surely didn’t.
