Born in 2023, this project is especially close to my heart. It has given me the space to shape and deepen my musical world in the company of Ohad, Eric, and Fabien—three close friends, long-time inspirations, and musicians with whom I share an uncommon artistic affinity. In many ways, this ensemble is far more than a “band”: it is a true artistic community, a working group that allows me to cultivate a sonic identity and continue growing as both musician and composer.
Curves features eight pieces—seven of my own and one by Fabien (“Dim”)—alongside three free improvisations. The music reflects my ongoing fascination with the acoustic sound of jazz and my connection to older traditions, such as the polyrhythmic melodies of Cuban batá drumming, as well as more recent developments, including the use of electronic treatments woven into an acoustic setting.
At the heart of the quartet are the two drum kits, conceived as voices that are equally rhythmic and melodic, echoing the batá drum choirs and the lineage of jazz drumming shaped by pioneers such as Baby Dodds, Max Roach, and Elvin Jones. Handled with care, the two drums sometimes speak as separate voices, and at other moments blur into a single, wide-open instrument.
Curves—my third album as a bandleader and composer—also marks a turning point, a curve away from the steady path, in my artistic development. Surrounding myself with Eric and Ohad is the result of a deeply conscious choice: both my elders and mentors, they help me continue evolving and shaping my voice as a musician, while at the same time allowing me to maintain a precious link to the oral tradition of this music—a tradition that has historically been passed on within the community.
My hope is that this music, filtered through my own perspective as the musician I am today and carried further by the collective voice of this cohesive ensemble, reaches the world in its most honest and resonant form.
Noé Tavelli