Caleb Wheeler Curtis
Released April 10, 2026 · Chill Tone Records
Nine original compositions · 42:56
★★★★“Technical prowess and invention are heartily present and balanced with the emotion and spirituality that inspires the listener to lean in.”
DownBeat — Alexa Peters
“A group of musicians that paint with sound… the band uses restraint as an instrument to create a very detailed and very textural record.”
Modern Drummer
“Ritual… gets better every time you hear it. A distinctive, bright, penetrating sound.”
The New York City Jazz Record — Thomas Conrad
“Curtis’ compositional voice is serious, often intricate, and deeply imaginative… a near-telepathic rapport with his ensemble.”
JazzTrail — Filipe Freitas
“A completely hypnotic and beautiful album… he beautifully celebrates the ritual of being an artist.”
Cultural Attaché — Craig Byrd
“In an era of disposable listening, Caleb Wheeler Curtis has created something stubbornly enduring.”
Paris Move — Thierry De Clemensat
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Also on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms.
The Ensemble
- Caleb Wheeler Curtisstritch, soprano & sopranino saxophones, trumpet
- Orrin Evanspiano
- Hery Paztenor saxophone, flute
- Emmanuel Michaelguitar
- Vicente Archerdouble bass
- Michael Sarindrums
Produced by Caleb Wheeler Curtis and Julian Shore · All songs by Caleb Wheeler Curtis
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About the Album
Ritual, Caleb Wheeler Curtis’ sixth album as a leader, showcases the multi-instrumentalist’s compositions and unique vision for an expanded ensemble that, along with his stritch, features flute, guitar, and piano. The sonic landscape travels from the serene to the transformational, and celebrates the ritual and practice of communal music making.
“The process of an album recording starts with imagination, long before we are in the studio. It is the process of imagination that creates the path to a reality in which the music exists. Along this path, I endeavor to make as many considered choices as possible. Every unconsidered choice is a lost opportunity to make the music more personal. For Ritual, I was able to organize a group that I think nobody else could or would have assembled.
The musicians on this album — Hery, Emmanuel, Orrin, Vicente and Michael — are virtuosos of sound. Each one of them is engaged in the ritual of sound development and imagination, so that every note they play carries the essence of a lifetime of choices, experience, and values. Together, we engage in the ritual of practice, creation, and music making in order to open the portal to a universe that sounds like the one captured here. It doesn’t exist before we imagine it, and in doing so, we create worlds.”
— Caleb Wheeler Curtis
Tracklist
- 01 Fantasmas5:57
- 02 Bleakout3:50
- 03 Florence4:42
- 04 Black Box Extraction4:34
- 05 You Can’t Just Keep the Music3:08
- 06 Pond5:36
- 07 Tenastic5:04
- 08 The End of Power4:49
- 09 Ritual5:19
Credits
All songs by Caleb Wheeler Curtis (CAC Music Publishing, BMI)
Produced by Caleb Wheeler Curtis and Julian Shore
Executive Produced by Chris Leon, Andrew Horowitz, Coyle Girelli, and Julian Shore
Recorded October 13, 2025 at The Samurai Hotel, Astoria, NY
Engineered by Eric Elterman · Assistant Engineer Grady Bajorek
Edited by Eric Elterman at Boomtown, Brooklyn, NY
Mixed and Mastered by Chris Leon at The Vesper Sky Room, Arinsal, Andorra
Artwork and design by Nico Raddatz
Available digitally, on vinyl LP, and CD · Chill Tone Records CT0007
