Curtis Nowosad is a JUNO-nominated, NYC-based jazz drummer, composer, bandleader and educator, showing great promise for someone of such a young age. He’s recently released a new EP titled If I Had, displaying a wide range of jazz sub-genres and styles, perfect for anyone into that type of music. Curtis has painstakingly covered a selection of original songs by artists from other genres, turning them into something really unique here. See what I thought of the record below!
By Jane Howkins
The EP kicks off with Road, a cover of the Nick Drake song. It sounds quite minimalist at first, opening with a steady drum beat and a slightly fuzzy background effect. The bass is pretty quiet, but it provides a nice backbone against the impressive percussion. The main stand-out feature here is the electric guitar, noodling throughout the track, changing constantly as the music progresses. The solo work is really amazing here, showing just how skilled Curtis really is!
If I Had A Hammer (The Hammer Song) is a cover of the renowned protest song, originally created by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays. It’s remarkably different from the original, seeing Curtis following the previous jazzy template laid out in Road. It’s so different that fans of the song proper may find it a little too experimental for their tastes, but it’s interesting to hear an artist pick a song like this and make it into their own. An interesting listen, all the same.
The next cover on If I Had is By The Time I Get to Phoenix, originally written by Jimmy Webb. On this track, Curtis has really turned the pace around, as it’s much slower than the other tunes here. The beat is still fairly fast, but the guitar takes on a steadier tempo, although it still sounds absolutely lush.
Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away is the final track on the record. It’s another cover, this time seeing Curtis taking control of the popular Stevie Wonder tune. It’s fairly similar to the other songs on If I Had, but the talent shown here is amazing, making Curtis a key player in the modern jazz industry.
If you’re not a massive jazz fan, then If I Had may not be for you. However, if you are, you really ought to give it a whirl, as Curtis Nowosad has created something really outstanding here!
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