Over the last decade, Caleb Wheeler Curtis has quietly emerged as one of the most exciting younger voices performing today. Pairing him with the acclaimed pianist Jason Moran in this duo outing, Incantation (Imani, 2026), marks another major leap forward for the multi-instrumentalist. As on this Ritual (Chill Tone, 2026), Incantation finds Curtis playing the stritch (straight alto saxophone), sopranino saxophone, and trumpet. While the earlier album featured a sextet, his instruments have both more presence and vulnerability when supported only by a single conversational partner, albeit one of the most imaginative pianists of his generation. The duo record is a bold move, but it fits Curtis’ surging confidence.
Incantation builds upon Curtis and Moran’s prior meetings over the last several years. Moran joined Curtis for his well-received Charlie Parker tribute, Freebird (Sunnyside, 2018), rendered by the emerging quartet Walking Distance. The two have kept in touch since, pressing forward in a program that encompasses a spectrum of historical influences. For Incantation, both brought favorites from their songbooks along with a pair of free improvisations, a new Curtis original, and judiciously chosen material from peers and forbears. And the record’s sound quality is crystalline. As Curtis himself notes, “The recording is transparent and beautiful, as close as I’ve ever gotten to the album sounding like you’re in the room.” He’s not exaggerating.
Incantation opens with Curtis’ “That Which Cannot Be Replaced,” a piece originally recorded by his trio, later known as Ember, on New Year (Outside in Music, 2019). It’s the first of his four and features his century old breathy sopranino. His saxophone lines, supported by Moran’s comping and accents, begin triumphantly. But it slowly morphs into something far more complex, with Moran adding additional tension, before ultimately peacefully closing. The spirited “Miss Nancy” is from Curtis’ hero, the underrated late Arthur Blythe. Curtis plays stritch on this piece, a nod to Blythe’s alto sax. Moran is rollicking on the piano, perhaps trying to simulate the unique instrumentation that marked Blythe’s albums, including guitar, tuba, and cello. The ballad “Ain’t No Storm” cones from Curtis’ album of the same name (Imani, 2021). The stately tune contrasts with the previous two, sending the album in a meditative direction.
Moran pulls “Gangsterism on a River” as the first of his two. Originally recorded for Black Stars (Blue Note, 2001) with his Bandwagon Trio, featuring the late Sam Rivers, it must have been an honor for Curtis to stand in the legend’s stead. His dancing lines on the sopranino fit beautifully with the piano. The mood shifts again in the first fully improvised piece, “One Hundred Years,” as both players render a angular, labyrinthine structure. Curtis’ Ember bandmate, bassist Noah Garabedian, composed“Tiramisu for Two,” which previously appeared on New Year. The scalar piece offers plenty of animated interaction between the two principals, and it flows nicely. The duo takes Moran’s “Restin,” perhaps the album’s most introspective piece, at a slower and moodier pace than on the original Same Mother (Blue Note, 2004). Curtis’ droning, hushed sopranino blends well with Moran’s quick swipes and dense chords. Curtis’s title track, the only new prewritten composition represented here, has sustained lines that bring out the nuances of his tone. His playing also grows more spirited as it evolves, with Moran pushes the motion.
“Archaeology” is Incantation’s second fully improvised effort. Curtis plays his newly adopted trumpet here, having overcome some fear of wielding the “new” instrument in Moran’s presence, though listeners would never guess. “Big Small” is from one of Curtis’ main mentors, pianist Orrin Evans. The duo does Evans proud here, with a series of resonating notes that just linger in the air. The final composition, “Flotation Device and Shivers,” is from Ember’s August in March (Imani, 2023). It is yet another stunning example of the synergy between these two gifted, imaginative musicians.
The title Incantation suggests a rote recitation. The album is anything but. Its music excites, soothes, and pulls in unexpected directions. Its breadth is remarkable.
‘Incantation’ is out now on Imani Records. It can be purchased on Bandcamp
Photo credit: Adrien Tillman
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