Curtis Macdonald

“Music should put a spell on you, throw you into the eye of the storm…” says Curtis Macdonald with a grin when reflecting on his music. As a Canadian-born saxophonist, composer and sound designer working in New York City, it isn’t just his music that’s in that eye, but Curtis himself.

Growing up in Calgary, Canada, Curtis was already playing with local professionals at jazz clubs at the age of nine, and began writing his first songs at thirteen. Seeking the most vibrant and diverse conditions in his field, Curtis moved to New York City in 2003.

Of his adopted home, Curtis says: “I am constantly amazed by the number of quality musicians here - time and space simply cannot be taken for granted and I don’t think I would be pushed to excel in performance, composition and sound design if I weren’t based here. There is so much going on, so much sound, that you really have to focus and stake your own claim.”

While Curtis’ music is drawn from a variety of influences such as the Merrie Melodies of composers Carl Stalling and Raymond Scott, it’s the operas his grandfather played for him as a child that inspire Curtis to seek its purity, “that heartbreak quality… the furthest edges of emotion.” Allured by the emotive sounds of saxophonists such as Art Pepper and Ben Webster, the explosivity of players such as Greg Osby, Steve Coleman, and Steve Lehman also inspire Curtis to draw a new melodic virtuosity based not only on harmony, but also on rhythmic counterpoint and more abstract and philosophical models. His influences are by no means limited to jazz – he admires the refined rhythmic placement in contemporary hip hop groups such as Prefuse 73, and the intricate production in tracks by The Books. Curtis’ versatility incorporates listening with the ears of a sound designer, playing to capture a sense of fluid serenity and composing to tickle the mind, all without losing a sense of unity.

Curtis is works as an instructor in sound design at the New School University – where he completed his degree in jazz performance – and composes for Manhattan music house Audiobrain while keeping up collaborations with a number of other international artists. Recently he spent several months in residence at the Banff Centre in Canada developing new material and planting seeds for future projects.

Get Started with BML to set up an introductory lesson with Curtis.