ZAPOTEC

Eclectic Prog • United States

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Zapotec biography
ZAPOTEC is a rare, short-living but amazing project from the 90s, shining throughout that period with extremely fine jazz-rock and fusion, blended with smaller prog rock elements. Essentially jazz-rock, with a surprise twist of an art, the progressive qualities of the music describe basically (and bit underwhelming) the complex and posesive style that flashes through the music. The entire project, giftedly special and pleasant-sounding, was however sentenced to have a short life and belong to less known sections of jazz or rock music, mainly because it doesn't seem like it was more than a band-project, out of many others - filled with a message and a rhythm of its one, but not necessarily original by its influences - for each of the artists that majorly built it. The sad part remains that their first - and best - album circles nowhere near popular isles, but is sorted only in private and "experienced" collections, while the second album they've released is quite imposibile to find. The great reviews, on the other hand, are to encourage a search of the deepest for this band's music, because the recommendation is solid, worthwhile, incredible.

The two strong artists behind ZAPOTEC, at least on the first album, are guitarist Bill Curtis (who also plays synthesizers, flute and is actually more recognized as a drummer) and violonist Anna Hubbell. Both have played on a second worthwhile project called ACOUSTIC TALES, but more importantly on some of Jeremy Cutbert's albums, creating thus a bond between these two bands and the modern APOTHECARY - whose frontmen is none other than Cutbert - a bond musically made out of bits of jazz, fusion or jam. Also playing on "Not Of Sound Mind" are Mike Galway on bass and Jim Sullivan on drums, both with several connections (the first having played in Uncle Gut, APOTHECARY or Dysfunctional Family, and the later being probably the same bassist that played with Cerebrus Effect). Meanwhile, the second album ("Alpha Centauri") would apparently be the work of nine musicians.

Very simple to be put it inside the modern brackets of jazz-rock, but harder to be described entirely, ZAPOTEC's music is sourced complexly. With the artists having played and worked on very close kinds of fusion rock and eclectic jazz, ZAPOTEC could be discovered as one of their brightest and strongest ideas, in all. Regarding direct influences, the music would resemble three strong bands of the same period: BOUD DUEN (strikingly), OZONE QUARTE...ZAPOTEC is a rare, short-living but amazing project from the 90s, shining throughout that period with extremely fine jazz-rock and fusion, blended with smaller prog rock elements. Essentially jazz-rock, with a surprise twist of an art, the progressive qualities of the music describe basically (and bit underwhelming) the complex and posesive style that flashes through the music. The entire project, giftedly special and pleasant-sounding, was however sentenced to have a short life and belong to less known sections of jazz or rock music, mainly because it doesn't seem like it was more than a band-project, out of many others - filled with a message and a rhythm of its one, but not necessarily original by its influences - for each of the artists that majorly built it. The sad part remains that their first - and best - album circles nowhere near popular isles, but is sorted only in private and "experienced" collections, while the second album they've released is quite imposibile to find. The great reviews, on the other hand, are to encourage a search of the deepest for this band's music, because the recommendation is solid, worthwhile, incredible.

The two strong artists behind ZAPOTEC, at least on the first album, are guitarist Bill Curtis (who also plays synthesizers, flute and is actually more recognized as a drummer) and violonist Anna Hubbell. Both have played on a second worthwhile project called ACOUSTIC TALES, but more importantly on some of Jeremy Cutbert's albums, creating thus a bond between these two bands and the modern APOTHECARY - whose frontmen is none other than Cutbert - a bond musically made out of bits of jazz, fusion or jam. Also playing on "Not Of Sound Mind" are Mike Galway on bass and Jim Sullivan on drums, both with several connections (the first having played in Uncle Gut, APOTHECARY or Dysfunctional Family, and the later being probably the same bassist that played with Cerebrus Effect). Meanwhile, the second album ("Alpha Centauri") would apparently be the work of nine musicians.

Very simple to be put it inside the modern brackets of jazz-rock, but harder to be described entirely, ZAPOTEC's music is sourced complexly. With the artists having played and worked on very close kinds of fusion rock and eclectic jazz, ZAPOTEC could be discovered as one of their brightest and strongest ideas, in all. Regarding direct influences, the music would resemble three strong bands of the same period: BOUD DUEN (strikingly), OZONE QUARTET (well enough, but constrasting with some rocky elements) and APOTHECARY (skeptically). But the list continues, as ZAPOTEC can allegedly play jazz-rock in a MAHAVISHNU-ian way and resemble other progressive influences or similarities: CRIMSON, HOLDSWORTH, CURVED AIR, HAPPY FAMILY or even more crazier samples, alike HONRY-KONE. Interesting, to say the least.

Truly incredible with their instrumentality and structured improvisations and their modern jazz foiled in electric senses and violin, no wonder the temptation is to call the music of ZAPOTEC's two albums in many ways: "ethnic" and Eastern, though hardly in an accurate and decisive way, funky and violin-lead, because of the rapidity, or heavy and rock-outbreaking, inside the fusion of styles. Complex and tricky, because of the rhythms, or beautiful and crafty, on the side of melodies that meld with cadences. Sharp or technical, but not drastically low on paces and variations either; strong and sliced, though also emotional and full of feeling. Elegant and pressed, in the end, but also ready to boost and explode delicious senses - or up-to-the-traditional kicks - in a difficult or demanding way.

With exciting and rare performances, ZAPOTEC are a fine example - played for fine tastes - in prog rock's modern time, blending this kind of a style with the best of jazz-rock and fusion. Recommended!

(sources include notes, reviews, "impressions")
:::Victor "Philip" Parau(Ricochet):::

Why this artist must be listed in www.progarchives.com :
Approved by Eclectic Prog Team. Basically jazz-rock, it fuses further styles.

Discography:
Not Of Sound Mind (1995)
Alpha Centauri (1999)read more