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Curtis Hasselbring — Curhachestra
(Bandcamp no#, 2025, DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2025-05-10

Curhachestra Cover art

The last few releases that I’ve encountered from Curtis Hasselbring were mostly solo affairs put out under the Curha name. Hasselbring played trombone, guitar, and keyboards, along with programming, samples, electronics, and singing here and there. occasionally inviting guests to fill out the sound. The mood is universally lighthearted and quirky on the Curha albums, while some of his previous work, like Number Stations, was a bit more serious. Hasselbring’s latest project is dubbed the Curhachestra, and from the name you might expect a large ensemble. It is in fact only a quartet featuring Adam Minkoff (bass), Dan Rieser (drums), and Raphael McGregor (lap steel guitar); there are also guests Nels Cline (guitar) and Lisa Parrott (baritone sax) on one track each. Hasselbring takes advantage of the unusual lineup’s available tonalities, and the combination of trombone and lap steel is quite engaging. Overall, the music is just a lot of fun to listen to, with elements of surf music, classic soundtracks, and warped Western music. “Les Ennemis d'Amis” brings a touch of funk too, with a superb bass part from Minkoff. Hasselbring’s jazz background is in evidence as well, and all of the musicians approach the tunes with an improvisational spirit. As a trombone-led combo, the Curhachestra bears some similarities with Exploding Pig, though with less of a punk attitude. Same sense of fun, however. It’s long been my view that there’s nothing wrong with music that seeks to entertain — it’s still art as well, but there’s no reason art can’t bring a smile to your face.

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Nels Cline, Curtis Hasselbring (Curha)

More info
http://curtishasselbring.bandcamp.com/album/the-curhachestra

 

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