Meet Kevin Curtis | Smooth Jazz Guitarist/Instructor in Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano and Voice

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kevin Curtis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kevin, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I had a professor that was lecturing a business of music class. He said ‘ If you want to go into music…don’t’, If it’s no other choice because it lives in you, makes you breathe, controls the rhythm of your heart and soul… then you’ll find your niche’. (the last part of the quote is mine lol).

It was something that I think was always with me from say around eight years old. I knew what I wanted to do, but it took me a long time to actually do it full time. I’ve been making music and teaching others for about 30 years full-time

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I come from more of a R&B, Funk, and jazz background. My influences growing up were more Chicago, Dazz Band, Gap Band, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan. I had a bit of jazz influence as my Mom was a member of the Columbia Record club. I was real small but she introduced me to George Shearing, Dave Brubeck, etc. My next jazz influences were Chuck Mangione, and Chick Corea and Weather Report.

When I hit college I went to a Christian school and it was a complete classical program. By then I was listening to Spyro Gyra, and Maynard Ferguson. I really hadn’t hit the classic guys yet. I transferred to another Christian college and started taking guitar. The guy teaching was first chair concertmaster for the Tulsa Symphony and he told me if I had any chance of making a living at this, I needed to go to a legit music school, so I choose Berklee in Boston Mass.

Before I left for Boston, my teacher gave me three albums that I still have today… George Benson’s Bad Benson, Larry Carlton’s Friends, and Pat Metheny’s Travels. This was probably the first taste of any jazz guitar.
Metheny made no sense to me at all at first….he sounds like a trumpet or a harmonica. I hated it. Played it again and hated it even more. Then I couldn’t stop playing it. I started to listen to Wes Montgomery, Coltrane, Miles Davis, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel. I was hooked.

Life kind of went on for a while. Had to leave school, got married, divorced,etc. Music was taking a back seat for a long time. By this time I was listening to a lot of smooth jazz. David Sanborn, Dave Koz, John Scofield etc. I liked the overall pop/blues/fusion/funk feel and I started leaning more towards it.

I was teaching by then full-time, this was around 2000, and through a series of fortunate events…I lost my day job. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.

I opened up a music teaching studio, hired a couple of teachers and started cranking out lessons. I found that the guys that I hired (band directors etc. were not fully caring about the student and more about the paycheck) were not putting in the effort for the students benefit. I looked what they were doing which was mostly basics and I said I can do that and better…so I did. Let them all go and learned a ton of instruments because no one cared, and I did for my students sake.

I taught straight for over 25 years and got so burnt out. Music has changed so much and a lot of the younger students have no influences unless they like the old classic rock or some of the new country. I decided I wanted to go back more performing.

I decided to carve out my niche by playing smooth jazz guitar instrumentally, and putting a smooth jazz twist to songs people know. I now do everything from Justin Bieber, to Nirvana…all in a smooth jazz style. It works great at corporate mix and mingles, training sessions, wedding cocktail hours before the DJ starts cranking it up. I do in home concerts which creates are real close and intimate feel. City festival events, Chamber of Commerce Luncheons, Ladies High Tea etc.

I want people to know that you can really enjoy music if you just take a breath, relax and listen. Have a coffee or something refreshing, sit back and just relax. Not all my music is this way and I can bring the whole instrumental rock and blues, and I do sing.

When it comes to vocals I just don’t have the rock voice, but I love the whole R&B, and Croner voice. Lots of singer songwriter and american songbook.

Has it been hard? Brutally hard. The music business is full of robbers, thieves, con-men and low life… then there’s a bad side.

Am I famous? No but everyone in my little town calls me the music man and I have had an influence on thousands of peoples lives. Will I ever retire…never. My all time gig would be to play the best gig of my life. Put Clydesdale (my workhorse guitar of over 40 years) back in his case. Go to bed and drift off to sleep.

I love what I do and the rebranding myself as this smooth jazz cat that does Ed Sherran and Steely Dan is tough. Working against the DJ has been relentless as the DJ can go on his Spotify account and play it right then and there. I have to go home and work it up.

I do enjoy when I’m at a vendor fair for say a bridal show etc. There is always going to be a few DJ’s at one of these so we usually take turns playing a song or two each in rotation. I love it when the DJ will come up to me and ask if he can play a couple after I’m done. I go sure… and hand them my guitar…..haven’t had any takers yet

Musically,
Kevin

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh man the first thing were doing is to head to Love Field, charter a small Cessna and see the city at night. Flying over the top of the city is the best way to feel Dallas. By now were hungry so Campisi’s off of Mockingbird or if you’re digging seafood we will head over to Lemmon to Hook, Line and Sinker.

I’ll check before my friends come in and see if any of my friends are playing that evening anywhere, Lorenzo, Fairmont Hotel. Check out Rosini Winery in Rockwall and sit it there or even set up a gig with Craig and Carol as we all play.

I would want to take them to the Aquarium or the Perot Museum. The sixth floor depository museum, Holocaust and Civil Right Museum. Maybe the Kessler, or the Majestic Theater, and Cheesecake Factory over by Northpark for desert.

Or just sit in the backyard and I’ll cook up some Texas Steaks or Bar BQ

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My friend Rob Sanders. I met Rob when I was in college through my sister. Rob was and is an incredible pianist who lives in Virginia. We became friends and he has always, always encouraged me with my music. It’s funny but in the group of musician friends that we had and still have, I was the least one to have made a career in music. In this group I’m the only one that did. Rob to this day is my friend and an encouraging force. I dedicate this shoutout to him

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Image Credits
The Mamones LLC