“Jessica Curran’s effortlessly pure and deeply soulful voice weaves a golden thread through intricate arrangements of her beautifully executed and refreshingly original music.”
“ There’s never a dull moment and it’s hard to imagine someone wanting to hear anything else once Curran starts singing.”
Jessica Curran is a versatile and award-winning composer and performer, celebrated for her diverse musical talents. She has earned recognition as a jazz composer and vocal improviser, delved into the world of pop music, and currently serves as an assistant professor at Berklee College of Music. Jessica's collaborative work with French producer, Ariel T was recently featured in Amazon Prime's 2022 hit series, "Prisma."
Her impressive list of accolades includes the prestigious ASCAP 2022 Young Jazz Composers Award and the 2018 John Lennon Songwriting Contest in Jazz. As a vocalist, Jessica showcases her remarkable versatility, effortlessly transitioning from improvising over classic American standards to delivering wordless melodies in intricate Brazilian choro.
Jessica's compositions are a testament to her vocal range and meticulous arranging skills, often sought after for commissions, including a musical interpretation of the Nobel Prize in Economics for Stockholm's Nobel Museum in 2016. Her debut album, "Here," garnered attention from Downbeat Magazine, with the closing track "Weightless" winning the Grand Prize in Jazz at the 2018 John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
Throughout her career, Jessica has shared the stage with renowned artists like Bobby McFerrin, Ben Folds, Samson Schmitt, Gustav Lundgren, Raphael Barrata, and Marissol Mwaba, headlining at festivals like Stockholm Jazz Festival, Django Festivals, Provincetown Jazz Festival, and Florianopolis's Jazz series.
Currently, Jessica is passionately immersed in her duo project, "Caio e Jess," alongside her husband, Brazilian guitarist Caio Afiune. Their collaboration seamlessly fuses Brazilian music, pop, and jazz, resulting in organic and lush compositions. Their debut full-length album, "The Meeting of the Waters," featuring world-class musicians including Laura Perrudin, Marissol Mwaba, Raphael Barata, and Henrique Eisenmann, is eagerly awaited.
Beyond her artistic endeavors, Jessica is a founder of the Boston Jazz Foundation, dedicated to supporting Boston musicians through professional development, performance opportunities, and educational resources. She is also a producer for the Charles River Jazz Festival.
Jessica with Rafa Oliveira at Sofar Sounds in Floianopolis, Brazil
Picture by Kathryn LeRoux
Picture by Helgi Reynasson