Ryan Keberle and Catharsis

The Nation
“unpretentiously intelligent and profoundly moving."

Downbeat
“A project that could speak both to the current state of political unrest and to music’s ability to overcome it.”

PASTE
"a powerful work that brings in new interpretations of popular song as well as originals that breathe and seethe on our behalf.”

Led by Ryan Keberle, winner of Jazz Times' Best Trombonist of 2020, Catharsis has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times for its “potent blend of cinematic sweep and lush, ear-grabbing melodies.” The highly acclaimed group brings together elements of chamber music, South American folk and indie rock within a traditional jazz framework, resulting in a sound that has thrilled audiences across the globe for close to a decade.

In Catharsis, the potent frontline rapport of Keberle and pianist/vocalist, Nicole Zuraitis, and the unshakable rhythm of bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Eric Doob combine to form an unmistakable sound full of drama and intrigue.

The band debuted in 2012 with Music Is Emotion, followed by Into the Zone in 2014 and Azul Infinito in 2016 (the latter two released on Dave Douglas’s Greenleaf label). Billboard picked Azul Infinito as one of “five jazz albums you need to hear.” In 2017 Catharis turned its attention to political turmoil in the U.S. with the protest album Find the Common, Shine a Light, praised by The Nation as “unpretentiously intelligent and profoundly moving.” Find the Common also saw Keberle emerging as a solid performing keyboardist (his first instrument). In 2019 Keberle and Catharsis released their latest album, The Hope I Hold, with lyrics and inspiration drawn from the Langston Hughes’ poem, “Let America be America Again”. The album received critical praise from the NY Times saying “all those tones give the lovely, splayed-out energy, turning his sighing compositions, into big, open canvases” and the Wall Street Journal said the “wordless vocals, lyrics and solos emerge from gorgeous weaves of musical textures.”

Catharsis has toured internationally for years, engaging audiences at the Toronto, Ottawa, Rochester and Bergamo International Jazz Festivals, and at premier jazz clubs including Pizza Express (London), Le Duc des Lombards (Paris), Stadtgarten (Cologne), Jazz Standard and Jazz at Lincoln Center (New York) and bluewhale (Los Angeles). The band was also featured in NPR’s prestigious Tiny Desk Concert series and on the French TV channel Mezzo.

Catharsis band members bring an impressive wealth of experience of their own, playing an integral role in many of today’s foremost jazz, Latin jazz, and indie rock ensembles, including bands led by Maria Schneider, Sufjan Stevens, Julian Lage, Chris Thile, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, and Paquito D’Rivera.