Curha III is the third Chant Records release from New York-based trombonist, guitarist and composer Curtis Hasselbring (aka Curha). His most ambitious work yet, the album bristles with imaginative pieces that evoke images of places that don’t exist and events that probably didn’t happen. The music is inspired by both the utopian promise of the exotica/space age pop music of the 1950s and 60s and the jagged dystopian musical explorations of the post-punk era (think Mancini meets XTC). Curha’s pastiche of catchy melodies, obscured harmony and primal grooves are funneled through his usual assortment of electronics, multi-instrumentalist skills and keen ear for unusual samples. He’s joined by several guests including Eblis Alvarez (guitar and bee noise) of the Meridian Brothers, Doug Wieselman (saxophonist with the Lounge Lizards, Millennial Territory Orchestra), Jeremy Brown (violinist with Golem) and Peter Hess (clarinetist with Philip Glass, Slavic Soul Party).