Acoustic Guitar Duo with Walter Strauss, plus Jack West Quartet Plays the Music of Curvature

The boundary between jazz, folk, and global rhythms will blur as virtuoso guitarists Jack West and Walter Strauss take the stage at the Catalina Jazz Club on Sunday, February 22, 2026. This double-feature evening serves as a dual celebration for the release of two new albums: the duo project Guitars On Life and the retrospective Essential Curvature.

A Dialogue of Strings

The performance opens with the Acoustic Guitar Duo, a collaboration between West and Strauss that has been described as a “one-man rhythm section” meeting a master of global melody. West, known for his percussive “exploratory” slide work and custom thumb picks, provides a buoyant foundation of bass and chords. Over this, Strauss—acclaimed for his deep collaborations with West African kora and ngoni masters—weaves intricate, filigreed melodies. The result is a surprisingly full, “large band” sound produced by only two acoustic instruments.

The Spirit of Curvature

The second half of the evening features the Jack West Quartet performing the music of Curvature. Described by NPR as “a whole new sub-genre of jazz,” the ensemble’s sound is defined by its innovative grooves and sophisticated interplay. This portion of the show celebrates the January 2026 release of Essential Curvature, a double-LP compilation of West’s highly praised early works.