Acorn Coffeehouse presents Curtis & Loretta

Curtis & Loretta’s music comes straight from the heart. The husband and wife duo’s extraordinary harmonies and proficiency on a parade of stringed instruments create an alluring frame for their poignant original songs, and carefully chosen traditional pieces from the British Isles, America, and beyond. The current menagerie includes Celtic harp, mandocello, mandolin, guitars, clawhammer banjo, and national steel ukulele, plus a bit of kazoo, harmonica, and shakers. Curtis’ down-home sense of humor and Loretta’s theater background engage the audience in an experience that runs the gamut of rolling with laughter to holding back tears, with plenty of side-trips in between.

Their heartfelt original songs have won them fans throughout the U.S. and overseas. Curtis & Loretta revel in writing songs about the heroism and integrity of real-life, ordinary people, often people they actually know.

“Angel of Bergen-Belsen” is the story of Luba Tryszynska, a holocaust survivor who saved 54 children during World War II. Curtis & Loretta sought her out and met her after writing the song, and visited her four times at her home in Miami. “Gone Forever” tells the heart wrenching story of Loretta coming to terms with her dad’s Alzheimer’s. “Elza and Branko (The Siege of Sarajevo)“ details the love and bravery of a couple living through the Balkan wars. Curtis & Loretta located Elza (now a widow) and were in contact with her for many years. Rick Mason wrote in the Minneapolis City Pages A-List, “Curtis and Loretta are in many ways the quintessential folk duo: finely honed vocal harmonies of multidimensional intrigue, abundant talent on an array of stringed instruments, deep traditional roots, great originals, and equally strong strains of gravity and playful irreverence.”

And though it’s not commonly known, folksingers do want to have fun! The duo’s perennial humor shines through, with songs of harp players trying to get into heaven, small spenders on first dates, bugs, and lutefisk! In 2002, City Pages named them “Best Acoustic Performers of the Twin Cities.” They’ve received numerous Minnesota Music Award nominations for Best Acoustic Folk Artist.

Their latest CD, “Our Heritage in Song,” grew out of a project with the Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission. On the strength of this CD, Curtis & Loretta received an Arts Tour Minnesota grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board in 2010, presenting “Minnesota Heritage in Song” at 19 venues across the state. The recording is made up entirely of songs folks would have been singing in Minnesota in 1858, when it was a brand new state. These traditional musical gems highlight Curtis & Loretta’s old world charm as never before. The duo makes history come alive, as their voices resonate on such timeless poignant songs as “The Farmer is the Man,” “Lincoln and Liberty,” and “The Jam on Gerry’s Rocks.”

Curtis grew up in Duncanville, Texas, singing harmony in small country churches. He taught himself to play guitar, and everything else he’s come across in his ongoing quest for vintage stringed instruments. He has a diploma in Musical Stringed Instrument Repair and Building from Red Wing Technical College in Minnesota. Loretta grew up in Stillwater, the historic river town known as the “birthplace of Minnesota.” She sang in church, high school, and college choirs, and graduated from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater (acting). She studied harp with Bridgett Stuckey of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and vocal performance with Jeannie Brindley-Barnett.

Acorn Coffeehouse presents concerts at the Burning Bush Art Gallery on a monthly basis, showcasing high caliber artists in an intimate setting. It’s a wonderful experience to be close to the performing artist as if the concert was in your own living room. There’s a natural bond that the audience forms with the music and the performer. The newly renovated late 1890’s house is a perfect venue for concerts. Along with hearing some of the finest live music, you will also be treated to an inspiring art exhibit. It’s a great blend of auditory and visual arts. Upcoming performers include Friedlander & Hall and Small Potatoes. The complete schedule can be found at www.acorncoffeehouse.com.