CURTIS & LORETTA
LIFTING THE WORLD
Curtis & Loretta are a folk singer-songwriter duo, guided by their love of good songs and inspired by the stories of people they have met in their over 40 years of touring. Weaving together soaring harmonies with a wild menagerie of instruments that includes guitars, harp, mandocello, banjo, ukulele, kazoo, harmonica, and percussion, the duo performs their poignant originals and traditional songs with humor and heart. 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. They rack up countless miles each year, crisscrossing the country to deliver their own unique brand of folk singer/songwriter music.
"People emerge from Curtis & Loretta shows with tears of laughter as well as poignancy on their cheeks.”…The Columbian, Vancouver
"Lift the World" is a generous cornucopia of beautifully crafted songs that speak from the heart of the struggles and joys of life, performed with honesty, grace, and uncommon musicianship.” (Chris Vallillo, Ginridge Music).
Curtis & Loretta at FARM !!
Folk Music Networking Conference
FARM is open to registered attendees only. It'll be a gathering of folk musicians, concert presenters, agents, and more, in downtown Minneapolis Here are the showcases we'll be doing!
The Royal Sonesta Hotel, 35 S 7th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402
OUR SHOWCASES -
Fri, October 23 at 11 pm - Traditional Room, in Norway 1
Sat, October 24 at 4:10 pm - Performance Lane, in Fjords 1
Sat, October 24 at 10:30 pm - EFS Publicity in Fjords 2 / Leadbelly Room (Round robin with Eliza Blue)
SHEET MUSIC AND LYRIC/CHORD SHEETS
Thanks to Minnesota state arts board!
We've just posted sheet music and lyric/chord sheets of three of Loretta's original songs, at https://curtisandloretta.com/music-store, top of the page. The final step of my grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board was learning to use Muse Score to write out sheet music. My awesome teacher, Hannah Flowers, Harpist very patiently taught me how to do this! So far, "Lift the World," "Beauty of the Song," and "Home in You" are available. You can download sheet music for $3, and lyric/chord sheets for free!
Concert with Pedal Harp January 10, 2026
Culmination of MN State Arts Board Grant
Curtis & Loretta will showcase the full-size pedal harp for the very first time at this concert! Loretta was awarded a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to study concert harp, and this event will be the culmination of her past year’s studies with award-winning harpist Hannah Flowers. Loretta has played the smaller folk harp for many years, but this grant has enabled her to learn the more involved technique of using pedals rather than levers. The evening will feature several pieces on this spectacular gold pedal harp, plus lots of Curtis & Loretta favorites, with tight harmony vocals, mandocello, guitars, banjo and ukulele. All the details here!
Loretta Simonet is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts
Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature; and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Lift the World is Lifting the World!
What they're saying
---Our new album, Lift the World, is getting lots of attention! It's been played by folk radio dj’s across the U.S. and overseas. It’s on the Top Albums of October, November, and December 2022 on the Folk Music charts.
--- Track # 4,“Karmic Closet,” is on Don Jacobson's Favorites of 2022 on "Movin' On" on KBOO Radio in Portland, Oregon
--- “Song of the Soul” on Northern Spirit Radio said, “Minnesota's Twin Cities are teeming with musical talents, among them Curtis and Loretta. They've been making and performing fine mostly-folkish music for more than three decades. Loretta Simonet writes the lion's share of their songs, and her primary instrument is either the guitar or the folk harp, accompanied by Curtis' deep voice & rich instrumental skills. You'll find yourself uplifted by Loretta's upbeat lyrics & voice, as you might expect from a life-long singer & theater major."
---“I love your new album - such excellent new songs and music.” … Lilli Kuzma, Folk Festival Radio show, WDCB, Chicago
---“Thanks for sending your record. It’s chock full of goodies.” Rik James, Americana Backroads, KGLT Radio, Bozeman, Montana
LIFT THE WORLD HAS ARRIVED!!!
we welome our new recording to the world!
This album spotlights our original songwriting with 10 new songs, many of which were written during the pandemic. Exhibiting the playfulness and pathos that are a hallmark of our live shows, this timely collection is full of songs that speak to our times yet feel like timeless folk classics.
Funded by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, this album was certainly born of the pandemic. After over 40 years of almost constant touring, we found ourselves, like so many musicians, stuck at home, with no work. During those days of canceled gigs, we had time and space to step back and view the world with clear and insightful vision, from the heart-warming, to the humorous, to the heart-breaking.
We are joined by wonderful guest musicians Tom Schaefer on fiddle, Sandy Njoes on bass fiddle, and Sera Smolen on bowed cello.
Stream, listen, buy, download, whatever you like, at https://curtisandloretta.com/music-store. It's also available on all digital platforms.