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 some traditional pieces from America and the British Isles.  The current menagerie includes mandocello, folk harp, guitars, clawhammer banjo, ukulele, and mandolin, 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.  They rack up countless miles each year, crisscrossing the country to deliver their own unique brand of folk singer/songwriter music. 

In 1977, a theater graduate from Minnesota was sitting on a beach in Santa Cruz, California playing her guitar, practicing for a variety show. A young Texan who had just returned to the mainland from Hawaii stopped and said, “Hey, I play guitar!”  And he did!  They sat down together on a piece of driftwood and as they sang, they couldn’t help but notice how well their voices meshed.  They played together at the variety show that night, and have been singing together ever since, as the duo Curtis & Loretta. 

They’ve received several grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board, including the Creative Support for Individuals grant that backed their latest album, Lift the World – their 10th recording, which is being called “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). Featuring songs that were written during the pandemic, the album celebrates what is really important in this life, from the heartwarming to the heart breaking. 

Their heartfelt originals explore timeless issues such as love and longing, and they also boldly tackle tough subjects such as Alzheimer’s (“Can You Take Me Home?”), and war (“Angel of Bergen-Belsen”).  Loretta was awarded an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board in 2015, and wrote 12 songs about real-life people who have overcome great odds in their lives.  This stellar cast of characters includes a woman who donated a kidney to a toddler she didn’t know; a woman who grew up in great hardship in the grasslands of Somalia and is now a nurse at Mayo Clinic; a couple facing the challenges and reaping the rewards of raising two severely autistic children; a WWII veteran who saved another man's life, a marriage "against the odds" in the 1940s, plus many more.  The resulting CD, “When There’s Good to Be Done,” released in 2015, reveals that if we only look closely at the ordinary people among us, we often discover extraordinary people. You can read more about the project here.

The duo’s perennial humor is ever present, with songs and stories of harp players trying to get into heaven, small spenders on first dates, bugs, and lutefisk!  Their years of performing and touring together have honed their comfortable stage presence to a delightful edge. 

They've received six grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board, and were named Best Acoustic Performers of the Twin Cities by City Pages.  They have been on the South Dakota Arts Council Touring Arts roster since 2012. Their CDs have appeared on “Top Albums of the Year” at folkradio.org, and they’ve received several nominations for “Best Acoustic Folk Artist” for the Minnesota Music Awards.  They’ve released 10 CDs, and shared billings with such luminaries as Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Holly Near, Vassar Clements, Claudia Schmidt, and many more!  Curtis Teague and Loretta Simonet were married (to each other!) in 1987, and live in Minneapolis. 

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING - 

"Curtis and Loretta are true treasures of Minnesota.  Their music is stunning and their presence unforgettably lively and engaging.   Loretta's recent songwriting is heartfelt and well-crafted, telling stories of the resilience of local Minnesota people while hitting pitch perfect universal themes.  Their concert at the Folkhouse was a  special event for everyone in attendance.”                                                               ... Folkhouse, Minneapolis

"People emerge from Curtis & Loretta shows with tears of laughter as well as poignancy on their cheeks.”…The Columbian, Vancouver, Washington

“Curtis & Loretta are superb songwriters.  They address the poignant issues of life that are common to all of us yet often neglected as the subject matter of song. Don’t miss them!”… Front Porch Music, Valparaiso, Indiana

“Loretta Simonet has a jewel of a voice, while Curtis Teague's warm baritone and instrumentals are consistently impressive.”                  …Jon Bream, Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Keeping the modern folk tradition alive" … Frank Gutch, No Depression

Recordings: 

•Lift the World - 2022

•When There's Good to Be Done - 2015

•Our Heritage in Song - 2009

•Just My Heart for You - 2006

•Sit Down Beside Me - 2001

•Gone Forever - 1999

•It's Where You Hang Your Hat - 1994

•The Parting Glass - 1993

•Christmastide with Curtis & Loretta - 1991

•Haymarket Minstrels - 1989