Curtis Brand

News

Musings

January 21, 2010

 

Older than Dirt has been mixed and mastered and was available for purchase at shows and on the website as of December 15, 2009.  Recorded at Dirt Floor Studios, the CD features 15 original songs.  Eric Lichter’s fine touch with his old fashioned analog recording system and his able instrumentation as a studio musician has help bring the music to life.  I’m really pleased with the earthy, organic  sound that recording on two inch tape provides.

The fall has been very busy, but I've had a chance to play out some.  I was at the Vanilla Bean in Pomfret on Friday, November 6^th as the featured performer at the monthly open mic.  Then I was back at the Bean the following week on Thursday, November 12^th, as one of the performers in the monthly Singer/Songwriter session, joined by host Lisa Martin and Guy-Michael Grand (direct from Nashville) and Vic & Sticks.  It was a fun, if sparsely attended session.

Right now I'm in the middle of my final practice session for tomorrow's Haiti Relief Concert at  the Congregational Church in Union, Connecticut.  The show starts at 7:00 with the local band TBD opening.  I'll play a set and then be joined by Jon Hand of Donut Jones for the second set.  Should be a good time.

I also have a couple of gigs scheduled at venues which avoid ASCAP BMI hassles by allowing only original music.  On February 24th I'm part of a singer/songwriter showcase at the Space in Hamden.  Then, on April 30 I have a three set gig of all original music scheduled at Jitters Coffeehouse in Southington.  I'm always looking for friendly places to play.

In order to keep the music alive, I think we must turn to house concerts as a way of providing original singer/songwriters with small venues in which to perform their music.  A house concert, as the name implies, is a private, by invitation only function in a person’s home.  Often the concert is coupled with a pot luck supper, desert table, and/or BYO libations. A house concert provides an opportunity to bring your friends together and enjoy a fine performance in an intimate setting.  The house concert also provides the artist with an attentive audience and the opportunity to sell some CDs and glean some donations to support a musical habit.  I would love to have the opportunity to play to such an audience, so if you or a friend of yours might be interested in hosting a house concert featuring yours truly, please contact me.

In other news, Butterfly Moon, the book I co-authored with Ann Tuller, is now in its fourth printing, which sounds phenomenal until I add that we are conservatively printing only 100 books a run.  Book sales have been slow but steady and a recent increase in demand has us feeling optimistic.

That’s all for now. 

May the New Year bring you peace and prosperity

Curtis

 

Events Around Town

If you know of local events involving the playing of independent music, let me know.  I'll post them here and include notice in my regular mailings.

 

Organic, Locally Grown Music and Stories 

An interview with Susan Dziedzic:

Spending an evening with Mansfield singer/songwriter/storyteller Curtis Brand leaves one with that peaceful, easy feeling of a barefoot summer’s evening; of relaxing on the back porch in a pair of faded old jeans, favorite beverage in hand, surrounded by best friends.  His music, his stories, and even the essence of the man himself, just put folks into a state of laid-back easiness.  Brand has been writing and performing his music for just over twelve years and in that short time, he has managed to pen a large collection of songs that gently reveal common threads of everyday life; touching on both the humor and melancholy that’s there for the taking.

 

His newest CD release, “Older Than Dirt” is musical smorgasbord of comfort food; there’s hardly a listener whose heartstrings won’t be tugged on more than once.  Many of the cuts feature just Brand and his guitar; doing what he does best, while crossing the border many times from folk to blues with ease.  There’s a hint of Willy Nelson in his sound and a glimpse of Harry Chapin in his storytelling (and he can really deliver on storytelling, which makes his live performances so appealing).  For those of a certain age, tracks like “The Class of 1962” and “I’ll Be Alright” will send them reeling back to the days of tie-dye and McGovern.  There’s a poignant sadness to his love songs like “Come Sit Here Beside Me”, and “Til Summer Comes”; a wistfulness to which every aging baby-boomer can relate.  But just when he’s got you dabbing the corner of your eye with your old love-beads, he let’s loose with the title track, “Older Than Dirt” which is destined to become the anthem birthday song for anyone approaching their AARP membership invitation.

 

Even though Curtis Brand was born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, he spent most of his life in Connecticut and his unique “down east” humor coupled with his do-it-yourself ingenuity makes him an authentic Yankee.  He’s got a grit and determination that keeps him grounded and practical while, at the same time, a real humanitarian.  And when it comes to the music scene, he’s on a mission for the people.  “I’ve got a major beef with BMI and ASCAP,” said Brand.  “These organizations are killing live music; they’re preventing young musicians, especially, from getting a chance to perform in local venues and develop their talents.  So many places are just stopping live music venues because of the exorbitant fees that are required to be licensed just so musicians can try out some cover tunes at their open mic performances.  When I was starting out, folks like Chip angel of the Brooklin Inn and Jan Goldstein of the Rain Desert Cafe, gave me a venue to try out my material.  These guys just get it.”  And Brand isn’t just complaining; he’s put his money where his mouth is by giving permission for other musicians to perform his music in small venues with no licensing fee.  Also, he’s got a movement afoot for a concert venue with a new twist:  The House Concert.  “It’s a really simple idea whose time has come,” he explained.  “You invite performers into your home and invite a lot of friends who love music.  You charge a  ‘donation’ admission to pay the performer, and ask that your friends bring a pot-luck dish and their own beverages.  Everyone gets the opportunity to enjoy a night of music in an intimate setting and the performer can sell CDs.  I held a house concert recently for Martyn Joseph, a Welsh singer that I admired who was traveling in the U.S. and it was a fantastic evening.”

 

Curtis Brand has been a guest on WHUS 91.7 FM’s “Ramblin” Bert’s Blues program and will be appearing at the Concert Series at the Congregational Church of Union on Friday, January 22; at The Space in Hamden, CT on Wednesday, February 24, and Jitters Coffeehouse in Southington, CT on Friday, April 30.  Check out his website at www.curtisbrand.com for information on more upcoming shows as well as the “Older Than Dirt” store where you may purchase CDs and very cool “Older Than Dirt” T-Shirts.

 

Curtis Brand is changing the face of local, live music and other musicians in the area are joining this grassroots movement; they’re saying “no” to the “corporate” music paradigm and that’s a good thing for every music lover.