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“It’s like listening to the reincarnation of Robert Johnson.†This is what the review in The Sensible Sound said about Curtis Blues after one writer voted him one of the top ten CDs of this year. Curtis Blues plays One-Man-Band, acoustic, Delta blues honed through years of street performing, and playing clubs in the Washington D.C area. Curtis Blues plays guitar (metal resonator or wood acoustic), harmonica, a bass drum and hi-hat cymbals at the same time. He both re-interprets traditional blues and performs his own originals in the Delta style. Having played harmonica for 34 years, Curtis doesn’t just play copycat licks from the masters. He emotes through his harmonica’s wails and moans straight from his heart to yours. This is real street blues. Since this act was created on the street with no mike, his vocals are field hollers, evoking Son House with its volume and depth. His slide guitar is a second voice, slashing and cutting through the pulse of the natural shuffle rhythm of his bass drum and hi-hat cymbals. This is a full band sound from one man, a natural ebb and flow of emotion expressed through all instruments at once. The CD ranges the whole history of Delta blues from Charley Patton’s forceful “Moon’s Going Downâ€, through Son House’s, “Levee Camp Moanâ€, Robert Johnson’s “Walking Bluesâ€, all the way to the intensely personal and plaintive original, “River of Missing Youâ€. It ends in a harmonica solo, “Train Timeâ€, that Curtis wrote in his teens in the style of the county blues harp players imitating a freight train. This is his personal signature piece to end his shows. The songs on this CD have been performed thousands of times, a process that makes even the oldest songs from the 20’s become a personal expression of his feelings. Curtis defines busking, or street performing as “turning strangers into a paying audienceâ€. Curtis has played on the streets in the D.C. area for a decade, where he is a local institution. He views street performance as a way to keep this music alive as it was created, acoustic street music, played without a mike, in the open air. On a Saturday night you can see crowds around him while he plays on the waterfront boardwalk in Alexandria Virginia, preaching the blues to an international audience of all ages. This CD captures that spirit. No multi-track gimmicks, recorded live in a studio, as honest and direct as his style. Reviews: 1. The $ensible Sound, Staff Picks Our Favorite Things: Recordings Roy Nakano “Sometimes the best new sounds emanating out of the audio system come from recordings that have been around the block once or twice. My top desert island discs represent personal treasures discovered or rediscovered this past year. Most were released prior to 2005. Nonetheless, I played these enough this past year to wear out the loading mechanism in my CD player. Curtis Blues – Forget With Me (www.curtisblues.com). He’s a street musician who plays Mississippi Delta Blues without the aid of any electronic amplification. It’s like listening to the reincarnation of Robert Johnson. His guitar work is good; his harmonica playing is even better. If you happen to see him on the riverfront in Alexandria Virginia, be sure to pay him a visit. 2. Review by Gene Roebuck, author of “Finding Robert Johnsonâ€, and musician. Do you love acoustic delta blues and sometimes find yourself wishing you could just be transported back to the days of the 1920’s and 30’s when it all began? You are in luck! Forget With Me by Curtis Blues holds that magical power. Curtis Blues, a one-man-band, has set very high standards for himself with the release of his very first CD recording. Armed with his guitar, harmonica, bass drum, cymbal, and a veteran blues voice, Curtis single handedly delivers true blues of times past that very few today can even remember. Forget With Me is firmly grounded in the roots of the delta blues tradition with covers from Charlie Patton’s Moon’s Goin’ Down and Son House’s Levee Camp Moan to their protégé Robert Johnson with his Walking Blues and Kindhearted Woman Blues. Curtis delivers with an absolute conviction for the blues and would make these traditional fore-fathers proud. Whether finger-picking or using a slide, Curtis proves the guitar is merely an extension of himself and he is comfortable doing either. His harmonica solos are simply impeccable and astounding and would make any listener envious. Rock Me by Muddy Waters, King Bee by Slim Harpo and Driftin’ Blues by Charles Brown are all treated with the same devotion and clarity. Song-writing must come easy for Curtis Blues. From Forget With Me and River Of Missing You, to Moscow Rain and Goodbye Baby, Curtis pulls the listener even closer to the blues tradition and makes him forget time and place. Some will say Curtis saved the best for last, and I would tend to agree. Train Time, the harmonica train song could just as easily be the playing of DeFord Bailey or another great harp player of the past. Train Time alone is worth the price of the CD. Should Curtis Blues ever lose his ability to sing, play the guitar and drums, he could make a great living with his harp alone encouraging us all to Forget With (Him). 3. My wife and I often visit Alexandria by boat, and it's always a treat when you're entertaining the crowds down at the marina.†â€I listened to your CD this morning. That is some mighty fine harp work, my friend. "Train Time" really blew me away! If you ever get out to one of our gigs, please let us drag you up on stage for a song or two! Thanks for keepin' the traditional blues alive.†--Chris Ruckman www.AcmeBluesCompany.com 4. Curtis, Thanks for putting your voice and absolutely fine, fine playing to this sound. It should never be forgotten and your efforts are a tribute but you have your own voice as well. I waited two years for your CD and hope I don't have to wait another two before your next - good luck and bring it on! :cool! Rich from Virginia Beach 5. “Saw your gig at Dover first nite. Great music, sounded like three man blues band. Bought your cd and tuned guitar to open e. Fun to work with. p.s. have to steal cd from my wife to play along.†Greg Bickford, Middletown, DE Check out the artist's website: http://www.curtisblues.com Track List: 1. Walking Blues 2. Forget With Me 3. Rock Me 4. River of Missing You 5. Kindhearted Woman 6. King Bee 7. Driftin' Blues 8. Levee Camp Moan 9. Moscow Rain 10. Moon's Goin' Down 11. Goodbye Baby 12. Train Time Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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