Curtis "Don't Hurt Us" Marlatt - "Master of the
Stratocaster" has been blowin' the blues now for well over
fourty years. Aside from a couple forays into rock or
jazz/fusion, Marlatt has stayed pretty much true to his roots, the Blues. Marlatt has been fortunate to have rubbed elbows with such bands in the past such as the Doors, The Grateful Dead, Steppin- Wolf, Steve Miller Band, Bruce Springsteen, The Allman Brothers and Dr. John - just to name a few.
However, since rediscovering his roots with the blues with his rendition of "Curtis & The Kicks" 20 years ago, Curtis has performed many concerts and blues festivals with blues greats such as Albert King, Gatemouth Brown, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Elvin Bishop, Savoy Brown, Junior Wells, Lucky Peterson, Joe Louis Walker, Robert Cray, Anson Funderberg & The Rockets and Rod Piazza.
Originally from Louisville, Ky and graduate from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Marlatt has been the guitar slinger for such Blues luminaries as Homesick James, Mitch Woods, Fenton Robinson, James Harmon, Candy Kane, Mojo Buford, Delbert McClinton & Marcia Ball. His band, Curtis & The Kicks, also was the back-up band for the late James "Thunderbird" Davis / Black Top Records "Thunderbird" fatally succumed on the Blues Saloon stage (MN) during Super Bowl weekend of 1991.
"Singer/song writer/guitarist Curtis Marlatt is undeniably proficient..." -Living Blues Magazine
"...Good ensemble feel; very clean, melodic guitar; good dynamics, nice overall feel...Good writing. All in all, quite a good CD...definitely a superior band." -Bruce Iglauer, Alligator Records.
"Listening to Curtis' recent show at Stevie Ray's in Louisville, his music has become more sophisticated and complex with lots of jazz influences-but still emotionally
based in the Blues. -Keith Clements, Louisville Music News.
Marlatt now resides in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota where he moved from California six years ago. He currently has five CD's released on the Blue Bayou Records label and has just released his sixth CD, along with Curtis Blake, as the Brothers Curtis, called "It's You That's Got To Go."
Curtis Blake was born in Princeton, MN on February 23,
1958. He was the youngest of four children. He moved to Minneapolis at age 6 and was raised by his mother. His sister and brother would play recordings by B.B. King,
The Rolling Sones and, "a lot of the British Invasion groups of the 60's." At 12, he attempted to play the guitar.
"I had to put it down because I couldn't keep it in tune! It was a piece of junk!!" Curtis continues; "In Raleigh, NC,I picked up a harmonica and was sitting on the front steps of my brother's house with another guitar my sister found (better junk). An old blues musician walked by with a six-pack from the local package store. "He picked up the guitar, tuned it, and showed me a few guitar licks. He saw my harmonica and taught me a few harp licks as well. I wish I knew his name. That was the beginning of my career as a blues musician."
When I was 20 I met Lazy Bill Lucas, aka "The Man With The News About The Blues." The local cats would hang out a Bill's place all day to play the Blues. That's where I met Mojo Buford, Jo Jo Williams, Odell (bass player), and Sonny
"Cat Daddy" Rodgers. My first real gigs were with Lazy Bill at the University of Minnesota, and the "Blue Sundays" series at Sebastian's Night Club.
"I've been influenced by Little Walter, Big Walter, Jimmy Reed, Junior Wells, Lee Oskar, Sugar Blue, Charlie Musselwhite, Sonny Terry and especially Paul Butterfield. Stylistically, I'm a blend of all these Blues greats."
Curtis quickly became an 'in-demand' player. His harp work was a major reason for Sonny Rodgers and the Cat Scrathers winning the W.C. Handy Award in 1991. Curtis has been a featured artist at the annual "Blues Harmonica Extravaganza" at the Whiskey Junction in Minneapolis. He has also performed at the Chicago Blues Festival and Kingston Mines with Jimmy Johnson, and as a featured artist
with Charlie Love. Curtis' discography includes recording sessions with Percy Strother, Bobby Johnson, Lady Blue, and Mojo Buford.
Presently, Curtis is performing in the Midwest with Curtis Marlatt as "The Brothers Curtis," "Greazy Gravy," "The Sail Cats," "Texas Red," and the "Dirty White Boyz."
Expanding his considerable talent to include piano and composition, Curtis as a co-leader just released his first CD, It's You That's Got To Go. "It goes from the old Delta styles of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee to the most recent 'uptown' Blues.
The critics are toasting these two like peas and carrots; smooth as butter on your lips yet hot and sassy as the good salsa preserved in the back room for truly special guests-you don't want to miss the experience of The Brothers Curtis!
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