There are gay women so irrepressibly effervescent and impossibly beautiful
they will break the hearts of straight men time and again. Catie Curtis is one
of those. As with any other beautiful person with that particular chromosome
arrangement, we in the straight world are left to mourn our loss, get over it
and move forward (The author, in decades past, has had some experience in
this area). "Forward," as it might apply with Catie, means to forget everything
else, marvel at her gifts and gape in awe at their display.
Her voice is a skylark in flight. It soars and dives, leaving traces that define a
road map to a freer state of mind.
The range of emotion in her voice is astonishing. It's all there, from joy to
heartbreak and back again. That unerring alto strategically flipping into falsetto
takes the listener's senses on a breathtaking ride.
Her latest CD, Long Night Moon, is a clinic on poetic songwriting. There are
lyrical metaphors that allow the listener to interpret meanings for themselves,
such as "Innocent" where she sings,
Put your letters away / let go of all your pieces
You're divided but still, you are not broken / and that pile of stones
Don't take them with you sleeping…
Then there are statements as direct as a locomotive barreling down a track.
In the song "People Look Around," co-written with Mark Erelli, there is no
mistaking of intent:
When the water is rising and there is no higher ground
You can wave your hands up on the roof but you might be left to drown
In the streets of New Orleans, a makeshift funeral pall
"Here Lies Vera, God Help Us All"
…People look around, we let them down.
The video of the song, shot on location in New Orleans is graphic and moving.
It can be seen on Catie's web site using the "watch" link.
Last month we wrote about Mark Erelli's song "Passing Through" but failed to
note that it was a co-write with Catie. As a mother of two adopted children,
one of her contributions included the very concrete lyrics:
We are passing this
world on to our kids
from the day they climb from their cribs.
Beginnings
Catie was born and raised in Saco, in rural, southern Maine. As a youngster,
she asked for a drum set and her parents were very accommodating. They got her
the drum set and allowed her to play it in the house. The switch to guitar didn't
happen until her late teens, She played drums in a show at an amusement park in
her hometown put on by a traveling troupe of actors. Afterward, they held a yard
sale to help with expenses. One of the actors was selling an old Yamaha guitar. Catie
told her she'd like to buy it, but didn't have any money. The actor replied, "If you'll
play it, you can have it." It took a few months, but Catie kept her promise and
began learning. A couple of friends showed her some chords, but she mostly played
along with records. She remembers, "One of the records I played along to was a
Karla Bonoff record" (It was especially gratifying for Catie when she got to open
for Karla recently in New York City. She will also be doing two shows with her
in November). A year later she was doing covers in local coffeehouses.
Playing Out
She began writing her own songs a couple of years later, but nothing that she was
comfortable sharing. At Brown University in Rhode Island she took courses in
writing and poetry. However, she recalled, "I really didn't have a clue about how to
write and craft a song until my mid-to-late 20's, I would say."
In an on-line interview we learn that she kept her songs to herself until she went to
a Suzanne Vega concert while she was a student at Brown University. "I knew then
that that was what I wanted to do, and it didn't matter if I played to ten people or
ten thousand; I wanted to sing songs and tell stories, to create that kind of intimate
environment that appeals to the imagination…"
Out West
She was still doing covers at open mics during her years at Brown University.
This continued after graduation when she relocated to San Francisco for a year.
She did open mics at Freight & Salvage Coffee House in Berkeley. It was her that
she began listening to people like Greg Brown, John Gorka and Cheryl Wheeler.
She says: "Rather than listen to the L.A. songwriters, I listened to songwriters
whose work was more personal, more unique."
Back East
After a year in San Francisco, she moved back east to the Boston area. While the
temptation exists for her to relocate to a warmer clime, she stated in her recent visit
with WFUV's John Platt, "The thing that's really remarkable about living in Boston
is that I can make probably 3/4 of my living just playing within four hours of Boston.
It's so rich in the number of folk venues… every little Unitarian Church &emdash;and
restaurant&emdash; up there has a monthly series where you get a couple of hundred people
who really know you and want to come and hear you. It's so supportive, and I know
if I lived in Austin or Nashville, that just wouldn't be true."
Meet the Family
She met her partner Liz, while she was giving a concert at Paul Newman's Hole in
the Wall Gang Camp, in northeastern Connecticut, for children with life-threatening
illnesses. Liz was the entertainment director and she invited Catie to perform. Catie's
song to her, "Elizabeth" from the 2001 CD release, My Shirt Looks Good On You,
is astonishing in its eloquence. If anyone could convince "Red" America that love, in
its universality, cuts across same-gender boundaries, it might be Catie.
I see a slow train crossing the bridge
Over the Ohio River
She bends and she winds and she's taking her time
But nobody can stop her
From headlights through all 92 box cars
She will not rest
And so too, I move toward you
My love Elizabeth
They have adopted two children, Lucy and Celia. While Liz has done the bulk of
caretaking when Catie has been out on the road, Catie recently took time off to write
when Liz accepted a job as a camp director and got to spend many hours taking care
of the kids (They do meet up at certain points when she is on the road). Back during
the CD's creation, the title track, "Long Night Moon" was written for Celia. In
anticipation of the impending adoption, she wrote:
I've got a place for you
Under the long night moon
And I'll dream that I'll see you soon
Goodnight, goodnight
The Heartbeat
While there are slow, contemplative songs in her repertoire, the many upbeat
numbers have an infectious sense of rhythm that reflects her lifelong interest in
drumming. "Radical" from her debut CD Truth From Lies provides a case in point.
While it does not use an especially fast tempo, there is an insistent steadiness which
is characteristic of her overall style. In an early video of the song, seen on her web site,
she is seen playing drums in short stretches between presenting her playing guitar.
She's at home with the drums, and it shows.
Another example is "What's the Matter" from the album A Crash Course in Roses.
Over a layer of finger-popping and brushes chugging on a snare drum, the song's
central figure tells the story of how she confronted the reality of who she is and
when folks in her hometown learned that she is a lesbian:
I love this town you can see the stars at night
Even from downtown 'cause there are no city lights
This town was my biggest fan
'Til I was who I am
What's the matter
What's the matter
All I ask is why be afraid of this girl
What's the matter
What's the matter
All I ask is why be afraid of this world
It's also there on "Soulfully" from the album Catie Curtis
You… would do me good…
do you think you could…
be with me, yeah you…
would do me good…
do you think you could…
be with me… soulfully
It's so much her, filled with energy, that inner motor running, all that irrepressible
(there's that word again) bursting-at-the-seams enthusiasm. Even a sad song like
"I Don't Cry Anymore," filled with remorse for a lost first love:
We thought no one would notice
if we followed all the rules
but they found out about us
and kicked us both out of school
I… I don't cry any more…
It flies out of her, soaring, pressing outward. She brings it to the world, a sacred
offering from her very big heart.
The Good Fight
Although religious zealotry, bigotry and hidebound conservatism in America has
retarded progress on a number of fronts, voices of reason have still made advances
in certain human rights. Enlightenment in Massachusetts has allowed Catie to get
married and have a family.
While gay marriage persists as a hot button issue, more people are waking up to the
hypocrisy and the fallacy of its use. As she sings in "People Look Around" on her
latest CD:
If they can keep us fighting about marriage and god
They'll be no one left to notice if our leaders do their jobs
Hopefully, there'll be a big enough groundswell saying, "Enough already!"
As she so eloquently sang from the very beginning:
…I'm not being radical when I kiss you
I don't love you to make a point
It's the hollow of my heart that cries when I miss you
And it keeps me alive when we're apart
Although, in context, we know where Catie's sentiments are directed, to these ears,
pretty much all of her songs are so universally expressed, they could be sung by a
man or a woman. This is a major factor in why she is so extraordinary.
She is one person (and there are many more) who provides a shining example of
what is possible when basic human rights are honored. She leads a life of hard work,
family devotion and creative brilliance. She speaks eloquently for herself, and in so
doing, for her sisters and for all of us.
Why be afraid of this girl?
Why indeed.
Web site: catiecurtis.com
Upcoming gigs include:
Nov 4 Denver, CO, Swallow Hill: Daniel's Hall
5 Felton, CA, Don Quixote's Int'l Music Hall
7, 8 Berkeley, CA, Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse
9 Eugene, OR, WOW Hall
10 Portland, OR, Aladdin Theater, with Karla Bonoff
11 Seattle, WA, Triple Door Co-bill with Karla Bonoff
18 Lancaster, MA, Lancaster Coffeehouse
25 Chicago, IL, Old Town School of Folk Music
29 Boulder, CO House Concert
30 Fort Collins, CO Sunset Events Center
The town of Warwick in New York State's lower Hudson Valley is a picturesque
one-and-one-half hour drive north from New York City. From any direction, however,
you can expect to drive along winding roads past farmland where the fields are covered
with rich black topsoil. From that same black topsoil rises the orchards of The Warwick
Valley Winery. Tucked back about one mile down Little York Road sits the outgrowth
of a family's ambition and imagination. Warwick Valley Winery is run by people who
know both winemaking and music.
In addition to a bakery, a cafe, a gift shop and a tasting bar, the Winery boasts an indoor
stage for nighttime special events and shows in colder months and a permanent outdoor
stage for festivals. On every weekend during the year from 2pm to 5pm, free music,
mostly folk, is provided for visitors. In warmer months, musicians set up under a canopy
just outside the main entrance.
In the Beginning There Was an Orchard
Warwick Winery was born in 1989 when physician Joseph Grizzanti, a heart and lung
specialist, purchased farmland with an orchard. His son Jason was 12 years old when the
farm was bought. A year later, he started a "pick your own apples" business. "It was sort
of my own lemonade stand," he says. He sat by the side of the road and sold bags of apples.
Afterward, the family stared pressing the apples and making apple cider. It opened as a
commercial winery in 1994.
Jason and a school buddy, Jeremy Kidde would talk about making their own hard cider
and selling that. After high school, Jason and Jeremy went their separate ways, putting
that dream aside. Jeremy went to Colby to study finance and then moved to the west coast.
Jason, with his mind set on the orchard, went to Cornell University as a Fruit Science major.
He graduated in 2000 and came home to turn what had been a hobby for him into a
business venture. He subsequently studied distillation in Scotland and winemaking in France
and cidermaking in both England and France.
The Grizzantis applied for a distillers license in 2001. Meanwhile, out on the west coast,
Jeremy, although successful, was looking for new challenges. He decided to throw in with
Jason. In 2002, Jeremy bought into the winery. Today, he handles the business and marketing,
while Jason runs the production end.
Their award-winning hard cider, Doc's Draft, comes in three varieties, apple, pear and
framboise (raspberry). Their wine is made from grapes grown solely in New York state.
Their Black Dirt Classic, made from the hybrid Baco Noir grape, named after the
aforementioned regional soil, has received particular acclaim.
Realizing that New York state has fruit that rivals anything in Europe, the Grizzantis decided
to produce their own brandies and ports. The State of New York awarded the winery a grant
to continue with research, design and marketing of New York State's first fruit brandies and
ports. The brandies are also known as Eaux de vies. The line includes apple, pear and Grappa
grape brandy. These are also synthesized to produce their Black Currant Cordial and
incredibly delicious Bourbon Barrel Aged Apple Port.
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1. The outdoor festival stage sits at the foot of a sloped meadow which creates a natural ampitheater,
presenting an idyllic setting for concerts.
2. Winery guests can enjoy the cafe fare and a variety of beverages in the outdoor patio alongside the cafe.
3. Doc's Draft is a light crisp drink that is eminently worthy of a wine glass. It can be purchased at Whole Foods
and from Fresh Direct. Doc's is served at Blue Smoke Restaurant among others in NYC.
A trip to the winery for a concert or just a tasting can constitute a treat for all the senses.
At lunch time the visitor's hunger will be assuaged by a bakery/cafe run by Katherine
Grizzanti, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and Executive Chef Michael
DiMartino. The bread for sandwiches is baked on the premises and and the pizza is baked
in a brick oven. The author can attest to the excellence of the small but ambitious menu.
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4. Jeremy Kidde, Joseph Grizzanti and Jason Grizzanti
5. On a busy afternoon in apple season, the tasting bar is crowded with happy sippers. Most will take home
bottles or cases of the winery's wares.
6. Visitors to the winery can look through a glass window at the imported German still used to make Eaux de vie.
The Music
Initially, on occasion, local musicians were hired to play as free entertainment on weekends
for patrons. In 1998, it became a steady, Saturday-Sunday affair throughout the summer
and into the fall. Currently, it runs year-round. Since both Jason and his father were big
Dylan fans, they also initiated an annual Bob Dylan Tribute Festival with a variety of
musicians doing Dylan Covers. The festival has grown in size and stature over the years.
It now spans three days on Memorial Day weekend. National acts this year included Steve
Forbert, The Kennedys, and Rod MacDonald. Additionally, widely-known area musicians
Terence Martin, Sloan Wainwright, Dave's True Story and Gandalf Murphy and the
Slambovian Circus of Dreams also performed. The weekend before, a two-day bluegrass
festival was held. In August the winery hosted a "Day of Wine and Blues" presented in
conjunction with the Downstate NY Blues Association. A standout was Little Toby Walker,
Long Island's burgeoning blues master. In September, the winery presented it's annual two-day
Harvest Moon Festival headlined by Susan Werner, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion,
Mark Erelli, Terence Martin and Red Molly. In addition to all this, special events include
special musical acts on the indoor stage and performances of Shakespearean plays in the
orchard. Jason has found that musicians are eager to perform at the winery. They perceive
the audiences to be progressive and open to new and original music.
Plans are in the works to increase the size of the winery to allow for more space for visitors
and a bigger stage for musicians. However, don't wait for things to get bigger. Get up there
now and enjoy some good music and fine food and drink!
This month's free music:
Nov 4 Blue Grass Jam with Mike Baglione and Suzy Arnowitz
5 Chip Robertson - Folk, Blues
11 The Flying Hooky Dookys - Acoustic Americana
12 Son Lewis - Acoustic Blues
18 Rick Nestler - Classic Rock/Folk
19 Steve Lane
25 Tony Vitello - Classic Rock
26 Holmgren Brothers
Warwick Valley Winery
114 Little York Road, Warwick, New York 10990
(845) 258-4858 www.wvwinery.com