Lives, Full of Todays
Our modern lives are adult versions of chutes and ladders. We are Sisyphisian, pushing a multitude of tasks up chronological hills, crossing over each summit to frolic in the joy of success as our projects go rolling down that hill towards the finish. And that’s evolution, daddio!!!
For the past few years, I have spent quite an amount of time working with a wide variety of musicians, learning to help express their vision while influencing mine. It was extreme pleasure to work with Sgt. Maxwell’s Peace Chorus, Lance Hatch & The Flying Cowboys, and my dearly beloved Pastiche reunion. All the while performing within two groups, Urban Caravan and Mr. C. Ensemble. Mmmm, diggin’ all those flowers!!!
“Leaving the Farm” is created by a band, learning it’s own identity and vocabulary through many months of rehearsals and studio work. We recorded a selection of tunes, dropped a few, wrote a few more, changed parts and arrangements - always shaping & shifting & satisfying our Muse. Thusly, I have so much devotion, respect, and trust for Clara Kebabian, Michael Macrides, and Marty White, who picked up the mantle of ability and desire and helped me move into the present. Their energy and enthusiasm turned the new album into a deeply rich experience.
Many of the songs we’ve chosen to share deal with the dilemmas of choice & self-identity, values & worth, belief & spirituality, art & music - morality & poliitcs - wrapped in some existential poptimism. Here’s a quik-peek into tune intent:
Isolato ~ a search - a space - a time for meditation;
Chicken Feed ~ slim pickin’s in the USA, but keep on drinkin’ from the same pool;
Go Away (if she’d only) ~ pickin’ up the pieces after love fails;
The Key ~ celebrate creativity and always keep waiting for the Muse;
In the City ~ you never know who’ll you meet - just some unique characters to populate a song;
Curve of the Earth ~ Einstein said: “Two parallel lines will eventually meet.” Or not??;
The House, Divided ~ the art of compromise & opposites, forming further complex issues inside;
Ululate ~ sometimes howlin’ at the moon is the quickest way to clear your mind;
Echoes of War ~ words from the front line, written by Army Vietnam veteran, James Sutherland, whilst serving a second tour of duty in Iraq;
For What It’s Worth ~ ...while some people here in America continue to protest the current military behaviour;
The Game ~ the ultimate contest - play your life as won!:
A Life, Full of Todays ~ this is it. nothing happens next. it’s one day at a time.

Many special thanks to C. J. Lori for creating her masterful cover - and giving a theme title for our album. Peruse this tremendous neo-surrealist artist @ <www.cjlori.com>
That’s it for the moment. We all work full time jobs. We all seek extra time for inspiration through music. Some time soon we may be appearing in your locale. Some time soon we will start a new project. There is always tomorrow. Stay healthy and keep pushing on. Best wishes always: Mr. Curt - July, 2009

reviews:

MR. CURT ENSEMBLE Low Budget Records
“Leaving The Farm” 12-song CD

The current recording from the Mr. Curt Ensemble is a treat for the eyes and ears. The cover has me thinking of French surrealist Rene Magritte. The opening is a spoken word piece narrated by Heidi Wolfe. The title is “Isolato (Je Suis Isole)” which means “Isolated (I Am Isolated)” in Italian then French. One is jarred from the pleasant languor of the first track by the relative cacophony of “Chicken Feed” which seems to speak of the recession. Still I can’t hear the word “toddle” without thinking of the Lovin’ Spoonful and their song “Six O’clock.” “Go Away (If She’d Only)” sweeps us away to a soothing microcosm. Here the protagonist is haunted by the spectre of a past love. In “The Key,” the female is more of a welcome presence—a catalyst for positive change or perhaps his muse. The multilayered vocals and Clara Kebabian’s violin lure us into the winter scene of “In The City.” In fact, Kebabian’s violin represents the feel of a shiver convincingly. “Curve of the Earth” asks a question on behalf of those who are both weary and wary of technology run amuck—“are we forlorn for once-upon-a-time?” With the exception of the Stephen Stills-penned Buffalo Springfield protest anthem “For What It’s Worth,” all songs originate from Mr. Curt Ensemble with a few outside collaborators like Ron Marinick, Wayne Humphrey, and James T. Sutherland. “Ululate,” penned by Kebabian, is a euphonious highlight that lingers in my mind.
- Nancy Neon The Noise, October, 2009

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Mr. Curt Ensemble “Leaving the Farm” 12-song CD

Singer-songwriter-guitarist Curt Naihersey has remained busy over the years since his days with Pastiche with a number of interesting musical projects, and his Mr. Curt Ensemble is no exception. For this outing, Mr. Curt enlists Clara Kebabian on electric violin, vocals, oboe, glockenspiel, and bass, Michael Macrides on electronic drums, vocals, and drums, and Marty White on bass and vocals to produce an eclectic trippy collection of songs. On Leaving the Farm, Mr. Curt weighs in on everything from analog & digital mediums, the internet, Einstein’s theory of two parallel lines, houses divided, dying in war, equality for all through a spirited cover version of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and “working for peanuts”. Curt’s not trying to change your mind about things; he’s just trying to get you to think about them a little more carefully. Our favorite tracks: “Chicken Feed”, “Curve of the Earth”, “The House, Divided”, and “For What It’s Worth”.
- Doug Sloan Metronome Magazine, October, 2009