I discovered Curtis in the summer of 2009 when he opened for the Squirrel Nut Zippers in New York City. I don’t remember a thing about them, but I’ll never forget how Curtis captivated me. His performance involved a fair amount of high kicks, twirling, intimate storytelling, some light yodeling, and absolutely no recognition of the fourth wall. In this interview, recorded back in 2014, we talked about Curtis’ early years growing up with a father who ran a small time circus, honing his craft in New York City, the time he got to play a Pete Seeger song for Pete himself, and how he developed his unique performance style.
Visit www.curtiseller.com to hear more of his music and to find out when he’s coming through your neck of the woods.