"There have been many arrangements of these great songs but you bring sincerity and emotion to your performance. It takes great talent to be able to perform the songs so stripped back in the way the composer originally imagined them. Best of luck, it is important that we keep these songs alive"
- Tony Bennett
BFI Southbank
BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall
BAFTA Awards
Waldorf Astoria, Florida
Historic Royal Palaces:
Banqueting House
Castle Howard
Althorp House
West End Live, Trafalgar Square
West End Live 2011, Trafalgar Square
"In my book anyone dedicated to preserving the American Songbook gets a special credit from me. Kudos to Laura and Daniel Curtis for their inspiring work. The dedication and creativity that they bring to this truly "popular art" form is admirable indeed, and, very much needed in todays frenetic music scene. All the best to you both and keep singing the songs."
- Joe Negri - Pittsburgh Jazz Guitar Legend
and former (Handyman on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood )
Daniel and Laura Curtis are considered as one of the foremost ambassadors for the preservation of the music of the Great American Songbook in the United Kingdom. The Great American Songbook offers a dazzling parade of American popular songs as seen and heard in some of the most beloved films and musicals ever made. Their concert repertoire includes the works of composers such as Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Cole Porter.
Daniel and Laura were recently invited onto the BBC One Show alongside the legendary Tony Bennett and have gained further support for their preservation work from Nancy Sinatra. They were also asked to perform a concert for Debbie Reynolds in Conversation at the British Film Institute. Previous performances have included Trafalgar Square as part of West End Live, Banqueting House, BAFTA Awards, Royal Albert Hall, Welsh Proms and the Waldorf Astoria, Florida.
Television and radio credits include BBC One Show, BBC Songs of Praise, BBC X-Ray. BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Northampton, BBC Radio Lincolnshire, BBC Radio Wales.
Dan and Laura Curtis reguarly perform for Care Home residents. They have created a selection of special one hour performances which include approximatly 20 musical numbers, selected to engage elderly audiences. Throughout the throughaly interactive performances residents are given songsheets and encouraged to join in with the singing. There is even an opportunty for residents to come and dance or gently swing along to the music. Dan and Laura also take time aferwards to speak to each of the residents about their favourite music and how it has played a part in their lives.
Dan and Laura have tailored their concerts so different themes can be selected by care homes. To explore these themes, please select them on the left.
For more information please ring 02920 850128 or email info_dlcmusic.com
Featuring the songs of the greatest composers of all time George Gerhswin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Jerome Kern. Songs include Anything Goes, Someone to Watch over Me, Summertime, Steppin out, Smoke Gets in your Eyes and If I loved You.
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Recent and Upcoming
Thursday 3rd November 2011
3pm - Guests on the Roy Noble Show, BBC Radio Wales
Friday 11th November 2011
7:30pm - Some Enchanted Evening
Charity Gala with Boyd Clack - Penrhiwceiber Hall
Friday 2nd December 2011
1pm - Soutwell Minster Cathedral
Saturday 3rd December 2011
1pm - Castle Howard
Wednesday 14th December 2011
7.30pm - British Film Institute - Great Hollywood Musicals Season with Debbie Reynolds (Singin' in the Rain)
Saturday 24th December 2011
Cancer Research Wales Event - St David's 2, Cardiff
8:30am - Live performance on Radio Cardiff
Friday 6th January 2012
3pm - Live performance on Wedi 3 for S4C
Wednesday 11th January 2012
9pm - Live concert on BFRM Television
Sunday 15th January 2012
4.00pm - Howard Leader Show - BBC Radio Lincolnshire
Sunday 29th January 2012
2.00pm Porthcawl Grand Pavillion Theatre
Thursday 9th February 2012
8pm - Gershwin Hotel , New York City
Tuesday 14th February 2012
7:30pm - Hilton, St Anne's Manor
Wednesday 22nd February 2012
7:30pm - City Hall, Cardiff - Lord Mayor's Concert
Friday 2nd March 2012
7:30pm - Ivor Novello Concert
Charity Gala - Penrhiwceiber Hall
Saturday 17th March 2012
1pm - Waltham Abbey
Sunday 18th March 2012
3pm - Foundling Museum , London
Sunday 25th March 2012
7:30pm - Anthony Hopkins Theatre
Clwyd Theatr Cymru - Flint Artsfest
Friday 30th March 2012
1pm - Rhondda Heritage Park
Sunday 1st April 2012
3pm - Eaton Concert Series
Sunday 29th April 2012
8pm - Savoy Hotel, London
Friday 4th May 2012
1pm - Sheffield Cathedral
Saturday 5th May, 2012
7.30pm - Hilton, St Anne's Manor
Tuesday 8th May 2012
1pm - Southwark Cathedral , London
Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th May 2012
1940s weekend - RAF Bassingbourn
Saturday 30th June 2012
St Peter's Church, Nottingham
Tuesday 24th July 2012
1:05pm - Fairfield Halls, Croydon
Friday 17th August 2012
1pm - The Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen
Monday 27th August 2012
1pm - St Fagans (National History Museum of Wales)
Saturday 5th November, 2012
Friday 16th November 2012
1pm - Southwell Minster Cathedral
Tuesday 3rd June 2014
1pm - Winchester Cathedral
Previous Performances have included:
Wales Millennium Stadium
Café Jazz
BBC Proms
Welsh Proms
St Donats Arts Centre
West End Live, London
BBC One Show with Tony Bennett
Waldorf Astoria, Orlando Florida
Hard Rock Café
Ronnie Scotts
Algonquin Hotel , New York City
Fat Cat Jazz Club , New York City
Hilton Foundation Ball
Althorp Literature Festival
Notre Dame Cathedral
Royal Albert Hall
Songs of Praise
Palma Cathedral
Hay Festiva l - Performance for Booker Prize winner Margaret Atwood
Althorp Literary Festival
Whitehall Banqueting House, 8th November 2010
"I would be delighted if you would be interested in appearing again this June, and after the success of your last performance, we think perhaps a lunchtime performance would be extremely popular with our visitors! " - Earl Spencer, Althorp House
"Dan, you have a great raw emotional quality in your voice which I find very moving, your version of Hushabye Mountain is beautiful, so so beautiful - Laura's accompaniment on the piano is superb - God can she play, to be able to play the piano the way she does and sing what a gift." -Tony Adams,
West End and Television Star
'Two singular sensations but together they are magical! They have created a beautiful intimate evening with just piano and voice... the singing will send a shiver down your spine' National gig guide performance review. - National gig guide performance review.
BBC Radio Wales
Community is at the heart of what we do. We thoroughly enjoy performing concerts and involving the local community.
We try and make all our performances as accessible to the community as possible and so we choose a wide variety of venues to perform at from cathedrals to care homes. We endeavour to ensure that a great number of our performances each year are free to attend.
Everybody has a story to tell about their memories of the Great American Songbook and we believe these stories should be treasured. We have been travelling around the UK recording the memories of elderly people. People share a variety of stories with us from the first time that they saw Singing in the Rain to why they chose a particular song for their first dance at their wedding. All of the information is being currently collated for inclusion on a brand new website and within a book.
We believe that passing down the Great American Songbook to the younger generation is vital to ensuring the music survives. We hold a number of workshops each year where we go into schools and teach children to sing songs from the songbook era, we also share the stories behind the songs and the composers.
"The Great American Songbook is as important to the musical culture of the 20th century as the repertoire of Bach in the 18th century. The melodies, harmonies and lyrics were the soundtrack to the mood of the country in the mid 1900's and expanded from there to the world at large and still considered to be the standard by which all popular songs are judged.
The genius of these songs is the fact that they are simple enough to remember and understand by non musicians and yet allow for expansion melodically and harmonically by musicians who desire to take the music and run with it. Examples of this can be found in works by many jazz musicians such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane and singers such as Dianne Reeves, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Al Jarreau.
Keeping the legacy of this material alive is of prime importance not only from an historical perspective but for use by future musicians to learn, build and grow upon. Further, in the hands of perceptive future artists, these songs are the building blocks for the future of a better class of popular music."
George Duke, Grammy Award Winning Musician, Composer and Producer
"For me, what is better than watching a film by the great Cary Grant or James Cagney? Most of all though I love musicals, as they make people feel happy. There were greats like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. When I was younger I used to screen movies one every night and I used to learn from them.
I believe the younger generation should go out and watch these movies."
Debbie Reynolds - Singin in the Rain, The Unsinkable Mollie Brown and Tammy and the Bachelor
"Dan has a voice of real soul and passion - a rare thing to find these days" - Grammy Award Winner, Arturo O'Farrill
'Two singular sensations but together they are magical! They have created a beautiful intimate evening with just piano and voice... the singing will send a shiver down your spine' National gig guide performance review.
"What you're doing is very interesting. I wish you continued success as you give the future, which always has an indistinguishable face, a creative face of your own making." Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Benny Golson
"Great performance guys, you made me want to be up there with you!" John Barrowman - Doctor Who, Torchwood, West End Star
'Anyone who keeps the songs of Kern, Berlin and Gershwin alive should be rewarded by oceans of praise. The Great American Songbook has given me priceless pleasure all of my life.' Don Black, Academy Award winning lyricist.
"Beautiful voice and nice piano playing. Sounds to me like you both have a great start!", Jazz legend David Friesen - Listed as one of the 24 most influential bassists in the history of jazz and composer for two Academy Award nominated Films.
'A beautiful piece of music sung by great people for a fantastic cause....it's on my iPod!' Wynne Evans, Opera singer, Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary Concert and number one classical selling artist talking about "Where My Heart Longs to Roam" single. Wynne is also known as the tenor "Gio Compario" as featured on the Go Compare adverts.
"A top draw performance and thanks for the Elvis inspired warm up!" Booker Prize Winner, Margaret Atwood, following performance at her 'Year of the Flood' book launch.
"What a magnificent arrangement of We'll Gather Lilacs, I really enjoyed it. We came down to see Ivor's statue in Cardiff Bay and were really suprised to hear his music being performed as we walked into the Wales Millennium Centre. Both of you have beautiful voices." - Cousin of Ivor Novello
"You both sound great. I love the fact that you have such a diverse repertoire and put your own spin on some of the greats.Your passion for what you do really comes across and I wish you both all the best for the future." - Lottie Mayor, West End Star. Whistle Down the Wind, Aspects of Love, The Sound of Music, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webbers 50th Birthday celebration at the Royal Albert Hall.
