“Some of the coolest folk music around”
-The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, La.

“These folks come as close as possible in presenting the spirit
and essence of what bluegrass music is”
-Bob Everhart, Tradition Magazine,
National Traditional Country Music Association

“Fuel-injected folk music”
-Don Ezell, The Ezells, Glenallen, Mo.

“Will take you back to the roots...with their spirited,
sometimes haunting rendition of Americana”
-Ross May, Magnolia Bluegrass Express, MSBA newsletter

“Fine, fine stuff”
-Chuck Taggart, Host of Down Home,
KCSN 88.5 FM Public Radio, Los Angeles, Calif.

“What [Best Instrumental Musician Curtis Darrah] does is rather magical, bringing the entire complex nature of things bluegrass to a vibrant, varied life.”
-Ray Blum, Perform column year-end awards
Weekend magazine, The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, La..

“Filled with riches”
-Herman Fuselier, Entertainment Editor
The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, La..

Folkgrass—“mountain music on the bayou”—is the perfect description of the music of Fair to Middlin’. Anne Darrah, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, and Curtis Darrah, on Dobro, mandolin, banjo, finger-picked acoustic guitar, Weissenborn and National slide guitars, and vocals, explore some less-traveled byways of America’s musical roots. Their music is a mix of high-energy bluegrass, old-time folk and Americana. Songs range from mountain bluegrass standards of the Stanleys to the Dust Bowl ballads of Woody Guthrie, with stops along the way for music from contemporary songwriters working in the old-time tradition such as Gillian Welch and Steve Earle, plus exciting original instrumentals.

Whether performing spirited, driving music on the trail of the lonesome pine or haunting ballads yearning for a home here or in the hereafter, Fair to Middlin’ is dedicated to capturing the roots of old-time acoustic folk music and exploring its emotional and historical content.

A typical Fair to Middlin’ set may kick off with the blistering bluegrass standard “Ole Slewfoot” (“the only bluegrass song ever written about a bear”) and end with Gillian Welch’s dark murder ballad, “Caleb Meyer.”

“The driving rhythms of bluegrass and the simple honesty of old-time mountain and folk music make these songs a real kick to play and fun to listen to, even for audiences unfamiliar with the style,” Curtis explains. “The more sophisticated the world becomes, the more people appreciate the raw emotions of this simpler time. The joy and the sorrow in these songs are powerful: no matter how many years ago they were written, they still ring true,” adds Anne.

A selection of the duo’s featured appearances have included:

RADIO: live-in-studio performance and interview segments on Cecil Doyle’s Medicine Ball Caravan (5 times), Marce Lacouture’s Lagniappe, and a live simulcast of their “Maine to LA: An Evening of Folk Music” concert in September 2000 with their special guest Michael Doucet on fiddle and the Turkey Hollow Consort of Maine, all on KRVS Public Radio 88.7 FM in Lafayette.

FESTIVALS: Festivals Acadiens on Center Stage of the Louisiana Native & Contemporary Crafts in Lafayette (twice); Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette; River Bend Bluegrass Festival in Enon, La. (twice); Living Legends of
Bluegrass & Country Music in Columbia, Miss. (twice); Ezell Family Bluegrass Festival in Grassy, Mo.; 28th NTCMA Old-Time Country & Bluegrass Festival, Missouri Valley, Iowa; Great Southern RV Park Bluegrass Festival in Angie, La.; Frogtown Bluegrass Festival in Morton, Miss.; October in the Ozarks in Grassy, Mo.; Bluegrass on the Bayou in Baton Rouge, La; Live Oaks Festival in New Iberia, La. (five times); Louisiana Art & Folk Festival in Columbia, La.; South Louisiana Acoustic Music Festival in Lafayette; Christmas in the Pines in Independence, La. (three times); Louisiana Celebration of Bluegrass in Shreveport, La.; Academy of the Sacred Heart Congé, Grand Coteau, La. (twice).

MUSIC SERIES: Lafayette Natural History Museum & Planetarium’s Bach Lunch (four times); Live in the Park! in New Iberia, La. (five times); Cité des Art’s Music & Bloody Marys, Lafayette; Artwalk in Lafayette (four times).

BLUEGRASS ASSOCIATIONS: Magnolia State Bluegrass Association’s quarterly shows in Miss. and La. (six times); the Southeast Texas Bluegrass Association’s monthly show in Sour Lake, Tex. (twice); South Louisiana Bluegrass Association’s monthly show in Lafayette.

TV: KATC-TV3’s Good Morning Acadiana and evening news shows; KLFY-TV10’s Passe Partout (three times); Tune In on Acadiana Open Channel; Bayou Boogie on KDCG-TV (twice).

CLUBS & RESTAURANTS: Blue Moon Saloon in Lafayette; Boutin’s in Baton Rouge, La.; Fenian’s Pub in Jackson, Miss., Logon Cafe in Beaumont, Tex.; Café des Amis in Breaux Bridge, La.; The Sidebar in Lafayette.

CULTURAL PROGRAMS: TwoStep Literary & Music series of the Acadiana Arts Council; numerous cultural art programs for schools, libraries and teachers through the Acadiana Arts Council and independently in Lafayette, Iberia and St. Martin parishes. [Download a PDF (1.3MB) for more information on “Old-Time Folk Music”—our special cultural program for kids, schools and libraries.]

Fair to Middlin’s first CD was released in June 2001 on their own label, Home From The Mill Recordings. “Turn Your Radio On: Fair to Middlin’ Captured Live!” features 11 songs from radio performances, including seven tracks with Michael Doucet on fiddle from their “Maine to La.” simulcast. In October 2001 they were featured with a cut on a KRVS promotional disc, “Live in Cypress Space.” The selection, "Down in the Willow Garden," was a performance originally broadcast on Sept. 27, 2000, during Medicine Ball Caravan. All songs on this CD were from live KRVS broadcasts in Lafayette and Lake Charles, La., and also included tracks by The Derek Trucks Band, Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Terrance Simien and the Mallet Playboys, Rory Block, Monte Montgomery and Sonny Landreth, Theresa Andersson Group, Les Zoubilioux, Tab Benoit, The Gerd Quartet, Rachael Sage, Kevin & Kathe Danzig and Richard Gilewitz.

They’ve begun working on a new studio recording at their Home from the Mill studio. This recording, with the working title “Down Home,” will feature Fair to Middlin’ with guest appearances from some special friends.

Fair to Middlin’ was featured in the Touring Arts Segment of the Acadiana Arts Council’s Arts in Education program for Fall 2002. Fair to Middlin’s Curtis and Anne Darrah were joined for this school program—“Old-Time Folk Music”— by their special guest, Lafayette fiddler Dave Trainer.

For selected performances the duo is occasionally joined by Dave, upright bassist Butch Cooksey of Independence, La., or multi-instrumentalist Doug Anderson of Wiggins, Miss. An outstanding and hard-driving bluegrass bassist, Butch has performed for decades with his family’s gospel band, the Cooksey Family, as well as dates with bluegrass legends such as Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley. Doug, a powerful mandolinist with an affinity for bluegrass as well as older musical styles, is also accomplished on acoustic guitar, as well as the banjo, his first instrument. He is a veteran of a number of Mississippi bands, including his current group, The Larry Wallace Band.

Revised 5/16/08
 

PRESS PHOTOS/E-PRESS KIT
View or download a PDF catalog of available press photos (3.2MB), our latest complete electronic press kit as a PDF (32.4MB) [the press kit also includes the photo catalog] or our About Fair to Middlin’ one-sheet PDF (1.3MB).

Media representatives or promoters can call or e-mail to request
individual hi-res color or b&w photo scans via e-mail, download from our Web file server or our complete E-Press Kit (a CD including all the photos, the PDF electronic press package and MP3 files of all the songs on our latest recording).

.

For further information or bookings, contact Anne or Curtis Darrah.

Fair to Middlin’
P.O. Box 91606, Lafayette, LA 70509
337 367-3316
337 369-7103 FAX
E-mail: folkgrass@aol.com

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