“Recordially Yours, Lou Curtiss”: A Deep Dive into This Essential Lou Movie
Music transcends mere sound; it is an art form, an experience, a culture, and profoundly, a community. Watching a pre-release screening of the new film, Recordially Yours, Lou Curtiss, deepened my connection to all these facets. Any reader interested in music history or documentaries will find immense value in this exceptional Lou Movie. It is enlightening, deeply entertaining, and genuinely inspiring.
Produced by BlackStream films, this documentary runs for just over an hour and premiered on June 23rd in downtown San Diego. I had the opportunity to speak with Yale Strom and Elizabeth Schwartz, the director and producer respectively, about the film’s genesis. Unsurprisingly, the project came to fruition with considerable support from their—and Lou’s—vast network of friends within the music world. Elizabeth described it as, “This was a community effort by people whose lives were touched, shaped, and expanded by Lou Curtiss; it is really a love story from San Diego.” If you’re exploring different cinematic experiences, from thought-provoking documentaries to compelling narratives like the fallout movie, this film offers a unique perspective on musical legacy.
Who Was Lou Curtiss?
The name Lou Curtiss resonates deeply within certain music circles.
For decades, Lou Curtiss served as a vital link, connecting the rich musical heritage preserved on 78 rpm records from the early 20th century to listeners navigating the eras of FM radio and beyond. Many individuals impacted by him were musicians who then channeled echoes of that historical sound into the ears of contemporary audiences. Icons such as Mojo Nixon, Alison Brown, and Jack Tempchin are just a few of today’s prominent figures whose relationships with Lou led them to share their insights in this film.
Many of us cherish treasures acquired from Lou’s Folk Arts Rare Records store. (For instance, I own a 1972 LP featuring Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, tracks originally recorded between 1928-30.) Readers of publications like Troubadour are familiar with his engaging monthly column, where he often took readers on a nostalgic journey down his personal memory lane, introducing bygone musical heroes. His piece, “The Time I Saw Hank Williams in 1952,” is a classic example. San Diego enthusiasts of roots music (a term Lou famously rhymed with “puts”) fondly remember his radio program, Jazz Roots, aired on KSDS, where each Sunday evening he would play selections and offer commentary on various aspects of traditional music. The older generation of folk music aficionados also warmly recall the influential music festivals Lou organized for decades, attracting the biggest names in traditional folk and blues, alongside his countless song swaps and informal jam sessions. The world of film offers many incredible true stories, and the “Recordially Yours, Lou Curtiss” Lou Movie is certainly one that deserves a spot among considerations for best movies 2022 for documentary fans.
I was previously only aware of Lou within these contexts, which the film covers extensively. Watching Recordially Yours, I was captivated to learn about his younger adventures growing up in the South Bay area, his involvement as a young adult in the Civil Rights movement in Mississippi, and his significant, make-or-break venture into the burgeoning folk scene in Greenwich Village. The documentary provides fascinating glimpses into these earlier chapters of his life, leaving me with a strong desire to have heard more directly from Lou about those experiences.
Behind the Lens: Making the Film
Lou and Virginia Curtiss outside their original Folk Arts Rare Records store in San Diego, 1967, featured in the Lou Curtiss documentary
Elizabeth and Yale describe the making of this film as a labor of love, and that passion is clearly evident on screen. Collaborating with their frequent colleague Luke Jungers, they meticulously gathered interviews, performance videos, archival footage and audio recordings, and various memorabilia from Lou’s life. Yale demonstrated great foresight by conducting interviews with Lou at the record store prior to his retirement in 2014 and tragically, his passing in 2018. Others within the San Diego music community generously contributed items from their personal collections, including Gregory Page, Kent Johnson, Patty Hall, and Claudia Russell. Both San Diego Folk Heritage and the Troubadour played a crucial role in facilitating a crowd-sourcing campaign, which enabled the public to contribute funding necessary to guide the film through its final editing phases. Experiencing diverse narratives is key to appreciating cinema, whether you’re delving into a survival story like the fall movie or a deep dive into cultural history like this documentary.
Memorable sequences within the lou movie include concise musical performances by top-tier artists inspired by Lou, such as AJ Croce, Gregory Page, and Curt Bouterse. Mojo Nixon offers enthusiastic commentary about Lou from a hotel room, and Alison Brown proudly displays her very first music award—a hand-printed “First Prize” certificate from Lou that she has treasured and kept framed over many years. Other individuals who help weave the narrative include Sue Palmer, George Varga, Liz Abbott, and Brendan Boyle, who is the current owner of Folk Arts Rare Records. A previously unreleased recording of the song Tijuana, written and performed by Jack Tempchin and Tom Waits, is featured in the film and, for many fans, is arguably worth the price of admission by itself.
The Filmmakers: Yale Strom and Elizabeth Schwartz
Filmmakers Yale Strom and Elizabeth Schwartz, director and producer of the Lou Curtiss documentary
Yale Strom and Elizabeth Schwartz, who are partners in life, music, and film, have both been featured as cover stories in the Troubadour previously. Given the numerous projects they are typically involved in, it’s remarkable that this documentary was completed. The pause brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, however, provided them with the essential time needed to immerse themselves in this project. Elizabeth noted, “With any film, what it takes is money and/or time. We had neither, until the pandemic gave us the time to work on this.” Exploring global cultures often leads to fascinating discoveries, from the unique stories found in japanese movie productions to the vibrant history presented in this documentary.
When I spoke with Yale, he had recently returned from Lithuania, where he was consulting on a documentary film project for a new museum. Their next album with their band Hot Pstromi, The Wolf and the Lamb: Live at the Shakh, which was recorded in the Czech Republic, was scheduled for release that summer on Naxos World/Arc Music UK. Both Yale and Elizabeth also had books coming out the same year. In their limited “spare time,” they lead international musical and cultural tours across Europe, Africa, and South America, with Croatia marked on their fall calendar.
An exciting new role for Yale involves curating a concert series at UCSD’s new venue at Park and Market downtown, which also served as the location for the movie’s debut screening. “I thrive off of creativity,” he commented, perhaps unnecessarily given his extensive activities.
Lou’s Enduring Legacy
Poster for the 1974 San Diego State Folk Festival, organized by Lou Curtiss, referenced in the Lou movie documentary
Lou Curtiss may be gone, but his influence and contributions are far from forgotten. His iconic posters still adorn the walls of Folk Arts Rare Records, where Brendan Boyle continues Lou’s mission of sharing wonderful old music with contemporary audiences. “Brendan has been amazing—his stewardship of what Lou started extends so far,” Elizabeth remarked. The shop remains a nationally recognized destination for discovering, buying, and listening to a “wildly eclectic” range of music. Brendan has added features such as dedicated DJ space both within the store and at the nearby PTL Hi-Fi bar at 3829 30th St. A selection of Lou’s valuable concert recordings are also available for streaming directly from the shop’s website.
Lou’s writings, which recount his personal experiences with historical musicians, are carefully archived and accessible on the Troubadour web site, offering a wealth of information. Lou’s energetic spirit in organizing events lives on in current festivals such as Adams Avenue Unplugged and San Diego Folk Heritage’s Sam Hinton Folk Festival. The thousands of hours of concert tapes he recorded have been partially digitized (with more to come) under the auspices of esteemed institutions including UCLA, the National Archives, and the Library of Congress. Check with Folk Arts regarding an anticipated boxed set release via Smithsonian Folkways. I’ve also been informed that KSDS, inspired by this documentary project, intends to make hundreds of hours of Lou’s original radio show recordings available for on-demand streaming, further cementing his legacy. The breadth of stories captured in film, from animated features like encanto movie to insightful documentaries like this, truly reflects the diverse human experience.
Tom Waits playing piano in Lou Curtiss's first record store, a scene reflecting Lou's influence captured in the Lou movie
Most significantly, Lou’s legacy thrives within the music created by the countless individuals he influenced throughout the years. Every time Tom Waits steps into a recording studio, every time Gregory Page takes to the microphone, every time Jack Tempchin crafts lyrics and melody, there is palpable energy stemming from a passion Lou ignited long ago. Multiply that influence across thousands of musicians, and it becomes abundantly clear that we are all living in a world significantly enriched by that distinct figure—the husky bearded guy with his autoharp and an unparalleled collection of records. Recordially Yours, Lou Curtiss, the essential lou movie for music lovers, will undoubtedly enhance your appreciation for this remarkable individual and perhaps even help your own creative spark glow a little brighter.
Screening info
June 23, 24, 25 at the Digital Gym Cinema
1100 Market Street, 2nd Floor
San Diego, CA 92101
https://digitalgym.org/movies/recordially-yours-lou-curtiss/
