Just saw Curtis Salgado tonight. He's a portland native and was playing at the bar I always go to for jammin. It's amazing how TIGHT the band was! For those who don't know he's the inspiration for the blues brothers stuff. Really great singer.
Good call - Curtis Salgado is an amazing singer and musician. I've always been a little dissapointed by his albums, which are fine if a little overproduced to my ears - but just in comparison to some of his live youtube videos ...like this one, with a pick-up band!
I'm a big fan. Perhaps the greatest living white blues singer - his vocal abilities are amazing. His harp playing ain't bad either..... ---------- /Greg
I have always enjoyed his work, but I always understood that it was Donnie Walsh from Downchild Blues Band that was the inspiration for the Blues Brothers. ---------- If it ain't got harp - it ain't really blues!!!!
to Greg!!!!!!!!!!!! Harp playing not bad??? Few rival Salgado for tone. If you question his harp skill my guess is you've not seem him live. "Too Loose" or "Bad Boy" live will summon a 10 minute solo. His tongue blocking has no equal!!!!!!! to jawbone- Both Belushi and Ackroyd acknowledge Salgado as their inspirational source. The movie "Animal House" was filmed in Eugene Oregon, and features a scene with Otis Day and the Nights with Robert Cray. Robert Cray played with Salgado during that time.
My apologies - I've been led astray, they must be telling a different story north of the border. ---------- If it ain't got harp - it ain't really blues!!!!
In my own defence, I looked this upon Wikipedia, after googling The Blues Brother inspiration - This is part of the write up
The Toronto-based Downchild Blues Band, co-founded in 1969 by two brothers, Donnie and Richard "Hock" Walsh, served as an inspiration for the two Blues Brothers characters. Aykroyd initially modeled Elwood Blues in part on Donnie Walsh, a harmonica player and guitarist, while John Belushi's Jake Blues character was modeled in part on Hock Walsh, Downchild's lead singer. In their first album as the Blues Brothers, Briefcase Full of Blues (1978), Aykroyd and Belushi featured three well-known Downchild songs closely associated with Hock Walsh's vocal style: "I've Got Everything I Need (Almost)", written by Donnie Walsh, "Shotgun Blues", co-written by Donnie and Hock Walsh, and "Flip, Flop and Fly", co-written and originally popularized by Big Joe Turner.[3] All three songs were contained in Downchild's second album, Straight Up (1973), with "Flip, Flop and Fly" becoming the band's most successful single, in 1974. Belushi's budding interest in the blues solidified in October 1977 when he was in Eugene, Oregon, filming National Lampoon's Animal House. He went to a local hotel to hear 25-year-old blues singer/harmonica player Curtis Salgado. After the show, Belushi and Salgado talked about the blues for hours. Belushi found Salgado's enthusiasm infectious. In an interview at the time with the Eugene Register-Guard he said:
The rest of it is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blues_Brothers ---------- If it ain't got harp - it ain't really blues!!!!
Last Edited by on Jan 02, 2010 7:16 PM
In addition to pluto's talk of Curtis's harp playing, the stuff he played live was the most amazing stuff I've heard to date. He spent A LOT of time playing VERY fast 16 note runs on the high notes, playing heavily syncopated triplets, and chromatic harp too. It was VERY much like sugar blues stuff. Adam talked in a youtube lesson about fast players "over 50" and I'd say Curtis is top of the heap. I haven't been able to find any videos of the stuff he played live.
Here's from his website: http://www.curtissalgado.com/belushi.php
Michael, sounds like you get it. I'm not sure I share your opinion of Sugar Blue though. To me he sounds less musical and more like he's just doing scales. I don't think he's a tongue blocker either. I apologize in advance for not knowing how to embed a video, but here is a link to a show I say. Its just a snippet of his solo on "Too Loose?. The guitar player is a also a fantastic harp player. Guitar players who play harp are the best.
Living just a little north of Seattle leaves me just a few hours from Portland and this gives me the opportunity to see Curtis often. I try to see him once a year at least. He is still on top of his game even after having a liver transplant. The few very short casual conversations I've had with him while buying his CD's at shows, etc. leaves me with the impression that he is a good guy with a sense of humility and gratefulness.
@ Pluto - when I said "his harp playing ain't bad either" I meant it was good. Is he the best harp player around? No, but he is indeed damn good. But when it comes to vocals, I don't think anyone compares to Curtis' voice, and my post was really about that. This particular video demonstrates that ability.
By the way, I have seen him live, and he is a BlowsMeAway customer. ---------- /Greg
