Curtis Salgado
Curtis Salgado ( born February 4, 1954 in Everett, Washington) is an American blues, rhythm & blues and soul singer. He plays in his own band harmonica and is the lead singer.
Career
Salgado's interest in music began in his youth when he heard jazz records and also blues and soul of Johnnie Taylor, Otis Redding and OV Wright. The influence of these singers is evident in his singing today. When his sister brought a plate of Little Walter home, he started with the harmonica. Another impetus for his music career was a concert of Count Basie, which he attended at the age of twelve years. Over time, Curtis Salgado became a part of the propagating blues scene in the Northwest.
Finally, in 1972 he founded his own band called Three- Fingered Jack. Subsequently, he was for six years a member of the band of the emerging blues musician Robert Cray, with whom he recorded the album " Who's Been Talking". During this time he also played with blues greats like Muddy Waters, Bobby Bland, Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Bonnie Raitt. In addition to his skills as a singer, the artist is also an excellent harmonica player. With a velocity in Eugene, the hometown Salgados, John Belushi met him and learned from him blues and rhythm & blues history. From this knowledge out Belushi developed the characters of Jake and Elwood Blues, the main characters in the movie " Blues Brothers". The first album of the Blues Brothers is dedicated to Curtis Salgado and the character that is represented by Cab Calloway, wears in the movie the name Curtis.
He left the Robert Cray Band, before she came to her national breakthrough, and was from 1984 to 1986 singer of Roomful of Blues. From the 1990s he devoted himself to his own career. In 1990 he also took on together with Carlos Santana. His albums he released mainly for the Shanachie label.
In 2004 he was diagnosed with liver cancer. It involves eight months to live were still in place but with the help of his musician friends could the money be applied for a liver transplant. So organized Steve Miller, Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, The Phantom Blues Band, Everclear and Little Charlie & the Nightcats fundraisers. In 2008, he was healthy again and was able to continue his musical career.
Among the highlights include solo appearances with various other harmonica players like Mark Hummel, Rick Estrin, Rusty Tin, Jerry Portnoy, Charlie Musselwhite, Lee Oskar, Johnny Dyer and John Mayall.
In 2010 he was nominated for Best Soul / Blues Artist of the Year for the Blues Music Award.
Discography
Albums
Guest appearances (selection)
- Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue Command Performance (2008)
- Robert CrayHeavy Picks: The Robert Cray Collection ( 1999)
- Otis Grand Nothing Else Matters (1995 )
- R. L. Burnside Well Well Well ( 2001)
- Barrelhouse Chuck 25 Years of Chicago Piano, Vol 3 (2008)
- R. L. Burnside Well Well Well ( 2001)
- Strange Tones We're on Our Way (2007)
- Robert Cray Who's Been Talkin ' (1980 )