Going to see Curtis Salgado play is always a treat for me particularly when I need rejuvenation from the pitfalls in my life. His music and watching him perform hits to the core of my soul serving as a reminder that there are other people in this world that have more serious issues in this life than I do, which is quite humbling.
Curtis, himself is a survivor – a living proof example of what I mean about getting one’s head on straight and coming back down to earth. Over several decades I have watched and listened to him make incredible music about the lemons in life that he has been served and it never fails, I can always relate his songs to my own life. Many a time Curtis’ shows have sent me home in a quandary of internal peaceful calm amongst a flood of tears while I contemplate what his music means to me. It amazes me the strength and faith that this man has had in the face of living life to the fullest and the consequences of it, including being on the threshold of death’s door. Somehow, after his shows, my problems seem very small and shallow.
Always being backed and supported by an incredible support team of band mates, Curtis’ songs tell the stories of the realities of life. Stories of love won and lost, of weakness and strength, of despair and glory, challenges and tests of faith and hope. He sings of beautiful, lazy summer days kicked back on a riverbank with that special “one” – lyrics that makes me replay personal memories in my mind and strike up my imagination of what life really is suppose to be about.
For those that don’t know about Curtis Salgado, you have certainly missed out. Curtis is a bluesman – a funky bluesman - A Rockin’ Funkin’ Bluesman to be exact. Telling it the way it is – upfront, straight-forward, shooting from the hip and not looking back. He sings it, he wails it, he blows it into his harmonica stomping his feet, clapping his hands and turning the blues into hard core downtown funk. He does it the Curtis Salgado way and there is none other like him or doing it with the same no nonsense style that only he has. He is truly one of few I know that “walks the talk”.
Curtis and his band hail from the same part of the world as I – the beautiful Pacific Northwest. He surrounds himself with a band of extreme talent; talent that they say is so strong it’s stupid. What’s stupid about strong talent? It’s stupid to think for a fraction of a second that you can find fault with it. The kind of talent that is so good, it doesn’t seem that it could get much better.
Curtis’ current band is (and I’m going to describe them like everything else in this review – as I see it): Josh Fulero on lead guitar – the quiet gentleman world traveler and adventurer – totally electrifying player that is rarely seen using a guitar pick, preferring to pick with his fingertips; Dave Fleschner playing keyboards – the young father, piano teacher that borders on going into a seizure during his absolutely amazing solos (I’ve many times been poised to call the paramedics during Dave’s solos for fear he’s going to lose it!); Drew Shoals the drummer – a quiet intellect that plays with such precise and remarkable style it makes one see right from the start that his future looks bright with only great things; and, the blessed bass player, putting the funk in funky, the soul in the bottom end and throwing in some kickass backup vocals, “Big Dog”, Tracy Arrington – 
the kind and compassionate friend to all. An honest and respectful friend that instinctively knows whether someone needs love or a scolding, a smile or a frown…
During his shows Curtis talks in between songs about many things. Stories like how as a boy one of his Christmas’ consisted of receiving a single stocking that contained a few walnuts, a tangerine or two and a harmonica. He was “born” with that harmonica in that Christmas of his eighth year and has been tearing it up with his harp playing and soulful wailing ever since.
I have been fortunate in that the personal conversations I’ve had with Curtis are candid, open talks in which he philosophizes on just about any life subject, just as he does with his music. In the workup of this review, I asked Curtis if he would be open to doing an informal interview to tell the world about his upcoming new release – the first studio recording he has done in over four years. He has agreed to that - closer to the cd’s release date which is scheduled for June 24. At that time, I will conduct and compose an interview with him along with a review writeup on his new cd. As a preview, the new cd, entitled “Clean Getaway” was recorded by Curtis with the well-known Phantom Blues Band. It contains several tunes 
originated by other artists that have been redone in Curtis’ style – Smokey Robinson’s “Who’s Loving You”; Tower of Power’s “Both Sorry Over Nothing” (where Curtis has composed harmonica over the horn lines); Al Green’s “Let’s Get Married”; and a cover of Little Richard’s “Don’t Want To Discuss It” along with several new originals.
Curtis has got a full schedule of shows lined up which is now taking him through the end of 2008. Check the tour schedule on his website: www.curtissalgado.com for dates, times and places. You won’t want to miss this show. If you are lucky enough to see a “festival” type show of Curtis’, you will be not only entertained by him and his excellent traveling band, but also his “big band” – a horn section and trio of backup singers – filling the stage with 10 to 12 amazing talents. The 2008 set list highlights include the following songs:
Summertime Life, Born All Over, Money Must Think I’m Dead, Sweet Jesus Buddha The Doctor, Wiggle Outta This, Too Loose, More Love Less Attitude, Bitter Tears, and (new song’s from the not yet released cd, “Clean Getaway”) 20 Years of BB King and Driven In The Driving Rain.
