Curtis Salgado - Damage Control

Curtis Salgado - Damage Control -Alligator Records

Listening to Curtis Salgado's new album (his fourth for Alligator), I found his soulful singing evoking Solomon Burke. I am not suggesting conscious copying, but rather similarity in their voices. This similarity is perhaps most evident in the opening "The Longer That I Live," a fresh original from Salgado, Mike Finnigan, and another that has him sing about growing older, the challenges he faced, and that the older he is, "the older I want to get." Finnigan adds some sterling organ, Jim Pugh is on piano, while Kid Andersen provides some scintillating guitar. Another original, the funky "What Did Me In Did Me Well," has a philosophical reflection about a relation he ruined. He adds some harmonica against the same sterling backing band.

Contrasting to these two numbers' southern style is the New Orleans to Memphis rock and roll of "You're Going To Miss My Sorry Ass," with Kevin McKendree's rollicking piano and George Marinelli's piano. While his singing is not evocative of Solomon Burke here, Salgado ably delivers these witty vocals. McKendree and Marinelli (on slide guitar) are also on the southern roots rock-flavored "Precious Time." Then there is the Tex-Mex accent of "Count of Three" with guitarist Johnny Lee Schell, organist Mike Finnigan, pianist Jim Pugh, and drummer Tony Braunagel. Then there is a terrific soul ballad, "Always Say I Love You (At The End Of Your Goodbyes)," with Jackie Miclau replacing Pugh on piano. It is a further demonstration of the variety to be heard on this recording. 

The 13 songs on this album were captured at sessions in Nashville (engineered by McKendree), Studio City, California (engineered by Schell), and Santa Clara, California (engineered by Andersen). Salgado has had difficult health issues in the past, but listening to his vibrant, robust singing, one would never guess that. Add first-rate backing and terrific originals to Salgado's top-flight vocals, and one has an outstanding recording.

I received a download to review from Alligator Records. Here is "The Longer That I Live."

2020 Blues—New Music From Alligator Records

Various Artists
2020 Blues—New Music From Alligator Records
Alligator Records

This is a digital-only sampler from 5 albums that Alligator was going to release this year. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic intervened and eliminated nearly all live performances and the like. In Bruce Iglaur's words, "It's now clear that the pandemic and its results are going to continue for some time to come. We can't wait any longer to begin to share this great new music with the media and the public. … These albums are scheduled for later this year and early next year. 2020 Blues and each individual track will be available on all the popular download and streaming sites."

This compilation is a welcome teaser for the five upcoming albums. The first selection up is from Chris Cain, whose "I Believe I Got Off Cheap" is from an album to be released early next year. I have been quite a fan of Cain for years, and it is great that he will have a new album. This song is a terrific track on which he channels Albert King's guitar style paired with his soulful vocals. Following you is a selection from Selwyn Birchwood, "Living In A Burning House." From a release schedule for January, it is a typical first-rate performance from one of the real young blue bloods.  Also scheduled for release next year is a new Curtis Salgado album. The track "The Longer That I Live" is a stunning Memphis soul performance. If the rest of this album is this good, it is another most purchase.

Both Shemekia Copeland and Elvin Bishop-Charlie Musselwhite will have new albums out this year, Shemekia, in October and Elvin-Charlie in September. Both of their songs deal with the deep divide in our country now. Shemekia sings "Uncivil War," a plea for us to get along, although her plea "to listen to one another and, ultimately, come together" may strike some as naive. The striking performance is more Americana than blues, and it is good to see her showing how expressive she can be no matter the musical setting. The raucous "What The Hell?" is a rowdy duet with Bishop singing about things ailing our country and talking about what he likes about the President, which is nothing, Musselwhite wails throughout this track. It certainly makes one quite interested in their collaboration.

In summary, quite an appetizer for these upcoming releases with some terrific music. It is available from Alligator Records (https://www.alligator.com/albums/2020-Blues---New-Music-From-Alligator-Records/) and the usual digital outlets.

I received a download to review from Alligator Records. Here is a video of Chris Cain performing and channeling Albert King.

 

The Texas Horns Get Here Quick

The Texas Horns
Get Here Quick
Severn Records

The Texas Horns, comprised of Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff (tenor sax), John Mills (baritone sax), and Al Gomez (trumpet), are one of the most in-demand horn sections for both recording sessions and on tour with some of the biggest names in the roots music world. "Get Here Quick" is their own album of blues, soul and roots music, backed by an all-star group of supporting musicians. Special guests include singers Curtis Salgado, John Nemeth, Gary Nicholson, Guy Forsyth, and Carolyn Wonderland; as well as guitarists Ronnie Earl, Anson Funderburgh, Johnny Moeller, Denny Freeman, Derek O'Brien, and Jonn Del Toro Richardson. Also, Red Young and Nick Connolly play keyboards.

"It took us a year to make 'Get Here Quick,'" recalls Mark Kazanoff, who with his horn-mates arranged all the songs and horns on the sessions. "I don't usually like to do record production projects like that. But this time, we had so many wonderful guest musicians in mind that we knew we would never be able to get everyone together in one place for a week or two; so we did the CD bit-by-bit. That also allowed us to use a couple of different rhythm sections."

There is a mix of vocals along with rhythm and blues instrumentals in the vein of King Curtis and Junior Walker. One of the top tracks, "Guitar Town," opens this recording. Guy Forsyth sings John Mills clever lyrics about knowing about every dive in the city, but it is hard being to be saxophonist in a guitar town. Anson Funderburgh is the lead guitarist and trades fours with Kazanoff, Mills, and Gomez respectively. Carolyn Wonderland sings vigorously and plays lead guitar on the driving performance of Kazanoff's "I'm Doin' Alright, at Least for Tonight," supported by a blistering Gomez trumpet solo. Mills composed the instrumental "Feel No Pain," with Johnny Moeller's stinging guitar set against the riffing horn before Mills wails on the baritone sax followed by Moeller's terrific guitar solo.

Gary Nicholson wrote and sings "Fix Your Face," on which he also plays guitar. After Kazanoff takes a honking tenor sax solo that the late Big Jay McNeely would have been proud of, Ronnie Earl displays his distinctive style. Nicholson also contributed the bouncy "Soulshine," with Anson Funderburgh on lead guitar and a terrific tenor sax chorus from Kazanoff. Gomez' instrumental "2018" has a New Orleans meets Bo Diddley groove. Moeller and Nick Connolly play short guitar breaks before a section of the interplay between the three horns.

Riffing horns provide a setting for Johnny Moeller's guitar leads on one of Kazanoff's instrumentals "Better Get Here Quick." There is fiery Gomez trumpet and an electric piano break from Young. Kazanoff also wrote the soul-ballad, "Love Is Gone" with a terrific John Nemeth vocal and, a booting Kazanoff tenor sax solo. Mills' "Sundown Talkin'" showcases more blue-eyed soul with a passionate Curtis Salgado vocal. Kazanoff sings in an almost talking blues manner "You Can't Be Serious," a protest blues about this 'rich man's paradise." It has a concise Jon Del Toro Richardson guitar solo while Derek O'Brien adds slide guitar fills.

If there is one fault, the horn section unison leads generally are not as memorable as the vocals or various solos are. Still, there are some exceptional performances throughout, even on those that are merely entertaining.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here are The Texas Horns performing in 2018.

Charlie Owen Worth the Wait

Charlie Owen
Worth the Wait

Like the prodigal son, DC native Chartlie Owen has returned to the DMV (Distict-Maryland-Virginia) after decades on the West coast where he fronted the Dynatones as well as part of the house band at various venues. Now he has this release produced by Jim Pugh, who was the keyboardist for the Dynatones, as well as others including Etta James. In addition to Pugh (and Owen's own trumpet on 4 tracks), among those heard in the backing including saxophonist Nancy Wright, drummer Paul Revelli, Jon Cleary (piano on one track) and Curtis Salgado (a duet on one track).

This is mostly an album of southern soul and blues ably played and capably sung. Owen shows clear affection for this material and his renditions of the O.V. Wright classic "I Don't Know Why," James Carr's "Pouring Water on a Drowning Man," Little Milton's deep blues "So Mean To Me" and classic urban soul "We're Gonna Make It," Johnny Adams' "It Ain't the Same Thing," and Johnny Taylor classic "Cheaper to Keep Her," show him an able singer although his renditions do not reach the level of Carr, Milton, Adams and Taylor, as capably sung and played as they are. His affection for New Orleans R&B  is reflected in the Adams cover along with a nice treatment of Allen Toussaint's "On the Way Down," along with surprising, and well-sung recreations of Tommy Ridgely's "Let's Try and Talk It Over," along with Lloyd Price's "Just Because."

A couple of ballads stand out including his rendition of Jesse Winchester's "No Pride At All," and Allison Moorer's "Soft Place To Fall," that closes this recording. These have a warmth and do not suffer from unavoidable comparisons with some soul legends. Owen is a very good singer, and fans of classic soul with a dose of blues should find "Worth the Wait" quite entertaining.

I received my review copy from a publicist. He is performing Sunday evening, July 23 at JV's in Falls Church, Virginia and I hope to enjoy his music live. Here is Charlie Owen performing "Can I Change My Mind."

Curtis Salgado The Beautiful Lowdown

Curtis Salgado
The Beautiful Lowdown
Alligator Records

The latest recording from veteran singer-songwriter and harmonica player Curtis Salgado, "The Beautiful Lowdown" is a solid collection of soul and blues numbers. It was co-produced with Marlon McClain and Tony Braunagel who helps him weave together a range of moods and settings from the driving Memphis Soul feel of the opening "Hard To Feel The Same About Love,"  the North Mississippi Hill Country one-chord groove (and brash slide guitar backing) of "I Know A Good Thing," to the reggae groove of "Simple Enough." Braunagel and some of his fellow Phantom Blues Band members, Johnny Lee Schell, Mike Finnigan and Larry Fulcher are among the players supporting Salgado along with Jim Pugh, and others.

I must confess often being less enamored with lyrics like "Walk A Mile In My Blues," but his tale of losing a brother to the needle and his girl to his best friend makes it powerful with punching horns and simple hard-edged guitar riffs and runs is a very strong musical statement which contrasts with the folk-soul feel of "Healing Love," with acoustic guitar and understated organ backing. "I'm Not Made That Way" is a solid blues performance with biting guitar and an insistent quality in his vocal followed by the a powerful, and very soulful, duet with Danielle Schnebelen, "Is There Something I Should Know." "Ring Telephone Ring" is a bouncy West Coast styled shuffle with Igor Prado's guitar and riffing horns. The album closes with Johnny Guitar Watson's love song "Hook Me Up," with some nice harp on a Watson number that is not often covered by blues acts. Salgado pulls it off.

Salgado explains how the album title came about. , "During a recent show, I turned to my guitarist and said, 'Play something lowdown. But make it beautiful.' Then I thought, 'Keep that.'" he not only kept that but certainly made a recording that lives up to its title "The Beautiful Lowdown."

I received my review copy from Alligator. This review originally appeared in the May-June 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 366). Here is Curtis Salgado performing "Walk A Mile In My Blues."

The Knickerbocker All Stars Open Mic At The Knick

“Open Mic At The Knick” by The Knickerbocker All Stars on JP Cadillac Records is a celebration of the music scene in Westerly, Rhode Island in the late 1960s when such musicians as Greg Piccolo, Johnny Nicholas, Fran Christina and others held forth in various groups leading to the emergence of Roomful of Blues. With a core of musicians from guitarist Ricky King Russell and the Cadillac Horns, this recording brings together some terrific renditions of classic fifties and sixties blues, R&B and jump blues tunes. Fran Christina and his brother Bobby (one of the producers) hold forth the drum chair, while Al Copley and Dave Maxwell share the piano chair with a first rate horn section that includes Rick Lataille. The 13 vocals are shared between eight vocalists that include Johnny Nicholas, Sugar Ray Norcia, Curtis Salgado, and J. P. Sheerar (another of the producers).

The songs are classics associated with B.B. King “You Upset Me Baby” (ably reworked by Norcia); Bobby Bland’s “Turn On Your Love Light” (one of two terrific vocals from Malford Milligan the other being on the Butterfield Blues Band’s “Love Machine”); Billy Eckstine - Earl Hines’ “Jelly Jelly” and Lowell Fulson’s “Reconsider Baby” (Sung by John Nicholas who also sings Guitar Slim-Freddie King’s “Along About Midnight”); Buddy Guy’s “Mother-In-Law Blues” and B.B. King’s rendition of “Five Long Years” (sung by Willy Laws); Bland’s “Ain’t That Lovin’ You (sung by Salgado); Eddie Vinson’s “Somebody’s Got To Go” (sung by Sheerar) and Freddy King’s “I’m Tore Down (sung by Brian Templeton).

This is a marvelously played album of covers of classic blues. The band is excellent and the arrangements well done, even adding extra horns to several selections which had smaller groups on the original performances such as “I’m Tore Down” and “Going Down.” Toss in some strong vocals (and the only disappointing one is Nicholas on “Along About Midnight” and that is because my reference point is Guitar Slim and Roy Brown) and one has a terrific listening experience. Highpoint's include Milligan channelling Bobby Bland, Nicholas singing the Eckstine big band chestnut, Willie Law’s rendition of a lesser known Buddy Guy recording and Sheerar’s evocation of Cleanhead Vinson, but everything is a high level. With so many of the original performers no longer with us, this is a tribute not only to those days of the late 1960s but the music that inspired them.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the January-February 2015 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 358).  The Knickerbocker All Stars have a new platter "Go Back Home To The Blues" that I hope to post a review of shortly. Here is a clip of them performing this year.

Curtis Salgado Makes A Clean Getaway

Vocalist and harp player, Curtis Salgado, fortunately has come back with a vengeance after having very serious health issues. Perhaps marking the clean bill of health from doctors recently, his new disc for Shananchie is Clean Getaway. Recorded with the Phantom Blues Band, it is a terrific disc that showcase what a strong and soulful vocalist he is as he traverses the blues and modern soul genres on the performances here.

The title track opens up with some stinging guitar with Salgado singing about selling everything he has to a pawn shop, leave his past behind and take a long vacation and make a clean getaway from things before giving a litany of complaints about the nature of things today. His vocal is well suited to this unusually thoughtful lyrics. The following Both Sorry Over Nothin’ is a nice soul number with him adding some well placed harp while Who’s Lovin’ You, is a soul ballad with a touch of Sam Cooke.

Johnny Guitar Watson's What’s Going On, is evoked on What’s Up With That, with some shattering Watson-styled guitar throughout and the Horns evoking those old Maxwell Davis studio bands. I Don’t Want to Discuss It,” is a hyper-rocking number while 20 Years of B.B. King, is a terrific blues as Salgado sings about his girl giving him the blues with lyrics that incorporates phrases from B.B. King’s recordings and song titles as he has learned more about the blues from her than 20 years of B.B. King. Some really excellent guitar on this track as well. Another performance to note is his cover of Al Green’s Let’s Gets Married.

This album has worn well, with Salgado sounding better each time I give it a listen. The only thing more welcome than this disc is the fact that Curtis Salgado is back and sounding as good as new.

This review originally appeared in the October 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 309). I do not remember my source for the recording, whether Shanachie, a publicist or Jazz & Blues Report. Here is Curtis singing  20 Years of B.B. King.

Curtis Salgado's Superb Soul Shot

While some may know Curtis Salgado from his association with John Belushi and his influence in The Blues Brothers, Curtis Salgado has established himself along with Tad Robinson, Sugar Ray Norcia and Darrell Nulisch as a superb blue-eye soul and blues singer (and also a pretty fair harmonica player. Well documented health issues may have put a temporary stop to his career, but he reemerged in 2008 with “Clean Getaway” on Shanachie backed by The Phantom Blues Band. That was a strong effort and he is back with a new release, Soul Shot, his Alligator debut that is co-produced by Phantom Blues Band drummer Tony Braunagel (who produced the Shanachie disc) along with funk and R&B guitarist Marlon McClain, and Salgado himself.

Salgado contributed seven originals which are heard along with covers of recordings from Parliament, the Detroit Emeralds, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, and Otis Redding. The performances on Soul Shot is perhaps a bit more soul oriented than the prior release and one hears echoes of the late Willie Mitchell’s Hi Records Production (particularly in the churning rhythms on many of the eleven selections), Johnny Guitar Watson and others in the handsome production and brassy arrangements. Members of the Phantom Blues band are on this including Mike Finnigan on keyboards.

This recording was made for dancing as well as listening. A groover, What You Gonna Do? opens and Salgado delivers the soulful goods with his vocal with the band rocking hard and the following Love Comfort Zone, may take the rhythmic heat down a notch, but the naturalness of Salgado’s vocals is evident as is the strong idiomatic playing by the studio band. What stands out is that he doesn’t sound like he is trying to sound soulful. There is a relaxed feel in his phrasing as well as his cries and shouts.

Getting To Know You, from a lesser known Parliament album, is a performance than suggests vintage Hi Records that I think Otis Clay and Syl Johnson might have an appreciative nod about. It is the first appearance of Salgado’s harp, followed a strong piano break by Finnigan. He sounds like he is playing a melodica to open She Didn't Cut Me Loose, an original performed in the style of Johnny Watson’s funky seventies blues. It compares well with Salgado’s strong revival of Watson’s Strung Out, a terrific soulful ballad performance. Perhaps the only musical miscue is the revival of Otis Redding’s Love Man, where he sounds like he is trying to channel Redding’s vocal. Not a bad performance, but a step down from the rest of this. The track does sport a booting tenor sax solo.

On a stronger note is Nobody But You where he channels O.V. Wright as he sings about his woman making him feel like a king when he was nothing but a slave. He Played His Harmonica is a superb mix of funk and blues as he sings about a young blood who got the house to jump and shout as he was as bad as Al Capone on the Windy City saxophone, on which he takes a jazzy sounding vein.

Soul Shot provides more evidence that the accolades Curtis Salgado has received over the years have been well earned. It is a superb recording with worthy new material and covers of songs that have not been interpreted to death. Fans of classic soul particularly will enjoy it.

I received my review copy from Alligator Records, who is officially releasing it today (April 10). On April 19 I will be posting a review of Curtis' "Clean Getaway" from a few years back.  Here is Curtis performing on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise.

Mary Flower Loves Company

The marvelous blues and roots fingerstyle guitarist-vocalist, Mary Flower, has a new release Misery Loves Company (Yellow Dog Records). The title refers to the fact that eleven of the twelve performances here are duets with other musicians (and a vocalist) adding support to her guitar and vocals. It is a wonderful addition to her discography.

Whether performing a blues or a rag, Mary Flower plays wonderfully with an easy flowing approach to her music. When performing a deep Chicago blues, such as Muddy Waters’ Hard Day Blues or Son House’s Death Letter Blues, she recasts the song into a Piedmont styled blues, while adding her honey-toned vocals. Her vocal strikes this listener as more successful on the former number (with Curtis Salgado adding some nice harp), although the slide guitar and guitar interplay between her and Alan Hager is marvelous. Recession Rag, is a delightful instrumental duet with mandolinist Brian Oberlin, while Jitters is a lovely duet with tuba player Mark Vehrencamp that with Mary channelling Blind Blake in her deft playing here.

Colin Linden adds electric dobro her atmospheric Way Down in the Bottom, (where darkness meets despair), while LaRonda Steele adds a harmony vocal to Mary’s exquisite rendition of Reverend Gary Davis’ Goin’ To Sit Down On The Banks Of River, with an accompaniment that displays how ably she has mastered the music of this legendary giant. Her son Jesse Withers plays bass while she displays her cleanly articulated slide playing on Tampa Red’s Boogie Woogie Dance, while pianist David Frishberg adds some bop-infused piano on the delightful I’m Dreaming Of Your Demise, about her beady-eyed, devious man who spouts nasty lies. Mary’s music possesses some of the same qualities that Elizabeth Cotten’s music had so its no surprise that she so ably interprets Shake Sugaree, where Johnny B Connolly embellishes her vocal and fingerstyle wizardry with his button accordion.

A solo rendition of Scrapper Blackwell’s Scrapper’s Blues is the last selection on her latest recording. Mary Flower continues to delight blues and roots fans with a recording that continues to demonstrate that she remains one of the finest fingerstyle guitarists. Also her vocals flow as natural as her finger picking.

My review copy was provided by Yellow Dog Records.