Blues And R&B Vocalist Curtis Salgado To Perform In Boca Raton On 4/15
Curtis Salgado
“Inspired, powerful R&B showcases Salgado’s exceptional range and muscular, soulful vocals” –Billboard
Curtis Salgado, the 2018 Blues Music Award-winning Soul Blues Male Artist Of The Year, will perform at Biscuit Fest 8 in Boca Raton on Monday, April 15, 2019. With a career spanning more than three decades, Salgado is a one-of-a-kind talent whose music is as compelling as his story. From co-fronting The Robert Cray Band to leading his own band (and recording nine solo albums) to helping transform John Belushi into “Joliet” Jake Blues to touring the country with Steve Miller and Santana, he is a true musical giant. NPR calls him “a blues icon” with a “huge voice.” His latest full band CD, THE BEAUTIFUL LOWDOWN, was named by Blues Blast Magazine as the 2016 Soul Blues Album Of The Year. His newest release, ROUGH CUT, is a stripped down acoustic album with his band guitarist Alan Hager. As a special part of this full band concert, Salgado and Hager will perform a set of songs from ROUGH CUT
as a duo. Concert information is as follows:
Date: Monday, April 15, 2019
Event: Biscuit Fest 8 – Finale
Venue: The Funky Biscuit
Address: 303 SE Mizner Blvd.
City: Boca Raton, FL
Phone: 561-395-2929
Doors: 5:00pm
Ticket price: $25-$125
Website: www.funkybiscuit.com
*See website for complete festival line-up and detailed ticket information
Curtis Salgado released the first of his 10 solo albums in 1991. He joined Alligator Records in 2012, debuting with the award-winning, critically acclaimed SOUL SHOT followed by THE BEAUTIFUL LOWDOWN in 2016. The albums earned Salgado Blues Music Awards for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year, Soul Blues Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Soul Blues Male Artist Of The Year, the same award he won in 2018.
His latest album (with guitarist Alan Hager), ROUGH CUT, is a stripped-down affair featuring a potent mix of newly written, timeless originals and carefully chosen blues covers. “We did it for the love of the music,” says Salgado. “This is where our hearts are. These are deep songs that we love to play.”
Born in Eugene, Oregon, Salgado found his calling early on. By his 20s he was already making a name for himself in Eugene’s bar scene with his band The Nighthawks, and later as co-leader of The Robert Cray Band. Salgado quickly developed into a player and singer of remarkable depth, with vocal and musical influences including Otis Redding, O.V. Wright, Johnnie Taylor, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson I and II, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Spann and Magic Sam.
In 1977, comedian/actor John Belushi was in Eugene filming Animal House. During downtime from production, Belushi caught a typically ferocious Salgado performance and introduced himself during a break. Once Salgado started sharing some of his blues knowledge, a fast friendship grew. Salgado spent hours playing old records for Belushi, teaching him about blues and R&B. Belushi soaked up the music like a sponge and used his new awareness to portray “Joliet” Jake Blues in The Blues Brothers, first as a skit on Saturday Night Live and then a best-selling record album (which was dedicated to Curtis) and finally as a major motion picture (Cab Calloway’s character was named Curtis as an homage).
Once Salgado joined forces with his friend Robert Cray and began playing together as The Robert Cray Band, Salgado found himself sharing stages with many of his heroes, including Muddy Waters, Bobby Bland, Albert Collins and Bonnie Raitt. After Salgado and Cray parted ways in 1982, Curtis went on to front Roomful Of Blues, singing and touring with them from 1984 through 1986. Back home in Oregon, he formed a new band, Curtis Salgado & The Stilettos, and was once again tearing it up on the club scene, where he honed his band to a razor’s edge before releasing his first solo album in 1991. Salgado signed with Shanachie Records in 1999, putting out four critically acclaimed albums.
Along with his accolades, Salgado is no stranger to adversity. During his career, he has overcome multiple health challenges, battling back from liver cancer in 2006 and lung cancer in 2008 and 2012. In March 2017 he underwent quadruple bypass surgery. Now he is back on the road, revved up and firing on all cylinders, performing with his band as well as a duo with Hager. His resilience can be heard – and felt – on I Will Not Surrender, ROUGH CUT’s lead track.
Salgado has performed at Portland’s Waterfront Blues Festival, The Chicago Blues Festival, The Tampa Bay Blues Festival and Canada’s Tremblant Blues Festival and on The Legendary Blues Cruise. He has also performed at The San Francisco Blues Festival, Memphis’ Beale Street Music Festival, Denver’s Mile High Blues Festival, as well as in Canada, England, throughout Europe, Brazil, Chile, Panama, The Philippines, Thailand and Hong Kong. Blues Revue, describing Salgado’s performances, declares, “He starts at excellent before segueing into goose bumps, ecstasy, and finally nirvana.”
