Curtis Salgado – Legacy Rewind: Live In ’25
If you were to see a head-on collision between Eric Burdon & Boz Scaggs on stage, you’d have a debris field that would start to sound like Eugene, Oregon’s Curtis Salgado swept up on “Wiggle Outta This,” a fiery blues piece with backup singers Keashaun Jones, Margaret Linn & Lindsay Reynolds, that singe the ears delightfully. Heavy organ notes, crisp drums, & the whole 15-piece band are electrifying on this live number.
Some singers have a dominant, distinctive, or sophisticated sound, & some, like Salgado, emanate bluesy soulfulness. His voice projects expressively, & with “Clean Getaway,” a soul brushed with sautéed funk. For a blues singer, this works because Salgado has the delivery in his voice.
There are 13 dips into the blues washbasin where the ripest apples float in Legacy Rewind: Live In ’25 (Drops April 17/Nola Blue Records/63:37) produced by Curtis (vocals/harmonica) & recorded live at The Triple Door in Seattle, WA (April 5th, 2025). The brass is kick-ass & really asserts themselves on the funky “My Girlfriend,” which would put an envious smile on both Sly Stone (Sly &the Family Stone) & the brass era Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The narrative in the deep end of the tune defines why a blues singer can manage this type of song that isn’t a novelty tune despite its title.
There’s old school blues, melancholy, raw & deals with harsh reality & there’s more entertaining blues — flash-in-the-pan with little to do with the emotive end that makes a person sad, distraught & desperate. Curtis deals a different set of cards; his expertise with R&B, soul, funk & blues is measured precision & not just jamming. “Money Must Think I’m Dead” is superb. The live performance is studio clean. The band is as tight as crunched-up aluminum foil. Ron Tuttle’s drums – excellent throughout.
Curtis allows the band to ignite many times & thrash its brass like The Meters or Tower of Power with rippling notes, musical high octane & ankle deep in Garland Jeffries (“The Mystery Kids,” “R.O.C.K”) type smoke on “Sweet Jesus Buddha the Doctor.” The floor thunders with John Linn’s bass & shakes the crowd noticeably.
The only small blemish is “Fine By Me,” which sounds a little too Springsteen for my taste.
However,…
There are many great performances captured on this recording. Many.
Highlights – “Wiggle Outta This,” “Clean Getaway,” “My Girlfriend,” “Money Must Think I’m Dead,” “Sweet Jesus Buddha the Doctor,” “Precious Time,” & “I Don’t Want To Discuss It.”
Musicians – Alan Hager & Ben Rice (lead/rhythm guitars), Kenny Meriedeth (rhythm guitar), Gary Harris (alto/tenor saxes), Tim Bryson (tenor/baritone saxes), Dave Mills (trumpet), Lars Campbell (trombone), Brady Goss (piano), Brian Harris (B3), Ron Tuttle & Patrick Sears (drums/percussion), John Linn & John Wolcott (bass guitars).
Color image courtesy of Ross Hamilton. CD @ Bandcamp & Amazon + https://curtissalgado.com/