Curtis Salgado ill

This just in from American Blues Scene about harmonica player Curtis Salgado:

Award-winning soul blues singer/harmonica master Curtis Salgado to undergo lung surgery By Casebeer – June 29, 2012Posted in: Blues Articles, News, West Coast Blues Curtis Salgado Award-winning soul blues singer/harmonica master Curtis Salgado will undergo surgery on July 18 in Portland, Oregon, to remove a cancerous growth from his lung, according to his manager Shane Tappendorf. A partial lobectomy will be performed to remove a segment of Curtis’s left lung where a metastasized mass was found. It is suspected to be the same type of cancerous mass that was removed from his lung in 2008. Salgado will be hospitalized for a period of four to six days and will require a recovery time of up to four weeks. The acclaimed blues singer and his doctors anticipate a complete recovery. Winner of the 2012 Blues Music Award for Soul/Blues Artist of the Year, Curtis Salgado has recorded eight critically acclaimed solo albums. He tours internationally with his own band and has also toured as vocalist with the Robert Cray Band, Roomful of Blues and Santana. Salgado is also credited with being the inspiration for John Belushi’s character of Joliet Jake in The Blues Brothers. Salgado’s new CD, Soul Shot, on Alligator Records, is being hailed as his greatest album to date and continues to receive rave reviews and radio airplay worldwide. Blues Revue calls Soul Shot, “A joyous celebration of life. Soul Shot is this millennium’s finest soul blues record…deep, commanding, and essential.” “I am extremely grateful for the overwhelming support of my family, friends and fans and the courageous people that have faced this fight before me,” the 58-year-old Salgado wrote from his home this week. “I also want to thank the promoters and venues for their understanding regarding my medical situation. We will do our best to reschedule all of our performances affected by my surgery.” I texted Curtis and told him we’d do what ever we could to help and in true Salgado fashion, here’s his reply: “Cool beans….will pop this bad boy out and move on….it’s showtime!!!! Salgado, who was diagnosed with liver cancer on March 23, 2006, underwent successful liver transplant surgery on September 30, 2006 at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. If you’ve spent anytime on this website at all you know how fond we are of Curtis’s music and as Curtis as a human being. He is truly one of the most caring individuals on the planet. If you are in a position to help this cause, you can do so below: Donations to help with Curtis’s expenses can be made online at: http://curtissalgado.chipin.com/curtis- salgado-medical- fund. Donations can also be made to the Curtis Salgado Fund c/o Odaglas LLC Donation Account at all US Banks or by mail to US Bancorp, 2550 NW 188th Avenue, Hillsboro, OR 97124. For additional information please visit www.curtissalgado.com and Curtis’s Facebook page CURTIS SALGADO MEDICAL FUND

Guitar Shorty

Saw this great article about Guitar Shorty in the Los Angeles Times:

By Randy Lewis, Los Angeles Times

June 23, 2012
Blues musician Guitar Shorty has pretty much given up the mid-performance back flips and other extreme physical antics that helped establish his onstage persona in the 1960s and '70s.

It's not because he's no longer capable, says the 72-year-old guitarist, singer and songwriter. But the stunts were always just a means to an end: getting audiences to notice his music.

"I don't have to do that any more," he said by cellphone on a tour that brings him back to the Southland for an appearance Sunday at the 2012 Long Beach Bayou and Blues Festival at the city's seaside Rainbow Lagoon Park. "When you play so much guitar like I do, you don't have to do all that crazy stuff. I figure once in a while, it can give me a little advantage, so I might play with one hand, put the guitar behind my back or sometimes play guitar with my mouth. . . Sometimes I do a flip. The last time was a few years back."

The acrobatics Shorty (born David William Kearney) relies on these days are primarily musical, his approach crystallized in the title of his latest album, "Bare Knuckle," released in 2010.

It opens with a wry request to the nation's chief executive, "Please Mr. President," in which Shorty speaks on behalf of all working people when he asks "Please Mr. President, lay some stimulus on me."

"I'm a family man who's trying to take care of my family," he said, "like everybody out there who are trying to find jobs today."

And like the back flips of yore, it's also a not-unsubtle bid for a little more attention.

"I got so many calls from people saying, 'Shorty, how come Obama doesn't have you there to play in the White House?' I just say, 'Maybe it's not my time yet.' I got another one I've started that's about him. I'm singing 'Obama for President — and you better listen to me!' Maybe that'll get me in there," the Houston native said with a laugh.

Playing for the president is one of two goals Shorty cites when asked about any dreams that still lie ahead, the other being "I want to play with Eric Clapton so bad it hurts. That'd be my dream because it would be a chance for a lot of people to see me. I want to be on that Crossroads blues festival of his."

"Bare Knuckle" contains a solid cross section of the various hues of blues Guitar Shorty incorporates into his wide-ranging live shows: the chugging shuffle of "Texas Women," the ominous churn of the talking blues-rooted "Slow Burn," the muscular rock punch of "Too Hard to Love You" and the hard-swinging swagger of the boastful "Temporary Man." His voice shares some of the same clenched emotive quality of B.B. King's, and he's capable of an earthy growl like John Lee Hooker's signature "how-how-how-how."

He picked up a lot of what he learned during years of apprenticeships playing in the bands of Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and others after leaving Texas to pursue his career.

"I had a wonderful time with Ray," he said. "Going on the road with him was the first tour of my life. I was shaking like a tree. Sometimes he would yell at me and I'd be happy and glad and scared too. I learned a lot from him."

The life of a working blues musician often is a hardscrabble existence, but Shorty has seen signs of continued growth in recent years. His 2004 album "Watch Your Back" became his biggest seller to date, according to his record label, Chicago-based Alligator Records, and the 2006 follow-up, "We the People," earned him a Grammy nomination and a contemporary blues album of the year win at the annual Blues Music Awards.

"That hit me so hard, words are not enough," he said. "I put a lot of work into what I'm doing, and I try to reach more people as well. I want to be happy, too, doing it, and an award like that makes me work even harder for the next one."

He's been a Southland resident for most of the last 40 years after moving to Anaheim in 1971. He recently went home to Texas for a short time, but decided he'd rather be back in Southern California, so he moved back last year.

One thing he came away with from those who mentored him was a lifelong respect for the importance of encouraging young musicians. So he sometimes brings talented young musicians on stage with him, or even gives lessons on his days off.

That also ties in with an observation he shares with King and other accomplished blues players who have bemoaned the dearth of young black musicians taking up the form.

"A lot of the kids today figure they'll go after the money real fast, and so they go into R&B and rap," he said. "But that's not the real music.

"One day they are going to be playing the blues," he said. "The older they get, they'll be playing it. I was fortunate to be born with the blues. The real music is the blues. Everything else that's out there comes from the blues. The mother of all music is the blues."

randy.lewis@latimes.com

Michael Burks final album called "Show of Strength"

We get this news about Michael Burks' final album, Show of Strength from americanbluesscene.com: Michael “Iron Man” Burks’ Final CD ‘Show Of Strength’ To Be Released Aug. 21 By Matt Marshall Show Of Strength, the final album from modern day blues guitar hero and vocalist, Michael “Iron Man” Burks, is set for an August 21, 2012 release. Burks had completed work on the album and was returning from a tour of Europe on May 6, 2012, when he collapsed and died while changing planes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He was 54 years old. Show Of Strength, on which Burks wrote or co-wrote five of the CD’s twelve songs, is the album he felt would take him to the very top of the blues world. Burks’ fiery music was driven by an intense, blue collar work ethic that won him a devoted worldwide fan base. His “Iron Man” moniker was born from his hours-long, intensely physical performances, his fearsome guitar attack and his tough, smoky vocals. It also came from the thousands of miles a year he personally logged behind the wheel of his touring van. Between his blistering guitar sound — which could at any moment become sweetly melodic — and his live charisma, Burks earned four Blues Music Award nominations, including, most recently, the 2012 nomination for Guitarist Of The Year. He won the 2004 Living Blues magazine Critics’ Award for Best Guitarist. GuitarOne named his Alligator Records debut album,Make It Rain, one of the Top 200 Greatest Guitar Recordings Of All Time. According to Living Blues, “Burks burns his own signature onto almost everything he touches…he has the ability and the imagination to fuse the best of the old and the new.” From Show Of Strength‘s explosive opening blast, Count On You to the closing strains of Charlie Rich’s elegiacFeel Like Going Home, Burks’ signature combination of feral yet tuneful guitar work with his gritty, dynamic vocals provide a searing, emotional autobiography in blues. According to Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, “It was my decision to leave this album as we intended it, not as a memorial to a friend and bluesman gone, but as a living, breathing statement, sent straight from Michael’s heart and soul. Although Michael is not here, the music he recorded is indeed his show of his immense strength and spirit. It will live on, confirming forever his status as one of the greatest bluesmen of his generation.” The unstoppable, heartfelt intensity that Burks brought to the stage was the very core of his appeal. His passionate music and undeniable charisma made him an overwhelming force in the blues. On Show Of Strength, Burks is captured at the absolute height of his musical powers. With taste, melodicism, and always in full command of his mighty guitar playing and soul-baring, fervent vocals, Michael “Iron Man” Burks leaves a legacy of extraordinary music, including the new Show Of Strength – a timeless statement of universal truth from a larger-than-life musician certain to become a blues legend.

Guitar Slinger: Bernard Allison

I took this photo of Bernard Allison at the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival May 19, where he and guitarist Lurrie Bell had been called to perform in place of Michael Burks, who had died on May 6. Allison and Bell played a set that was dubbed “A Tribute to Michael Burks,” who only two months earlier had spoken to this publication about his upcoming new album (you can catch the videotaped interview at
http://beldonsbluespoint.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-remember-first-time-i-met-michael.html )
Also managed to have the following conversation with Allison, in which he talked about his friendship with Burks and why being involved in a tribute to the late guitarist was so important to him. Allison also talked about his own plans for a new recording, as well as playing the blues with a certain superstar musician from Minneapolis who has a penchant for purple things.
The conversation started with him recalling the moment he received the news about Burks:
BBP: You got called for this at the last minute, right? It was unexpected?
Allison: Yeah. Exactly. Initially Lurrie and I were going to be guests of Michael. In fact, I was in the airport that Sunday because we were traveling and had like a six-hour layover. So it must have happened immediately after we left, because by the time I got home, I got the call. But me and Michael, we’ve been through a lot and played a lot together…I still don’t believe it. When they called me and asked me if I could replace him, I was like “sure, I’ll do anything that I can to not get it cancelled or anything like that,” because Michael wouldn’t have wanted that, first of all. And there are talks of me possibly doing other dates for him, you know, between my own dates.


BBP: Now how would you describe your style of guitar playing in contrast to his?
Allison: I think we had kind of the same influences growing up. You know being a guitar player and liking B.B. King and Lightnin Hopkins and the old school, my dad (the late guitarist Luther Allison). We all just had to put our own input into it, to try to turn it into us, as opposed to saying “he sounds like Freddy King” or “he sounds like Luther Allison.” I tried to combine everything that I learned …..
BBP: One of the things I was curious about you was your father. What was the biggest influence he had on you as a musician?
Allison: Well, basically I taught myself. He pretty much taught me the rules of the road, more or less, than anything musical. I played like three years before he even knew that I played. But he was like a big brother to me as much as a father…just wanted me to finish school, and the little warnings to get on the road and being careful with things like that. So that’s my biggest blessing.
BBP: Do you ever have a concern that when people listen to you, that they want to hear him initially?
Allison: When I first came back to the states from Paris, everybody…I’m sure they came to see how close I was to my dad. And I have a lot of him in me but I have a lot of others, too. So I just can only carry our family name the best that I can.
BBP: You’re in Minneapolis now, right?
Allison: Yes.
BBP: Do you ever see Prince?
Allison: I do a lot with Prince and Jellybean (Johnson, drummer and guitarist for the Time) and The Time and--Minneapolis is like a breeding ground for music. So, when everybody’s not touring, we have a little place in Minneapolis we all meet up and jam all night, so…
BBP: What’s it like to jam with him?
Allison: Prince likes to play the blues. So-- a lot of people don’t know it--but he’s a big fan of blues. And if you really listen to him, you’ll hear all of the Hendrix and B.B. and Albert King.
BBP: Does he ever ask you for advice?
Allison: His manager actually told me that he studies all of my CD’s and DVD’s every time he’s on the bus. (laughs) So that’s great that all of the genres can mix because we all come from the blues, you know. And Prince is a big name, and people don’t know him for that, but deep down inside, that’s where he gets it from.
BBP: And Jellybean, do you have any projects coming up with him anytime soon?
Allison: Well I just talked to ‘Bean---Jellybean works a lot with my little brother Ronnie Baker Brooks and I know that the Time are out touring right now, so the last time I saw Jellybean, probably about a month ago. I know they’re heading back to Minneapolis; I’m sure we’ll be hanging out.
BBP: I caught a show with you and Shemekia Copeland; this was maybe about two years ago? I guess it was the last performance of the Pocono Blues Festival…
Allison:…I remember it! It started raining! (laughs). I remember that!
BBP: …It was bad….
Allison: I talked to Shemekia too. Actually, we’re going to be doing some festivals this summer, so I’m looking forward to seeing everybody. That’s the fun thing about the festivals; you get a chance to actually spend some time with everyone.
BBP: Are you coming out with a new album anytime soon?
Allison: We’re actually going in the studio next month and try to have an October release.
BBP: Do you have a tentative title for it?
Allison: Not yet. They’re so many good songs and titles, take it one day at a time. It normally comes up in mid-album. You’ll say, “I like this, I like the hook of this…”
BBP: Can you tell me about some of the songs on it?
Allison: Well I write all through the year, we’re in Europe most of the time. So now like we’ve been off for a couple of months, I’ve been able to go back to all my tapes. (The new album will be) pretty similar to all of my other recordings: a little bit of R&B influence, funk, rock, blues. You know, just mix it up, and not focus so much on the guitar, but more or less good songs and my vocals and—it will be okay. It will represent (1) me (laughs).
BBP: There was an album you did, 2005, in Europe—(1) Energized….
Allison: We actually did a double live album earlier this year…also a DVD called (1) Live at the Jazzhaus, with the current lineup, and it’s pretty intense. I wanted to capture it live before moving on to my next project, so I think we nailed it.
BBP: Are there musicians that you haven’t played with yet, that you’d like to play with at some point?
Allison: I’ve pretty much played with everybody other than Clapton (laughs). I’d really like to—my dad had a chance to play with Clapton and hopefully one day I will too.
BBP: Can you send him a telegram? (laughs)
Allison: I’ve never personally met him. At the time that they did the Crossroads festival in Chicago, they were supposed to come down to Buddy’s (Buddy Guy’s Legends on Wabash Avenue) because I was playing there, but he didn’t come down. Buddy came, we played—it will happen. If it was meant to be it will happen. If not, I’ve played with a lot of the greats.
BBP: Your dad played with him on that album with Otis Rush.
Allison: Right. (1) Live at Montreux (1986). Yep, that’s great, man.