JournalStar.com - Ground Zero Online

Curtis Salgado spreading the gospel of soul

Friday, Mar 26, 2004 - 12:00:19 am CST

BYL. KENTWOLGAMOTT

Curtis Salgado knows his music history and is proudly keeping the Memphis soul flame alive.

That means the Oregon-based singer who began his career singing with Robert Cray, inspired JohnBelushi to create the Blues Brothers and has sung with Roomful of Blues and Santana has the background to keep himself in perspective.

"I'm not a great soul singer, but I do believe everything I sing," Salgado said. "I can't compare to Otis Redding, Sam Cooke or Bobby Womack. But that's what I'm aspiring to be."

This week, Salgado, who'll be back at the Zoo Bar Wednesday for a 6 to 9 p.m. show, released "Strong Suspicion," a soul/blues mixture that's his strongest record yet, a disc featuring powerful, passionate vocals, some hot harp playing and guest stints from Bekka Bramlett and Sonny Landreth

"The band just laid down," Salgado said of the "Strong Suspicion" sessions. "They threw it down.We had a good time. It was never like we were really recording. There's not one song on that record that has more than three takes."

The record's centerpiece might just be "I'll Be Back," an obscure Beatles song from the "A Hard Day's Night" album that gets the full Al Green/Memphis soul treatment by Salgado and his band, completely transforming the song.

"I'm really happy with that one," Salgado said in telephone interview from his Oregon home. "I love The Beatles. I know people think you don't cover The Beatles. But sometimes you do. I'm an artist and I'm putting my stamp on a song by this great band. I think they're the greatest songwriters of the 20th century.Why wouldn't you do one of their songs?"

Even though the record contains The Beatles song along with numbers by Leon Russell and Bill Withers, Salgado is quick to point out that he's never been in a cover band in his 30 years on stage.

"I'm very proud to say I've never played in a Top 40 band," he said. "I've always been in bands.But I've always played the music I wanted to play, which is r&b, funk, soul and rock 'n' roll."

Salgado grew up in a music-filled household and developed his taste in music from his father and older brother and sister.

"What they say is what's hip,"Salgado said. "Fortunately, they weren't bringing home 'Blue Velvet,' they were bringing home Aretha Franklin.They were bringing home the Fantastic Johnny C doing 'Boogaloo Down Broadway.'"

The home listening also included classic soul artist the Sweet Inspirations, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding along with the jazz of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck. When Salgado came across Muddy Waters, Little Walter and PaulButterfield, his musical foundation was complete.

Salgado, who'd been a vociferous member of the church choir since he was a little kid, learned to play the harp and by 16 was in his first band. When he was 20, he joined up with a pair of Eugene newcomers, Robert Cray and Richard Cousins. Their Nighthawks became fixtures on the Eugene scene, playing the soul/blues mixture that has since become Cray's signature sound.

In 1976-77, a movie crew came to Eugene to film a campus comedy called "Animal House."

"That's when Belushi stopped me,"Salgado said. "I didn't know who he was.That's why we hit it off so well. I didn't have any idea what he was doing.But I knew I was hanging out with somebody who was very charismatic and was in a movie."

Salgado, an enthusiastic ambassador for the music he plays and loves, schooled Belushi in the blues and r&b.Belushi took those lessons and some of Salgado's personality and created Jake Blues, half of the Blues Brothers, giving Salgado credit for the inspiration on the Blues Brothers' first album.

Salgado didn't mind Belushi stealing his act. In fact, he remained friends with Belushi and is still in touch with the late comedian's wife, Jackie.

"John was really into the blues," he said. "I'm really into anyone who's into the blues and music history."

By 1984, Cray and Salgado had parted ways.

"I thought we were going to be a salt-'n'-pepper Sam and Dave kind of thing," Salgado said. "We had an agreement, and I walked away. But when I look at it now, Robert didn't need a harp player and he didn't need another singer."

From 1984 to 1986, Salgado was the lead singer of Roomful of Blues, the highly respected New England blues outfit that produced Duke Robillard. Then Salgado embarked on his solo career, putting out his first album, "Curtis Salgado &The Stilettos," in 1991.

"I got clean and sober and started focusing on myself,"Salgado said. "I should have done that a long time ago. I should have thought about writing songs. I should have thought about getting to the next level."

Beyond a stint singing with Santana in 1995, Salgado has concentrated on his solo career for more than a decade. His last three records, "Wiggle Out of This," the W.C. Handy-nominated "Soul Activated" and the new "Strong Suspicion," have been released by Shanachie Entertainment, providing him with stable label support and, along with his constant touring, helping him gain greater visibility.

Now he's on the road, spreading the sound he loves.

"I'm very passionate about this,"Salgado said. "I just want people to learn about it. I'm out there working, trying to expand my market. But it's about the music."

Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or at kwolgamott@;journalstar.com.