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[BLUES] Our mayoral and gubernatorial races rage on, but were it also election season for chief executive of Oregon's blues scene, the incumbent candidate—Mr. Curtis Salgado—would be swept back into office on the strength of his new album, The Beautiful Lowdown. His eighth collection overall, this is the first where Salgado himself grabs a writing credit on almost every song, and the depth of his emotional investment in the material is evident. The songs are brought to life with vivid, layered production, perfectly poised between raw and polished, as Salgado stuns with his full array of vocal techniques.
Highlights include the driving R&B of opener "Hard to Feel the Same About Love," landing like a great, lost oldie by the Rascals or the Grass Roots, if not the Four Tops. "I Know a Good Thing" is stomping, rootsy blues with seething harmonica undercurrent and a surprising, off-kilter guitar solo seemingly piped in from a Tom Waits record. And the gorgeous, acoustic "Healing Love" does what it says on the label, floating in gently on a Southern soul breeze while Salgado purrs like Solomon Burke's benevolent ghost. This stuff deserves a place in music collections nationwide, alongside the best work of Boz Scaggs or Van Morrison. Next up: Salgado for President!
SEE IT: Curtis Salgado plays Jimmy Mak's, 221 NW 10th Ave., on Friday-Saturday, April 29-30. 8 pm. $20 advance, $30 reserved seating. Under 21 permitted with until 9:30 pm.
Willamette Week
