Curtis Salgado Fine By Me Little Village

There should be no surprise when Curtis Salgado puts out still another excellent album. The real question is why it's been more than three years since his last release, Damage Control. I realize I'm being greedy, but I'd really like to have a new Salgado album every year.

For now, we'll just be satisfied that we have this new one, Fine By Me (Little Village). If you're hip to what Salgado does, then you know what to expect --- powerful soulful vocals, nice harmonica playing, and always backed by a tight band with plenty of horns.

The dozen cuts on Fine By Me were recorded at eight different studios, with the biggest chunk being recorded at Kid Andersen's Greaseland USA studios in San Jose, California. For a consistent sound, Salgado produced all of the sessions.

Salgado recorded a more basic stripped-down album a few years ago with guitarist Alan Hager, and they team up again on the opening cut, the novelty number "My Girl's A Nut." He's showing his affection for that eccentric woman in his life, while admitting that she's well-suited for him and vice versa, singing, "...my girl's half crazy, and I'm the other half ..." It's a fun song that'll leave a smile on your face. Drummer Jimi Bott also engineered the session and Keith Brush adds tasteful acoustic bass.

Moving to the seven cuts done at Greaseland, Salgado is backed by notable session cats like Derek "D'Mar" Martin (drums), Kid Andersen (guitar  & keyboards), and a rotating group of bassists, horn players, and backing singers. The first of these numbers is a typical  Salgado original, "Better Things To Lie About," with a big horn sound throughout and a nice harmonica solo by our star. That leads into the O.V. Wright cover, "I'm Gonna Forget About You," an up-tempo shuffle that adds Robert Cray on guitar and harmony vocals as well as the exquisite bass player Jerry Jemmott. Jim Pugh contributes steady piano work.

"Fine By Me" is an up-tempo rockin' mover, with Salgado singing about all of the people he's met in his imagination, specifically mentioning Jackie O, Muhammed Ali, Iggy Pop, and Malcolm X. Instead of being awake, he admits to wanting to be with all of his new friends in his dreams before the ending chorus "... suddenly I was awake ..." is repeated many times while being faded out. "Niki Hokey" is a novelty song with which I was not familiar before this, until I researched and found that it was done in the '60s by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Bobbie Gentry, and Burton Cummings, with the original from P.J. Proby in 1967.

The Salgado original "Hear the Lonely Hearts" takes us into church, with the gospel sounds pouring from his throat while The Sons of the Soul Revivers provide backing vocals on this mash-up of a love song and gospel. It's all about the voice here, with minimal instrumental backing provided by Rome Yamilov on guitar and Kid Anderson on acoustic bass.

I'm hearing a bit of classic Beach Boys on the up-tempo tune "Safe At Home," with Salgado singing about how much he likes returning to that familiar cozy home after his travels. Lisa Leuschner provides the necessary harmony vocals on the chorus line.

Jumping ahead to the final Greaseland cut is a mid-tempo rockin' blues, "Cheap Stuff," with Salgado singing about how he gets more pleasure in life from what costs him less, like living in a sleazy studio apartment and drinking bottom shelf whiskey  from a Styrofoam cup. Hershel Yatovitz provides eerie guitar fills to go with Salgado's harp playing.

"The Only Way Out" gets a spaghetti western feel from Ben Rice's guitar licks while Lindsay Reynolds provides spooky backing vocals. This one is very interesting, to say the least.

Blues Bytes faves The Rhythm Tramps pop in for a Terry Wilson-penned up-tempo stomper, "The Big Chagrin." Wilson handles bass and backing vocals, Teresa James also sings in the background, and Snuffy Walden and Billy Watts share guitar duties. Jeff Paris plays tasty New Orleans-style piano throughout, Tony Braunagel keeps a steady beat on drums, and a wall of sound is provided by horn players Joe McCarthy, Lars Campbell, and Tim Bryson. We also hear a nice harmonica solo from Salgado. This is one of the many highlights on the album.

Most of the same group returns to provide backing on the slow blues "You Give the Blues A Bad Name," co-written by Salgado and Terry Wilson, with Watts and Anson Funderburgh sharing guitar duties. Another great tune is the album closer, the up-tempo shuffle "Under New Management," with Wilson back on bass and Watts and Funderburgh again handling guitar. Salgado sings about that devious woman who he thought was heaven sent but it turns out she's put him under new management, and he chips in with a fine harmonica solo. Also some fine piano work from Loren Gold.

Fine By Me is another winner for Curtis Salgado, a worthy addition to an already deep and rich discography. Don't delay in adding this one to your blues collection.

--- Bill Mitchell