Page 46 - BiTS_04_APRIL_2021

Valerie has said that she wanted to add more modern elements to the production of this record and
she has certainly done that, combining it with her previous roots-y sounds to produce her most
considered and developed album so far. However, while I recognise and celebrate this artistic
development, personally I do miss the earlier rawer and more bluesy sounds.

Graham Harrison

Curtis Salgado Damage Control Alligator ASIN :8R64MLQN

In 2019 I went to the Blues heaven Festival in Denmark and for
me Curtis Salgado was the best act there, both with a full band
and as a duo with his guitarist Alan Hager (his last album with
Hager ‘Rough Cut’ was a masterpiece). This new album was
recorded in three locations Kevin McKendree’s Rock House
Recording in Nashville, Tennessee, Johnny Lee Schell’s Ultratone
Studios in L.A., California and Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studio
in San Jose, California with three different bands, including

current and ex-Bonnie Raitt sidemen guitarists George Marinelli
and Johnny Lee Schell, Mike Finnigan (keyboards) and Tony
Braunagel (drums).

If ‘Rough Cut’ was a straight blues record ‘Damage Control’ is Curtis’s familiar mixture of blues and
soul, he wrote or co-wrote all the songs here with fellow musicians, except for the final track a
rocking version of Larry Williams’ ‘Slow Down’. We begin with the soulful ‘The Longer That I Live’
with Mike Finnigan (organ) and Jim Pugh (piano) and bass playing legend Jerry Jemmott (King
Curtis, B.B. King and Aretha Franklin) and Kevin Hayes (drums) – like Curtis Kevin played with

Robert Cray and also Tower of Power. ‘What Did Me In Did Me Well’ is another soulful philosophical
track with a nice chromatic harmonica solo from Curtis and some nice guitar on the playout from
Kid and ‘Precious Time’ has a real Bonnie Raitt vibe- possibly because it features George Marinelli
on guitar.

‘Always Say I Love You (At The End Of Your Goodbyes)’ is another soulful reflective song, while
‘Hail Mighty Caesar’ is a rocking New Orleans-style song celebrating Caesar’s love for Cleopatra and

featuring a brass section. ‘I Don’t Do That No More’ is another rocker that like many of the songs
here, including the title track, references Curtis’s past health problems and is powered by Kevin
McKendree’s boogie piano. ‘The Truth Be Told’ is a Cajun romp with Wayne Toups (accordion and
backing vocals`) and Jack Bruno (drums) and ‘The Fix Is In’ is one of the album’s most bluesy tracks
and the only one to really feature Curtis on blues harp. This is a well-played and produced album
that features Curtis’s very mature and thoughtful songs and also his fabulous emotive voice but I’m
afraid that after 2018’s wonderful ‘Rough Cut’, I’m a little disappointed that he didn’t feature more

straight blues material as well as more Alan Hager on guitar.

Graham Harrison