Outdoor Sounds: Blues legend Curtis Salgado bounces back after heart attack

When he spoke with The Spokesman-Review, Portland blues icon Curtis Salgado was on his way to a camping retreat in Oregon.

The retreat included horseback riding and fishing, activities that, just five months ago, would have been impossible for Salgado to complete.

In March, the musician had a heart attack while on tour, and doctors determined that he needed quadruple bypass surgery.

“I didn’t even know I had a heart attack when I was having one,” Salgado said. “I didn’t feel anything. I was just uncomfortable. It wasn’t a big elephant on my chest. It was like a little oddity.”

After a successful surgery, Salgado, who battled liver cancer in 2006 and lung cancer in 2008 and 2012, spent several months recovering. His only complaint was that he wasn’t allowed to sleep on his side or his back.

Earlier this month, Salgado played his first post-surgery shows, which included a gig in Canada.

“It’s as if I never left,” he said.

Back up and running, Salgado will perform two shows in the Inland Northwest: one in Coeur d’Alene on Wednesday as part of the Live at Parkside Summer Concert Series and one in Spokane on Aug. 4 as part of Hotel RL Spokane’s Free Outdoor Summer Concert Series.

Salgado fell in love with blues music after his older brother and sister brought home albums by blues artists during the folk blues revival of the 1960s.

“I was hooked,” Salgado said. “I was like ‘That’s what I want to do. I want to play blues.’ ”

Salgado then rattled off a list of musicians he considers his blues heroes – John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Johnny Shines, Albert Collins, Albert King, B.B. King – all of whom he eventually got to perform with.

After making a name for himself in Eugene with the Nighthawks, Salgado caught the eye of comedian John Belushi, who was in town filming “Animal House.”

The pair quickly bonded over blues music, and Salgado would go on to be the inspiration behind Belushi’s character in “The Blues Brothers.”

The Blues Brothers’ first album, “Briefcase Full of Blues,” was dedicated to Salgado, and Cab Calloway’s character in “The Blues Brothers” was named Curtis after Salgado.

When asked what he remembers most about his time with Belushi, who passed away in 1982, a non-musical memory comes to mind.

While visiting Belushi and his wife, Judy Jacklin, for dinner, Salgado and Belushi watched “Gunsmoke” together.

“John Belushi is mimicking every actor that comes up on the screen,” he said. “And I was watching him riff. He was practicing his craft … Some bit actor comes on and goes (in a nasally voice) ‘Mail for Mr. Dillon’ and John would go ‘Mail for Mr. Dillon.’ These were all character actors and he would copy every single one of them. He even mimicked Miss Kitty, just sitting there grooving and totally involved … I’ll never forget that.”

Post-Nighthawks, Salgado went on to perform with the likes of Robert Cray and Santana.

Salgado released his latest record, “The Beautiful Lowdown,” last year. His albums are usually a pretty even mix of covers and originals, but “The Beautiful Lowdown” is nearly all original, save for a cover of Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s “Hook Me Up.”

He expects his next release will similarly feature a majority of original songs.

“You’ve got to show that you can have your own voice,” he said.

When Salgado brings that original voice of his, which blends blues with funk, soul, R&B and rock ‘n’ roll, to the Inland Northwest, he cautions fans to expect something special.

“You’re going to see good musicianship, good songwriting and we don’t mess around,” he said. “The band is deadly. Best band this side of the Mississippi.”