(The Blues) Curtis Salgado combined his interest in history and music to create his latest album The Beautiful Lowdown, he's explained. The follow-up to Soul Shot includes forays into every sector of the R&B genre, and reflects his interest in the past along with his passion for the sounds.

Salgado tells KMUW: "This record is basically everything under the umbrella, including reggae. I love reggae, the whole history with mento, ska and bluebeat. I'm a history freak - I want to know what makes things tick. At the same time, the only way I know how to make a living is through music."

He began merging his two interests when he first heard Paul Butterfield covering Little Walter. "It led me to Little Walter - that just blew my mind," he recalls. "I never heard Paul Butterfield again." Read more here.