Marion James - Northside Soul

Great news from our (and Lattimore's) good friend Marion James down in Nashville...

Marion is the focus of an eight page full color spread in the current issue of Living Blues, along with some great photographs of Jefferson Street from the days when it stood at the center of the Southern Black Universe, and Marion and her beloved 'Buzzard' ruled the roost. "Looks like to me all the musicians kind of cared about each other and tried to help each other back then," she told Tim Ghianni, and Marion, through her beloved Musician's Aid Society, has certainly done her part to keep that spirit alive.

One cool thing about the article is that it appears as part of Living Blues' very first Digital Edition, and so you can check it out right here online.

I Fell

Marion is also excited to announce that Northside Soul, her first new album in many years, was released earlier this month on EllerSoul Records, to excellent reviews. She wrote most of the material herself, including this scorcher we have here. No wonder they call her the Queen of the Blues!

We will be hanging out with Marion on Jefferson Street next month as part of the Soul Detective 2012 Fact Finding Mission. Can't wait!

Curtis Salgado Medical Fund

Award-winning soul blues singer/harmonica master Curtis Salgado will undergo surgery on July 18 in Portland, Oregon, to remove a cancerous growth from his lung, according to his manager Shane Tappendorf.

A partial lobectomy will be performed to remove a segment of Curtis's left lung where a metastasized mass was found. It is suspected to be the same type of cancerous mass that was removed from his lung in 2007.

Salgado will be hospitalized for a period of four to six days and will require a recovery time of up to four weeks. Salgado and his doctors anticipate a complete recovery.

"I am extremely grateful for the overwhelming support of my family, friends and fans and the courageous people that have faced this fight before me," the 58-year-old Salgado wrote from his home this week. "I also want to thank the promoters and venues for their understanding regarding my medical situation. We will do our best to reschedule all of our performances affected by my surgery."

Salgado, who was diagnosed with liver cancer on March 23, 2006, underwent successful liver transplant surgery on September 30, 2006 at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

Donations to help with Curtis's expenses can be made online at: curtissalgado.chipin.com/curtis- salgado-medical- fund. Donations can also be made to the Curtis Salgado Fund c/o Odaglas LLC Donation Account at all US Banks or by mail to US Bancorp, 2550 NW 188th Avenue, Hillsboro, OR 97124. For additional information please visit www.curtissalgado.com and www.facebook.com/CurtisSalgado

And, of course, your prayers are always appreciated!