The Ty Curtis Band
Waterfront Blues Festival
Portland, OR.
July 2, 2011

Again the WBF went off with some big names in the music world. The non-profit radio station, KBOO, here in Portland did the broadcasting again and there were lots of problems this year, as in other years. Many drops in reception which I attemted to "fix". Not all were broadcast, which was a bummer, and some were just to rife with problems to save. So there are some bumps in the road, if you will, but over all some nice tunes are here. Of note, the Preston Shannon set, James Harmon, Bobby Radcliff, Chris Cain Band, Ty Curtis Band and of course Lucinda Williams. So enjoy & spread the shows around, twofthrs.

FM>H2 Zoom> HDD>FLAC>Dime All files were sector aligned.
Since I'm not familiar with a lot of these bands there will be some "unknowns" in the set list's.
http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com/

Ty Curtis is consumed by his music. There is no other way to explain how, at such a young age, this 23-year-old, Salem-based vocalist, guitarist and songwriter has amassed a recording catalogue of three critically acclaimed albums, earned 2nd place in the prestigious 2009 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and is nightly thrilling audiences from the Pacific Northwest to Montreal.

Blessed with a classic voice and blazing guitar technique, Ty discovered Blues music in his early teens, listening to favorites Stevie Ray Vaughn, Chris Cain, Roy Rodgers, and Malford Milligan among many others. A true student of the Blues, Ty pursued his music with a passion and “legendary focus” that amazed those around him. Ty played and wrote the Blues, as the music flowed out of him. Practicing with raw fingertips was not a problem that a little Superglue could not fix.

Ty was just out of high school in 2006, when he wrote, recorded and released his first album Stubborn Mind. Featuring passionate vocals and driving guitar, this CD presented a depth of feeling and sound that was way beyond their age. Radio programmers from around the country were getting their first taste of the Ty Curtis Band and liking what they heard.

It was the second album, Down on My Luck, in 2008 that solidified the front line of the Ty Curtis Band with the introduction of Hank Shreve, harmonica, keys, vocals. Again, Ty wrote the music, but there was Hank, another old Blues soul, in a young man’s body providing masterful harmonica and sharp vocal harmonies that serve as a dynamic musical counterpart to Ty’s other worldly musical facility. Down on my Luck appeared nationally on a number of 2009 top Blues album lists as did Ty’s song “Cherry City Boogie.”

The 2nd place in the prestigious 2009 International Blues Challenge in Memphis catapulted the Ty Curtis Band onto the world stage. The Challenge started with more than 2,000 bands in nine countries and 36 states. One hundred bands earned the right to come to Memphis, ten made it to the Finals and The Ty Curtis Band was voted 2nd place by a panel of judges made up of industry professionals.

Blues Challenge panelist and Grammy award winning producer David Z (Prince, Etta James, Jonny Lang) took a special interest in the band, which lead to his work as producer/engineer on Ty and the band’s latest and most notable album, Cross That Line. The 2010 album is climbing the charts on hundreds of radio station throughout North America, Europe, Australia and South America.

Along with the success of the new album, accolades keep coming. The Ty Curtis Band was awarded a Muddy Award by the Cascade Blues Association for Best New Act in 2008 and in 2009 received Muddy’s for Best Regional Act and Best Harmonica Player to Hank Shreve. In 2010 the band followed up with Muddy Awards for Contemporary Blues Band and Northwest Recording of the Year and Ty received the Muddy Award for Male Vocalist. The band also received the Rainy Day Blues Society Rooster Award for Best New Act in 2009 and Best Contemporary Blues Act in 2010.

The band’s multi-talented line-up and three-part vocal harmonies have been enhanced by the addition of bass player Willie Barber (Blues Brothers, Steve Miller, Curtis Salgado, Lloyd Jones) and bass player Jerry Jacques. No strangers to the big stage, the Ty Curtis Band has opened for Chris Cain, Coco Montoya, The Doobie Brothers, Roy Rogers, George Thorogood, Los Loneley Boys, Paul DeLay, Curtis Salgado, Walter Trout, Big Monti and Lloyd Jones. They have performed at Montreal Jazz Festival, the Winthrop Blues Festival, Joseph Bronze & Blues, Rogue Valley Blues Festival, Central Oregon Blues Festival, The Red, White & Blues Festival, The Oregon State Fair, Redwood Run and many others.

Set List
01 Key To My Heart
02 Cherry City Boogie
03 I Lit A Fire (Drop out "fixed")
04 Cross That Line
05 Five Long Years
06 This Is Love
07 Unknown
08 Do I Love You Too Much (fades)
09 Unknown