Degrees of separation, count them. Six. Yea!

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My connection to Thursday's Blues Music Awards in Memphis may seem tenuous. Nevertheless, I claim it, wholeheartedly as a lover of the blues. Here we go. Sunday, April 7, at the end of my most music-filled day in Portland (Portland Art Museum's Members Gospel Brunch, Patrick Lamb's matinee concert at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall), I stopped in at the Blue Diamond for the Kevin Selfe and the Tornadoes Blues Jam. More live music. Yea! What a good idea that turned out to be! Great music, and I got to take a few photos. I wish I knew everyone's names, but I don't, doggone it. UPDATE: Just found out that the musician on the far right is Allen Markel.

Fast forward to April 20 and the Concert for Sandy Relief at the Keller Auditorium. Curtis Salgado and his band opened for Aaron Neville. For me, that show could be put on one of those Ground-Hog-Day-repeats. My goodness, but that was fine, fine, fine. Stay with me, now. Thanks to being a Facebook friend of Kevin (on guitar on the left in these photos), I found out that Curtis Salgado had won the B. B. King Entertainer of the Year Award. So, there's my somewhat tenuous connection to the Blues Music Awards held in Memphos May 9. Salgado also won Soul Blues Album for "Soul Shot," and Soul Blues Male Artist.

Now, back to being at the Blue Diamond on April 7 and those few photos. When I finally got around to uploading them to Flickr today, lo and behold, there with Kevin Selfe on guitar and other musicians stood Curtis Salgado's guitar player! I recognized him from the April 20 concert--I had a front row seat practically right in front of him. Wow!
 

Me - Blue Diamond - Kevin Selfe - Vyasa Dodson - Curtis Salgado - Blues Music Awards!
 

In the middle, Vyasa Dodson, Curtis Salgado's guitar player. On the left, Kevin Selfe, a right fine musician. And I'm sorry that I don't know the saxophone player's name.