On July 21\, 2012\, Smoky Mountain Blues Society pre sents Albert Castiglia Live at Brackins Blues Club in Maryville\, TN. This event will be free to Smoky Mountain Blues Society members\, (membership card must be presented to get in free)\, and is only $5 for the general pu blic!
\nABOUT ALBERT
\nAlbert Castiglia (pronounced “ ka-STEEL-ya”) was born on August 12\, 1969 in New York. At the age of 5\, his family moved to Miami. With a Cuban mother and an Italian father\, he is an example of the melting pot of culture that is Miami. He learned to p lay guitar at the age of 12 and soon realized that the passions in his hea rt were expressed best by his music.
\nCastiglia has a blues history . In 1990\, he joined The Miami Blues Authority and later on won “Best Blu es Guitarist” from New Times magazine in 1997. The legendary Junior Wells discovered Castiglia and immediately hired him as his own guitarist/vocali st on several world tours. After Wells’ passing\, Castiglia toured with At lanta blues singer Sandra Hall\, then ventured out on a solo career and re leased his debut album in 2002\, Burn\, working with his longtime friend\, Graham Wood Drout of Iko-Iko. In 2006\, he released his second album (and first for Blues Leaf Records)\, A Stone’s Throw\, which included two more insightful Drout songs\, “Big Toe” and “Ghosts Of Mississippi.” Castiglia and Drout also released a live collaboration titled The Bittersweet Sessi ons in 2005\, which focused on a more acoustic-oriented\, intimate feel
\nNow Castiglia comes back full-bore with a blistering new album on Bl ues Leaf Records\, These are the Days\, which perfectly showcases both his incendiary electric and slide guitar work and soulful vocals\, which reca ll Van Morrison.
\nThese are the Days contains five Castiglia origin als\, including a tribute to his mentor Junior Wells\, “Godfather of the B lues”. The material is varied\, with songs from Bob Dylan (“Catfish’)\, Na ppy Brown (“Night Time is the Right Time”) and Fenton Robinson (“Somebody Loan me a Dime”). Once again\, Graham Wood Drout contributes another outst anding song\, “Celebration\,” to add to the string of compositions he’s wr itten on each of Castiglia’s albums. Until now\, “Somebody Loan Me a Dime” and Little Willie John’s “Need Your Love So Bad” were attention grabbers in Castiglia’s live shows\; but through the insistence of Blues Leaf presi dent Joe Morabia\, Albert captures that magic on this album.
\nIn ad dition to the solid blues songs throughout These are the Days\, Castiglia generates some dance floor energy with “Bad Year Blues” and “Twister\,” tw o jumping tunes sure to become live show favorites. This is the album that says “These Are Albert Castiglia’s Days.”
\nOFFICIAL WEB SITE OF AL
BERT CASTIGLIA http://albertcastiglia.com/