{"id":38925,"date":"2022-03-31T09:44:59","date_gmt":"2022-03-31T13:44:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=38925"},"modified":"2022-03-31T09:45:15","modified_gmt":"2022-03-31T13:45:15","slug":"on-stage-blues-fans-this-is-your-time-for-great-local-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=38925","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Blues fans, this is your time for great local shows"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

Christone\u00a0\u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram<\/p><\/div>\n

We\u2019re in the midst of a stretch of live concerts that will have blues music fans in the area in hog heaven (which is defined as \u201ca state of complete happiness\u201d).<\/p>\n

Over a period of two weeks, the area\u2019s concert schedule features performances by Selwyn Birchwood, Christone\u00a0\u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram, Mike Zito, Albert Castiglia, Samantha Fish, Tommy Castro, Deanna Bogart, Canned Heat, the Jimmy Pritchard Band, the Erin Harpe Country Blues Duo and the Philly Blues Kings.<\/p>\n

Things will really heat up on April 1 when the Kimmel Cultural Campus (250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, www.kimmelculturalcampus.org<\/a>) presents a concert by Christone\u00a0\u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram at the Merriam Theater.<\/p>\n

Many blues guitarists have been playing for decades. Ingram\u2019s guitar playing gives listeners the impression that he too has been at it for decades. In reality, he is barely two decades old. He was born in Mississippi in January 1999 and has been exposed to the blues since he was a toddler. <\/p>\n

Ingram is now touring in support of his new Alligator Records album,\u00a0\u201c662.\u201d The tour — \u201cChristone\u00a0\u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram Presents\u00a0662: Juke Joint Live\u201d — will take the 22-year-old guitarist, vocalist and songwriter across the U.S. and Europe that began in July 2021 andis still going strong.<\/p>\n

In addition to the Grammy nomination (his second in two years),\u00a0\u201c662\u201d\u00a0was named the #1 Best Blues Album of 2021 by UK tastemaker magazine,\u00a0MOJO.\u00a0Rolling Stone\u00a0declared, \u201cKingfish\u00a0is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.\u201d
\nUpon its July 2021 release,\u00a0\u201c662\u201d\u00a0debuted at #1 on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0Blues Chart, and it’s remained on the chart ever since. \u201c662\u201d\u00a0was recorded in Nashville and co-written and produced by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge. It features 13 songs (and one previously released bonus track) displaying many sides of Ingram\u2019s personality, as well as his one-of-a-kind guitar and vocal skills. Ingram\u2019s debut,\u00a0\u201cKingfish,\u201d was named the #1 Best Blues Album of 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been out here on the road for a while,\u201d said Ingram, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in Boston.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything is going great. I\u2019ve been selling out shows everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Alligator Records still in the midst of its 50th anniversary celebration, label founder and president Bruce Iglauer said, \u201cI\u2019m very proud of these Alligator artists getting the international recognition they so richly deserve. These days we need the healing power of the blues more than ever, and these wonderful bluesmen and women have delivered that healing power on their albums.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c662,\u201d which debuted at #1 on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0Blues chart,\u00a0is the next chapter in the still-unfolding story of the Clarksdale, Mississippi native. Ingram describes \u201c662\u201d\u00a0(the number is northern Mississippi\u2019s telephone area code) as \u201ca\u00a0presentation of my life in and away from the Delta.\u201d\u00a0The album overflows with hard-hitting original songs, jaw-dropping guitar work and deep, soul-possessed vocals.\u00a0Ingram recently won the 2021\u00a0Living Blues\u00a0Award for Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar).<\/p>\n

He also won two 2021 Blues Music Awards (for Guitarist Of The Year and Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year) in addition to the five he won last year.\u00a0In February 2021, Ingram guest hosted Spotify\u2019s popular\u00a0\u201cIn The Name Of The Blues\u201d\u00a0playlist, which featured him talking about and sharing some of his favorite songs.<\/p>\n

\u201c662\u201d\u00a0was co-written and produced by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge. It features 13 songs displaying many sides of Ingram\u2019s dynamic personality, as well as his one-of-a-kind guitar and vocal skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually recorded \u2018662\u2019 during the pandemic,\u201d said Ingram. \u201cWe spent a full week at Ocean Way Studio in Nashville, which was the same studio I used for my first album. We had writing sessions on Zoom from May through September and then went in the studio two weeks later.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt went pretty smooth. I learned a lot from making my first record. It helped having Tom produce both of my albums. He knows how to pull things out of me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album shows my growth. It was two years since my first record, and I had a lot of things happen in my life. My mom passed away. Then there was COVID.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to make a personal record. I wanted to show a different side. People know me for edgy and hardness, but I also have a soul and R&B vibe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had 20 songs going into the studio and recorded them all. We used 13 and we\u2019ll use the other songs later.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingram is slowly working on his next album.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still writing,\u201d said Ingram. Every now and then I\u2019ll get a lyric. The new album will have some new songs and some older ones. It\u2019s like a big melting pot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t gotten into the studio yet. I work on ideas in my home studio. I have my own setup to put ideas down and then make them ready for the studio. When they\u2019re ready, I\u2019ll take them to Tom Hambridge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingram grew up with the blues.<\/p>\n

\u201cI come from Clarksdale, Mississippi \u2013 the Mecca of blues,\u201d said Ingram.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember seeing the PBS documentary on Muddy Waters when I was pretty young. And I lived next door to a blues band. I was exposed to the blues a lot as a young child.<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually started as a bass player. My first paid gig playing bass was with the All Night Long Blues Band. I was 11 at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for Ingram to switch from bass to lead guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was playing bass, but I always wanted to play guitar,\u201d said Ingram. \u201cBut, when I was young, my fingers were too big for guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was 14-15, I played guitar for a local band. I just wanted to do something different. I wanted to put my own thing together. I wanted to play guitar. Playing guitar was original.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started with a cheap Sears & Roebuck guitar. An Epiphone 335 was my first real guitar.\u00a0\u00a0I got it for Christmas when I was in middle school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingram explained the origin of his nickname.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mentor from the Delta Museum gave kids nicknames,\u201d said Ingram. \u201cHe called me Kingfish. He said Kingfish who was a character on the \u2018Amos \u2018n\u2019Andy Show.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cMy biggest influences were Albert King, Little Milton, B.B. King, Son House, Freddie King and Skip James. I was also influenced by Ernie Isley, Jimi Hendrix, Prince and George Benson.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I was influenced by Jimi and Prince, I never had an actual intent to merge rock and blues. I just want to experiment and see what I come up with. I just like to create stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingram is known for making his guitar sing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking the guitar sing \u2013 that\u2019s when playing with substance comes into play,\u201d said Ingram. \u201cI love playing originals. I\u2019m still writing when I\u2019m on the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn tour, it\u2019s a three-piece \u2013 bass, drums and me. Both of the other guys in the band are from Mississippi. Bassist Paul Rogers is from Tupelo and drummer Chris Black is from Shelby.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show in Philly will feature an opening act worth seeing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just started this part of the tour a month ago,\u201d said Ingram. \u201cThe opening act is four women who are really good \u2013 especially Rissi Palmer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for\u00a0Christone\u00a0\u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/kDuIELUSzxU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Merriam Theater on April 1 will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Ticket prices range from $24-$45.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Selwyn Birchwood<\/p><\/div>\n

Another show on April 1 will feature another young but very experienced blues guitarist \u2013 Selwyn Birchwood.<\/p>\n

Birchwood will visit Berks County to headline a concert at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (701 Penn Street, Reading) as part of the 2022 Berks Jazz Fest (berksjazzfest.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

With his fiery guitar and lap steel playing, his trailblazing, instantly memorable songs and gritty, unvarnished vocals, Birchwood is among the most extraordinary young stars in the blues. His deep familiarity with blues tradition allows him to bust the genre wide open, adding new sounds, colors and textures, all delivered with a revival tent preacher\u2019s fervor and a natural storyteller\u2019s charisma.<\/p>\n

His latest album is \u201cLiving In A Burning House,\u201d which was released last year on Alligator Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album won two Blues Music Awards,\u201d said Birchwood, during a phone interview Wednesday morning from on the road (somewhere in North Carolina or Virginia).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt got the award for \u2018Contemporary Blues Album\u2019 and for \u2018Song of the Year\u2019 and my band member Reggi Oliver got one for \u2018Best Horn Player.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cWe finished making the album in December 2019. It was set to be released in May 2020. Obviously, 2020 had different plans. It finally came out in January 2021. I was ecstatic with the reception it got.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like all musicians, Birchwood had to adapt to life during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a culture shock to be home,\u201d said Birchwood, who lives in Tampa, Florida. \u201cIn ordinary times, I\u2019m never home. I\u2019m really glad to be on the road again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe released the new album in 2021. Even with so much uncertainty, we decided to put it out. We did two shows in Janaury 2021 when the album came out \u2013 shows with social distancing. We didn\u2019t do any concerts outsidse the state until mid-2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, we\u2019ve got overseas stuff coming up including festivals in Europe and blues cruises. We have 14 shows on this tour. This is our first real tour since the album came out.\u201d<\/p>\n

For\u00a0\u201cLiving In A Burning House,\u201d Birchwood wrote and arranged 13 new songs, and brought in famed Grammy Award-winning musician\/producer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Christone \u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram, Susan Tedeschi) to produce. From the rocking opener\u00a0\u201cI\u2019d Climb Mountains\u201d\u00a0to the sweet soul of\u00a0\u201cShe\u2019s A Dime\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cOne More Time\u201d to the hair-raising\u00a0\u201cRevelation,\u201d \u201cLiving In A Burning House\u201d\u00a0features some of the most vividly striking writing on today\u2019s blues scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the new album, I\u2019m really trying to straddle the line between contemporary and traditional. I\u2019m just trying to find my own stuff. I think people would be hard-pressed to name another band like us. When I\u2019m asked to describe my music, I use four words \u2013 electric swamp funk blues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the 2014 release of his Alligator Records debut,\u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t Call No Ambulance,\u201d Birchwood has made a meteoric rise from playing small Florida clubs to headlining international festival stages.<\/p>\n

That album received the Blues Music Award and\u00a0Living Blues\u00a0Critics\u2019 Award for \u201cBest Debut Album of 2014,\u201d and Birchwood won the 2015\u00a0\u201cBlues Blast\u00a0Rising Star Award.\u201d<\/p>\n

Birchwood\u2019s follow-up was \u201cPick Your Poison\u201d in 2016.<\/p>\n

Birchwood wrote and produced all 13 songs on his latest album \u201cPick Your Poison,\u201d which was released in 2017 on Alligator Records. The album is a testament to Birchwood\u2019s overflowing talents as a blues master \u2013 despite his young age of 36.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2018Pick Your Poison\u2019 album was nominated for two Blues Music Awards,\u201d said Birchwood. \u201cWe started making \u2018Pick Your Poison\u2019 in May of 2106.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a real challenge for us to get in the studio because our tour schedule was so crazy. I had to do it two or three days at a time. I didn\u2019t finish it until December. We did it at Phat Planet Studio in Orlando. It\u2019s a great studio with a lot of great gear.<\/p>\n

Birchwood is one of the top acts to emerge in the world of blues music in recent years. In 2013, he won the world-renowned International Blues Challenge \u2014 beating out 125 other musicians from the U.S. and abroad.<\/p>\n

He also took home the Albert King Guitarist of the Year Award. After that, it didn\u2019t take long for Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer to offer Birchwood a contract.<\/p>\n

\u201cBruce heard me play at IBC (International Blues Challenge) in Memphis,\u201d said Birchwood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gave him some of my tracks to listen to. I was just hoping to get his opinion on them. Instead, he asked me to make an album for his record label.\u201d<\/p>\n

Birchwood was born in 1985 in Orlando, Florida. He first grabbed a guitar at age 13 and soon became proficient at mimicking what he heard on the radio. But the popular grunge rock, hip-hop and metal of the 1990s didn\u2019t move him, and he quickly grew bored.<\/p>\n

Then he heard Jimi Hendrix. By the time he was 17, Birchwood was deep into the blues \u2014 listening to Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, Lightnin\u2019 Hopkins and especially Buddy Guy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was young, I decided I wanted to play an instrument and landed on guitar,\u201d said Birchwood. \u201cI was bored with just hearing the stuff on the radio in the late 90s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I heard Jimi Hendrix for the first time, I was blown away. It was like a spaceship landed. Then, I started listening to Hendrix\u2019 roots \u2014 Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuddy Guy was one of my favorites. He was coming on tour to the House of Blues in Orlando when I was 17 and living there. I went to his show and was completely floored. I said — what I\u2019m feeling coming off this stage is what I want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Selwyn Birchwood — https:\/\/youtu.be\/NcxdptrFQCc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Berks Jazz Fest show on April 1 will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $39.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Tommy Castro and The Painkillers<\/p><\/div>\n

Tommy Castro and his band The Painkillers will bring their brand of blues to the Steel Stacks Musikfest Caf\u00e9 (101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, www.steelstacks.org<\/a>). The show will be a double treat for blues fans because it also features Deanna Bogart, who has been one of America\u2019s top blues musicians for decades.<\/p>\n

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers featuring bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Bowen Brown and keyboardist Michael Emerson are doing what they do most of the year \u2013 touring.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had some rehearsals back home,\u201d said Castro, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Fairfield, Connecticut. \u201cFor this tour, we play songs from the new album.\u00a0 Then, I bring Deanna up for some of her songs and then we all play songs from our 30-year history.\u201d<\/p>\n

Castro is celebrating the release of his trailblazing new album,\u00a0\u201cTommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came To Town.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album is a raucous, multi-song tale of a young man bitten by the blues bug.\u00a0It is a striking collection of songs that tell the story in vivid lyrics and are brought to life by Castro\u2019s patented roadhouse rock, soulful ballads, and deep, greasy grooves.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always interested in new sounds and trends,\u201d said Castro.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the new one \u2013 I said, \u2018what am I going to do now?\u2019 It\u2019s a rock opera but it\u2019s like a blues opera.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ran it by Bruce (Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer) and he didn\u2019t hate it. We jumped over that hurdle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still had to decide if I was biting off too much. Rock operas had songs that were very different \u2013 and a story to listen to from front-to-back. I moved on to producer Tom Hambridge and he thought it was a really good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

On his website, Castro wrote, \u201cI try to keep my music fresh by taking different approaches and writing and recording different types of songs. I want to stretch out musically, but I always want the songs to be my most authentic, to remain true to myself and my art. This time, I felt the need to do something I\u2019ve never done before.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith \u2018A Bluesman Came To Town,\u2019 what I have for you is a record of songs that tell a story. It\u2019s the story of a young man from a small town. One day a guitar-playing bluesman comes to his town. From that point on, the young man\u2019s life will never be the same. It\u2019s based on a classic hero\u2019s journey \u2014 the odyssey of a musician\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI brought in the big guns this time and collaborated with Tom Hambridge. I co-wrote most of the songs with him. In telling the story, I\u2019ve tried to touch on the many different styles of music that I love. I\u2019m excited for you to hear it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Castro created his most ambitious project ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about a kid from rural America who saw his life laid out for him,\u201d said Castro. \u201cHe had other dreams. A bluesman came to town, and it changed his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bluesman told the kid that he was good and that he should go out. He did and played his music \u2013 and had to deal with drugs, alcohol and women. Through the process, he finds out what\u2019s important in life. That was the treasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the course of his four-decade career, Castro, who is a six-time winner of the prestigious Blues Music Award-winner, has played thousands of shows to hundreds of thousands of fans.<\/p>\n

Castro, one of San Francisco\u2019s veteran music acts who now lives in Palm Springs, has put together a stellar band.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started the Painkillers a few years ago,\u201d said Castro. \u201cRandy (McDonald), who has been with me for over 25 years. My music isn\u2019t so much about guitar as it is about songs. I\u2019m probably more a singer than a guitar player. I like a good hook and I want songs that people remember.\u201d<\/p>\n

With 40-plus years as a road musician, award-winning bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist, Bogart, who is Castro\u2019s wife, has built a legion of fans for her adventurous, original, and diverse music career.<\/p>\n

She is recognized for her show-stopping dazzling keyboard work, her soulful saxophone playing and her smoky vocals \u2013 along with her impressive songwriting skills. Bogart is also a highly respected composer, arranger and producer.<\/p>\n

She began her career in the\u00a0Baltimore\u00a0and Washington D.C. area\u00a0with the ensemble Cowboy Jazz. After that band broke up. Bogart spent time playing with\u00a0Root Boy Slim. In the early 1990s she began her solo career.<\/p>\n

She is a four-time winner of the BMA (Blues Music Awards) \u201cHorn Instrumentalist of the Year\u201d award. In 2013, Bogart was nominated for a\u00a0Blues Music Award\u00a0in the \u201cPinetop Perkins Piano Player\u201d category.<\/p>\n

Video link for Tommy Castro \u2014\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/BmBfrPIjxdU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video link for Deanna Bogart — https:\/\/youtu.be\/6kkt5XKD6BA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on March 31 will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $25 and $29.<\/p>\n

The \u201cblues invasion\u201d will continue on April 6 at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Street, Sellersville, 215-527-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Gulf Coast Records announced what promises to be one of the year\u2019s major tours featuring Blues Music Award-winners Mike\u00a0Zito\u00a0and Albert Castiglia.<\/p>\n

Zito and Castiglia have come together to create a musical journey unlike anything seen before in the blues and roots genre. Armed with a history of the blues and rock and roll, they bring both bands together on what is billed as, \u201cBlood Brothers Tour 2022 \u2013 Two Brothers, Two Bands, One Amazing Show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both blues guitarists are celebrating the release of highly acclaimed new albums — Zito\u2019s double live set,\u00a0\u201cBlues for the Southside,\u201d\u00a0which was released on February 18 and debuted at Number One on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0Blues Chart, and Castiglia\u2019s new album, \u201cI\u00a0Got Love,\u201d which was just released on March 25.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known Albert for 12 years,\u201d said Zito, during a phone interview Wednesday while stuck in a huge traffic jam on an interstate in Ohio.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just hit it off right away. We\u2019re cut from the same cloth \u2013 Italian-American blues players.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Albert Castiglia<\/p><\/div>\n

In a phone interview Wednesday, Castiglia said, \u201cThe catalyst for this tour was in early 2021. He wanted to do a slew of shows around his Chuck Berry release. He asked me and Joanna Connor to do three dates with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was amazing. We got great response and that led to us getting on a blues cruise.<\/p>\n

\u201cMike told me \u2013 we\u2019re going to put this tour together with the two of us. Mike always makes things happen and I go along with what he wants. With us, he\u2019s like Frank Sinatra and I\u2019m like Dean Martin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zito has released four albums over the last four years — \u201cRock ‘N’ Roll \u2013 A Tribute To\u00a0Chuck Berry\u201d in 2019, \u201cQuarantine Blues\u201d in 2020, \u201cResurrection\u201d in 2021 and \u201cBlues for the Southside\u201d this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe toured \u2018Resurrection\u2019 last year,\u201d said Zito, a five-time Blues Music Award winner. \u201cWe\u2019re still touring \u2018Resurrection.\u2019 We played more shows last year than most bands. We did 30 shows just in December.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of those shows late last year resulted in \u201cBlues for the Southside.\u201d The album was recorded on November 26, 2021 at the Old Rock House in St. Louis, Missouri, and produced by Mike\u00a0Zito.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlues for the Southside\u201d\u00a0showcases\u00a0Zito\u00a0(guitar and vocals) and his band — Matthew Johnson – vocals\/drums; Lewis Stephens – piano\/organ; Doug Byrkit \u2013 vocals\/ bass, with special guest guitarists Tony Campanella, Dave Kalz and Eric Gales.<\/p>\n

According to Zito, \u201c\u2018Blues for the Southside\u2019\u00a0is a special album for me. I have wanted to do a live blues album playing songs from my catalog with my current band for a while now. I wanted to go back to my old neighborhood in South St. Louis to make the recording.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where it all began for me, where I fell in love with music. I knew friends and family would fill the Old Rock House and bring the energy I was looking for in this recording.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted Tony Campanella and Dave Kalz to join me as guests. I grew up with both of these guys playing in the scene in St. Louis in the 1990s. I was surprised by my dear friend Eric Gales, who happened to be in town for a rehearsal. He showed up and I got him onstage to do an impromptu version of the original \u2018Voodoo Chile,\u2019 which turned out to be 12 minutes of pure guitar bliss. I am proud of this album and my band.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tour has dual headliners playing shorter sets than usual.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re each doing a 45-minute set,\u201d said Zito. \u201cAlbert plays first and then I play my set. After that, Albert and his band come out and we play some songs together. It\u2019s pretty powerful with two guitarists and two drummers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m playing three songs from \u2018Resurrection.\u2019 It\u2019s the newest so it gets more attention. I also do a Chuck Berry song when Albert comes out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zito\u2019s \u201cRock N Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry\u201d was released on November 1, 2019, and quickly rose to #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart.<\/p>\n

Featuring 21 guest guitarists honoring the Berry including Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Eric Gales, Robben Ford, Richard Fortus, Sonny Landreth, Luther Dickinson, Albert Castiglia, and Anders Osborne. Also performing\u00a0on the album is Charles Berry III, Berry\u2019s grandson. The album is produced by\u00a0Zito\u00a0and was recorded at his Marz Studios.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Berry album was released at the beginning of November 2019,\u201d said Zito. \u201cWe wanted to go out with a big band with horns. Because of COVID-19, we didn\u2019t get the tour we had hoped for. We did a big show in St. Louis and then everything came to a halt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI probably wouldn\u2019t tour the Berry album now. Maybe I\u2019ll do just one Berry show each year \u2013 in St. Louis. I grew up in St. Louis. Chuck was from St. Louis, and I lived there for 32 years. When I was young, I worked at a small musical instrument store in a record store and Chuck used to come in there.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing away from St. Louis for the last 17 years, I wanted to do something about St. Louis. If you\u2019re a musician from St. Louis, you have to learn to play Chuck Berry and learn how to play the blues. So, I decided to do a Chuck Berry tribute and add the guitarist aspect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making an album like the one\u00a0Zito\u00a0did on Berry\u2019s music provided special challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album without the guitarists initially,\u201d said\u00a0Zito. \u201cI decided how much space to leave for the guitar and then had to send off the tracks to the different guitarists. I could never bring them to my studio to record live because they\u2019re always on tour playing all over the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best way to do it was to accommodate them as much as possible. I\u2019d send them a track and say \u2013 send it back in four or five months. I went into this knowing I\u2019d need a big window.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the songs came back, I had to re-record my parts to make sure the intensity was the same. In the end, it sounded like we were in the studio together. I\u2019m pretty proud of the production. The album was completed at the end of July.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album was produced by\u00a0Zito\u00a0and was recorded at his Marz Studios in Nederland, Texas. The same situation existed for Zito\u2019s new album, \u201cQuarantine Blues\u201d \u2013 sort of.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuarantine Blues\u201d was recorded during the heart of the coronavirus pandemic and served as a healing love letter to his fans around the world that heralded better days ahead if we\u2019d all just stick together.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I made \u2018Quarantine Blues,\u2019 the band wasn\u2019t together in the studio,\u201d said Zito. \u201cNo-one was together. Our drummer Matt Johnson was in North Dakota. Our bassist Duve Syrkit was in St. Louis and our keyboard player Lewis Stephens was in Forth Worth, Texas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew there was a way. We just had to try it \u2013 trial and error and we got it done. There were no overdubs, but we made do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d write a song playing guitar with a click track and then send it to Matt. He\u2019d send it back and then it would go out to the other guys.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a 14-day project. The whole 14 days were consumed with how we would write, record, mix and release a new album. 14 days and on the 15th day, it was released.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zito\u00a0began playing guitar at the age of five, and by the time he reached his late teens, he was already a fixture on the local St. Louis music scene. He initially released his music independently and then signed with Eclecto Groove Records in 2008. \u201cPearl River,\u201d the title track of his 2009 album for the label, won Song of the Year at the Blues Music Awards and marked his first collaboration with Cyril Nevill, with whom he\u2019d later work in the Royal Southern Brotherhood.<\/p>\n

A steady succession of critically acclaimed albums followed, culminating in 2011\u2019s \u201cGreyhound,\u201d which was nominated for Best Rock Blues Album at that year\u2019s Blue Music Awards ceremony in Memphis. Two years later, he signed with Ruf Records and released \u201cGone to Texas,\u201d the story of how he gained his sobriety, offered an emotional homage to the state that<\/p>\n

left an indelible imprint on his entire life. It also marked the debut of his band, the Wheel.<\/p>\n

\u200bFrom 2010-2014,\u00a0Zito\u00a0also played an integral role in the super group of sorts, Royal Southern Brotherhood. The group released two albums and a DVD \u2014 \u201cSongs from the Road \u2013 Live in Germany,\u201d which was winner of the year\u2019s Blues Music Award for Best DVD.<\/p>\n

Zito\u00a0recently launched his own new label, Texas-based\u00a0Gulf Coast Records<\/a>, which has an artist roster featuring Billy Price, Jimmy Carpenter, Tony Campanella, Diana Rein, The Proven Ones, and Kid Andersen \u2013 and Albert Castiglia.<\/p>\n

Video link for\u00a0Mike\u00a0Zito\u00a0\u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/Bbxcj29b5Iw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u2019s new album, \u201cI Got Love,\u201d\u00a0was produced by Zito\u00a0and features Justine Tompkins (bass and vocals), Ephraim Lowell (drums and vocals), Lewis Stephens (Hammond B3 organ and piano) and Castiglia (guitar and vocals).<\/p>\n

It showcases 11 intense, blues-drenched tracks and is a personal and powerful statement from Castiglia.<\/p>\n

According to Castiglia, \u201cThe album is a musical essay documenting the last two years of my life — two years of many highs and lows. It\u2019s about falling, failing, adapting, reinventing, surviving and becoming triumphant.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe blues and blues-infused music is rooted in truth. This album is my truth. To ignore the events of the past two years (the COVID era) and write about anything else would not be my truth. I went through it all – loss, depression, illness, fear of the unknown.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know I couldn\u2019t have been the only one that went through it. This collection of songs is for those who felt like I did. It\u2019s for those who went down fighting and those who keep on fighting. For many of us in my profession and in the gig economy, this was our great depression. Some of us are doing well and some of us are still trying to find solid ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI Got Love\u201d officially dropped on March 25.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded \u2018I Got Love\u2019 at Dockside Studio in Maurice, Louisiana,\u201d said Castiglia, who lives in Fort Lauderdale Florida.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful studio in the middle of a bayou. It has a mix of digital and analog equipment including a 48-track Neve board. We recorded it back in November and it just came out this month.<\/p>\n

\u201cI only get to play seven or eight songs in my set. I\u2019ll try to do at least two or three new ones. I also have to play older ones because people want to hear my \u2018standards.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u2019s two previous albums were \u201cMasterpiece\u201d in 2019 and \u201cWild and Free\u201d in 2020. Castiglia was the 2020 BMA winner for Blues Rock Album of the Year with \u201cMasterpiece.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen \u2018Masterpiece\u2019 came out, we toured pretty heavily that year,\u201d said Castiglia. \u201cWe did a winter tour in early 2020. We were in Switzerland and there were rumblings of a pandemic in the states.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got home and did shows in Atlanta and Tallahassee. We were on our way up to Delaware for a show in St. George\u2019s when the owner called and said \u2013 hold on. He called again and said that the state had shut down. So, we turned around and headed home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put out \u2018Wild and Free\u2019 in 2020. COVID was part of the inspiration. There were no real rules where we lived \u2013 in Florida. We just had to adapt to what was happening. I did gigs and then got heat from the other side.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor musicians, the pandemic was a time of depression. We lost all those gigs and had to find a way to make up for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur drummer is a handyman, so he found work. So did our bass player, who is an office worker. I improvised — teaching lessons by Zoom and doing virtual shows. It was a tough couple years but we found a way to get through it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Castiglia was born on August 12, 1969 when the planets were getting in cosmic alignment to welcome the hundreds of thousands of music fans who had already begun their journey to New York State to attend \u201cWoodstock Music & Art Fair: An Aquarian Exposition.\u201d<\/p>\n

A lot of blues acts performed live during those three historic days including the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Johnny Winter, Keef Hartley Band, and Canned Heat along with blues-influenced rock bands such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Mountain, Ten Years After and Blood, Sweat & Tears.<\/p>\n

Castiglia, who is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, got involved in the blues two decades after Woodstock.<\/p>\n

\u201cEric Clapton got me into the blues in the beginning,\u201d said Castiglia. \u201cI listened to a lot of blues on record. I was fascinated but these were blues songs that were covers. I wanted to find the versions that were the originals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I bought Muddy Waters\u2019 \u2018Hard Again.\u2019 That was the record that really changed it. I was hearing Muddy for the first time on cassette. To me, the songs are what matter \u2014 even without production. Music is still really powerful. It\u2019s all about the song and the message.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s because of the old stuff that I\u2019m doing this now. The great thing about the blues is that you never stop learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Castiglia joined the Miami Blues Authority in 1990 and was named the \u201cBest Blues Guitarist in Miami\u201d by the Miami New Times in 1997. Discovered singing by Junior Wells in 1996, Castiglia joined his touring band and worked as Wells\u2019 lead guitarist until the blues legend\u2019s death in 1998.<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u2019s first solo album, \u201cBurn,\u201d was self-released in 2004 and followed in 2006 by \u201cThe Bittersweet Sessions,\u201d which was also self-released. He then released four albums on BluesLeaf Records \u2014 \u201cA Stone\u2019s Throw,\u201d These Are the Days,\u201d \u201cKeepin On,\u201d and \u201cLiving the Dream.\u201d Next was a series of four LPs on Ruf Records \u2013 \u201cSolid Ground,\u201d \u201cBlues Caravan 2014,\u201d \u201cBig Dog,\u201d and \u201cUp All Night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u2019s 11th album was \u201cMasterpiece,\u201d which was released by Gulf Coast Records on May 24, 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album in Mike\u2019s studio in Nederland, Texas,\u201d said Castiglia. \u201cIt was very special to be there.<\/p>\n

\u201cMike played bass and drums and I played guitar and sang. It was mostly analog. A lot was done live with Mike on drums and me. I think it has a live feeling. The only thing we overdubbed was the bass.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was inspired by events of the previous year. I got connected with a daughter I never knew I had \u2013 a daughter and two grandkids.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Castiglia\u2019s daughter found him, she provided him with an instant family.<\/p>\n

According to Castiglia, \u201cPrior to my daughter finding me, my entire adult life felt incomplete. I never knew why I felt that way. I could never put my finger on it. Then when I discovered my daughter, my heart was suddenly overflowing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy daughter finding me and opening up my world to an additional family, including two grandchildren, brought out the deepest material I\u2019ve ever created.\u201d<\/p>\n

Family relationships have always fueled blues lyrics and Castiglia is keeping the tradition alive.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy job as a musician is to keep the groove alive and relevant,\u201d said Castiglia. \u201cThat\u2019s why I do it. That\u2019s why my contemporaries do it. I do it because I love it. It\u2019s the reason I live and I exist. It\u2019s the reason that I play this music for a living.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Albert Castiglia — https:\/\/youtu.be\/dV58R7b3WSA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cBlood Brothers Tour\u201d video — https:\/\/youtu.be\/RpN7W9yrPtg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on April 6 in Sellersville will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $29.50 and $45.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are Marc Broussard on March 31, Corinne Mammana on April 1, Karla Bonoff on April 2, Jimmy Webb on April 3 and Canned Heat on April 4.<\/p>\n

Blues will also be on the menu at Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) this weekend.<\/p>\n

On April 1, Jamey\u2019s will feature a powerful blues band from Delaware \u2013 the Jimmy Pritchard Band.<\/p>\n

On April 2, more blues music will be served up by the Erin Harpe Country Blues Duo.<\/p>\n

Every Sunday, Jamey\u2019s presents \u201cSUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH & JAM\u201d featuring the Philly Blues Kings with Maci Miller. Another weekly event at the venue is the \u201cTHURSDAY NIGHT JAZZ JAM\u201d\u00a0featuring the Dave Reiter Trio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times We\u2019re in the midst of a stretch of live concerts that will have blues music fans in the area in hog heaven (which is defined as \u201ca state of complete happiness\u201d). Over a period of two weeks, the area\u2019s concert schedule features performances by Selwyn Birchwood, Christone\u00a0\u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38921,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[11363,11472,6518,9002,9566],"class_list":["post-38925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-albert-castiglia","tag-christone-kingfish-ingram","tag-featured","tag-selwyn-birchwood","tag-tommy-castro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=38925"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38925\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38926,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38925\/revisions\/38926"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/38921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}