Tommy Castro: Sitting on Top of the (Blues) World

I first heard of Tommy Castro during my trade show career, when an exhibitor from California by way of Chicago decided I needed to expand my musical knowledge, and started bringing me cassettes of the newer blues artists. Castro's wry sense of humor and exceptional guitar stood out immediately, his playing fluctuating between sizzling blues riffs and extended Jimi Hendrix style psychedelic solos.

My next Tommy Castro experience was 2009's "Hard Believer", a meticulously crafted mix of hard driving instrumentation and Castro's own philosophical reflections on love, money and everything in between. For a month, I kept playing "Monkey's Paradise" over and over, managing to do my usual massacre of the lyrics, belting out -"phone keeps ringing " - "standing in the checkout line" - "really should quit but it AIN'T that simple!!!" - as I paced through my cold, empty house, convinced I knew exactly where he was coming from. You can envision Castro chuckling into the microphone through the ironic refrain of his anthem " Trimmin Fat" celebrating the 10% unemployment rate , which chronicles the pratfalls of today's economy as the singer is bumped from a live music gig by the bar owner in favor of karaoke, comes up short trying to buy the basics at the local grocery store, and ends up losing his day job when the factory moves to China, constantly repeating: "Everybody's - trimmin' fat". "Definition of Insanity", "Back Up Plan", and the Wilson Pickett (by way of Creedence Clearwater) standard "Ninety-Nine and One Half" all deal with good/bad love, while "It is What It Is" and "Hard Believer" reveal Castro's more vulnerable side with a bit of introspection.

Fast forward to 2011, and the latest Castro CD - "Tommy Castro Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue". Not only is it entirely live (The tour stopped at the Narrows in Fall River last summer) but it showcases some of Castro's best guitar work, especially "Gotta Serve Somebody" and "Serves Me Right To Suffer" - AND - pays homage to a solid line up of artists like the legendary Joe Louis Walker ("It's A Shame") or breakout vocalist Janviva Magness ("Think") or the incredible guitar work of Michael "Iron Man" Burks ("Voodoo Spell"). Debbie Davies contributes "All I Found", while Sister Monica Parker leaves the audience breathless with her compelling rendition of "Never Say Never", and the other artists include Rick Estrin ("My Next Ex Wife"), Trampled Under Foot, and Theodis Easley. I respect artists like Castro and Bonnie Raitt who pay homage to the original performers that made their careers possible (In Raitt's case, Sippie Wallace and Mississippi Fred McDowell) not just because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but also acknowledging their timeless talents. If you want to rock around your Christmas tree, "Legendary" is an easy pick for a stocking stuffer (Find it at Alligator Records).

Tommy Castro is doing his part to keep R & B alive and kicking. I'm just waiting to see what's next.

Check out "Blues With A Feeling" Tuesdays from 8:00 - 10:00 PM on WQRI, 88.3 FM.