So this morning I had the mp3 player on shuffle and was listening to some of the music I’ve been listening to over these last few months. Some blues came on and it took me a minute before I recognized Tommy Castro and his latest release Hard Believer.(actually I didn’t remember that I still had the album on the player) So when I went to the store I listened again to the great album! I’ve enjoyed Castro’s music since I picked up a cassette tape of his first album Exception to the Rule. Exception to the Rule and Painkiller are in my collection but I’ve listened to many of the other albums. I’ve always enjoyed his guitar work but his vocal styling may be what sets him apart from other bluesmen.
Castro was been in San Jose, California in 1955 so in his early years he was influenced, like Robben Ford was, by Eric Clapton, Elvin Bishop, Mike Bloomfield and other blues rock player. A few years later he was listening to older blues and soul artists like Muddy Waters, B.B. King,(who he has since toured with and opened for) Freddie King, Buddy Guy, Elmore James and singers like Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett and James Brown. By his late 20s he was playing in a variety of San Francisco-area blues and soul bands.
In 1991 he formed the Tommy Castro Band and The Band became one of the most popular groups in the Bay Area. In 1996 he released Exception to the Rule on Blind Pig Records and like they say the rest is history. Since then Castro has been a mainstay of the blues community. In 2008 Castro won the Blues Music Award for Entertainer Of The Year!
Hard Believer was produced by John Porter (B.B. King, Elvis Costello, Buddy Guy, Keb Mo, The Smiths, Otis Rush, Billy Bragg, Roxy Music) and recorded in Castro’s hometown of San Rafael, CA. and I am not the only person who likes this album from Castro’s website:
The results of the 2010 Living Blues Awards Readers’ Poll are in and the Best New Release Blues Album of 2009 is: Tommy Castro’s Hard Believer from Alligator Records!
Blues Blast Magazine has Tommy and THE TCB nominated in 3 catagories in their 2010 BLUES BLAST MUSIC AWARDS:
Best Contemporary Blues Recording : HARD BELIEVER
Best Blues Band : THE TOMMY CASTRO BAND
Best Male Artist : TOMMY CASTRO
The other members of the Tommy Castro Band include:
(you can read their bios. here)
KEITH CROSSAN (Sax)
RONNIE SMITH (Drums)
SCOT SUTHERLAND (Bass)
TOM POOLE (Trumpet)
I could tell you my favorite tracks but again they are all good so if you don’t know Castro’s music just check him out!
Here’s “Back up Plan” from Hard Believer