Multiple CD Reviews - Keepin On - Albert Castiglia
Blues Underground Network
Albert Castiglia "Keepin On"
For those of us who know Albert Castiglia, there is no doubt in our minds that he is a great guitarist. In fact he has been a great guitarist for quite a while now, something that ZZ Top and Elvin Bishop know all to well, with him being the opening act for the legendary group and artist. But over the years something else has been developing that Castiglia is now becoming great at, and that is songwriting, which is now more evident than ever on his new release, "Keepin On".
In true Albert Castiglia fashion, he hits us fast with his guitar right off the opening gate with a hard driven blues song written by Mack Rice, titled "Cadillac Assembly Line" and also in true Albert Castiglia fashion the guitar is what rules throughout "Keepin On", even with the acoustic gem, "Sweet Southern Angel" one of his Originals.
"Keepin On" consists of 12 Tracks and as with his 2008 CD, "These are the Days", 5 of them are Originals and mighty good originals they are, laced with meaningful lyrics and drenched with the magic of his guitar. Of the 7 Covers that are on "Keepin On", I don't think Albert Castiglia could of made any better choices, as all fit just perfectly to his style, especially "Till I Fell In Love With You" a Dylan Classic and "Goin' Upstairs" a Hooker Classic, to name a few. All the Covers were respectfully interpreted to perfection and would certainly make the Originators of those Covers proud.
Making the right choices for the Covers wasn't the only thing though that Castiglia managed to pull off, he also managed to choose the right guest musicians, as well, to help him create the magic that is "Keepin On". The wonderful Artists on "Keepin On" included Toby Walker (Dobro), Bill Quinn (Keyboards), Nicole Hart (Singer), Emedin Rivera (Percussion). Those along with his Bass Player and Drummer, AJ Kelly and Bob Amsel.
The nice thing I like about really good Albums is when they try to make the sound more real and Castiglia certainly achieves that with "Keepin On", as most of it was recorded live with very few over dubs. This gives the listener a good idea of what to expect when Castiglia is seen playing in person. The other nice thing I like about some Albums, is the Artists ability to give the music a jam type, spontaneous feel, Castiglia is great at that throughout "Keepin On", especially with his songs Keep On Keepin' On" and monster closing track called "Closing Time".
Concerning Albert Castiglia, distant rumbling has already been heard that he is slowly, but surely, heading towards Legendary status. "Keepin On", is just another confirmation that those rumblings are getting louder.
Albert Castiglia did not make choosing favorites very easy on "Keepin On", as all songs are purely excellent in their own right, but if I must choose, I would have to pick "Closing Time" and "Sweet Southern Angel".
"Keepin On" gets my Highest Recommendation 5*****, and is a must have Album, not only for fans of Albert Castiglia, but for all fans of great Guitar Driven Blues...
Review By John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)
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Thursday, August 19, 2010
Albert Castiglia "Keepin On"
Albert Castiglia is a great guitarist and singer, but that's not the best thing about this new cd "Keepin On," out August 10 on Blues Leaf Records. The best thing is that Albert keeps getting better. I listened to Castiglia's work from "Burn" (2002) to "A Stone's Throw" (2006) to "These Are The Days" (2008) and now this new cd "Keepin On" (2010) and the growth is remarkable. Albert's guitar playing is hotter, better, cleaner and his singing stronger, more emotive than ever before. Albert and his band, bassist AJ Kelly and drummer Bob Amsel, kick things off with the Sir Mack Rice-penned "Cadillac Assembly Line." Check out the first time Albert did this song, on "Burn" and compare that take with this one. Albert did a good job of covering Albert King on the 2002 cd, and this time out he completely knocks it out of the park. Next Castiglia repeats another theme--the state of the economy is the subject of "Keep on Keepin' On," which recalls his Blues Song of the Year 2009 nominee "Bad Year Blues." Castiglia's guitar testifies to the difficulty of hard times, and the result is exhilarating. Next up are a pair of originals, "Mojo 305," an instrumental which showcases the talents of this three-piece band, and "Keep On Keeping On," which features a great Credence Clearwater Revival-style guitar melody broken up by one of Albert's finest solos yet. That is followed by a cover of T-Bone Walker's "My Baby Is Now On My Mind," which in less than 4 minutes amply shows the genius of both T-Bone and Albert's guitar work, which is followed by a cover of Peter Green's "Could Not Ask for More," with guests Bill "Mighty" Quinn on piano and an uncredited Sandy Mack on harmonica.
Then comes a wonderful break--Albert on acoustic guitar with Toby Walker on dobro for "Sweet Southern Angel," a Castiglia original, followed by a standout cover of Robert Nighthawk's classic "Murderin' Blues." This is the direction I'd love to see Albert explore further--I already know he is one of the very top electric guitar players out there, but his guitar touch and his fine sense of dynamics, along with his remarkable voice, have both improved so much since 2002 that I think he could do a GREAT acoustic cd. Maybe someday?
The rest of the disc includes a John Lee Hooker cover "Goin' Upstairs," with Quinn on the Hammond B3, and concludes with two more Castiglia originals, "Gettin By" and "Closing Time," which each turn the heat up again with some great electric guitar work. These two songs are not just coda to all that has gone on before--they illustrate how Albert Castiglia is clearly on top of his game. He closes things down with 12 minutes of great guitar work on these 2 songs, 12 minutes of music that CUT everything that Eric Clapton, for example, has done over the past 4-5 years. It reminds me of the way Stevie Ray Vaughan would just spin out these great melodies and riffs like it was easy for him. Albert is terrific and this is a great cd.
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