Wild and Free
Albert Castiglia Band
Label: Gulf Coast Records
Release Date: April 3, 2020
Boomerocity has been a big fan of Albert Castiglia and his band for several years now. To watch him/them perform – as I did in a small club in Maryville, Tennessee, a few years ago was an exceptional treat. Equally exceptional treats are whenever he and the band put out a new album.
Now is such a time.
Albert has a new disc, Wild and Free, and it’s live, to boot. It was recorded in Boca Raton, Florida, at The Funky Biscuit. The album captures the energy and guitar mastery that I witnessed Castiglia share those years ago in Maryville . . . except this time he’s with special guests Mike Zito, John Ginty, and Lewis Stephens. Clearly, this is THE live album Albert Castiglia fans have been waiting for!
If you love the blues and, for some strange reason have never heard of Castiglia, then Wild and Free has everything blues fans are looking for: great songs...guitar virtuosity...and the raw power and emotion behind Castiglia's live performances.
The album grabs you by the throat from the first cut (Big Dog) and shakes you by it through each of the eleven songs on the disc (ending with Boogie Funk). And grabbing is what you should do with this disc: Grab it by ordering it on this page.
Oh, for those of you uninitiated on Albert Castigilia, here’s a bit of background on him:
Miami-raised musician served an apprenticeship while backing legendary blues musician, Junior Wells. He later went on to work with singer Sandra Hall. Never content to allow himself to be confined to any particular category, Castiglia embarked on a solo career that's yielded nine critically acclaimed albums and constant kudos for his exceptional instrumental prowess, searing vocals, and live performances that have dazzled audiences from coast to coast. It's little wonder that Miami's New Times lauded Albert as South Florida's "Best Blues Guitarist" or that USA Today was inspired to remark, it's a revelation to discover the thrilling retro electric-blues from this astonishing young guitarist."
Bluesabout.com called Castiglia, "one of those mid-tier artists that is just one album away from breaking big and becoming a household word in the blues world." M Music & Musicians notes, "Castiglia's back-to-basics approach follows in the footsteps of those who fostered the blues in the Mississippi Delta and the smoky late-night haunts of Chicago."
After the highly successful and critically acclaimed release of 2019's Masterpiece on Gulf Coast Records, Castiglia was nominated for two 2020 Blues Music Awards in the categories of "Blues Rock Album Of The Year" and "Blues Rock Artist."
Wild and Free is a must-have blues album for your personal listening library. You can order it by clicking on the widget on the right or at AlbertCastiglia.net
