February 2006

During the second half of the ’90s, Tommy Castro helped develop today’s contemporary blues. He grew up in San Jose and became enthralled with the blues after realizing it influenced Eric Clapton and Mike Bloomfield. Castro sings charismatically, plays wailing guitar, and writes forceful rock ‘n’ soul numbers. Randy McDonald (bass), Keith Crossan (sax), and Tommy have been performing and recording together for 14 years. Chris Sandoval (drums) is the newest band member.

Like Blind Pig’s other recent live DVDs, Whole Lotta' Soul was also recorded at the Sierra Nevada Brewery “Big Room” in Chico, California in 2005. The 350-seat venue is where the PBS TV series Sierra Center Stage is recorded, has excellent acoustics, and has been called one of the best live music spaces on the West Coast. This professionally produced DVD was filmed in wide-screen, and features camera angles from seven different operators. Of course, Castro appears dressed in black and plays his well-worn Stratocaster. Although he is constantly smiling, he doesn’t possess a spellbinding stage presence. In between songs, there isn’t much interaction with the crowd. Castro communicates via his powered music, which keeps the dance floor packed.

The riveting 11-song set includes nine songs from Soul Shaker (which spent 19 weeks on the Billboard blues chart), Castro’s most recent and best Blind Pig CD. The only songs that do not appear on Soul Shaker are "You Only Go Around Once" and "Texas Flower." The latter, which sounds like it came from an Elvis Presley movie soundtrack, appeared on McDonald’s solo CD and is the only track not written by Castro. The song exhibits rocking piano and guitar solos, as well as the very intense and animated McDonald.

Interviews with Castro and his band add 16 minutes to the hour long concert. Kevin Bowe adds guitar to several numbers, while sultry red-headed Renee Austin provides jostled backing vocals on "Let’s Give Love A Try." Tom Poole’s assertive trumpet and Jimmy Pugh’s bold organ can be heard on practically every Castro CD. These choice musicians guest on many songs here – including the lovely "Anytime Soon," which contains hopes and dreams for a better world. Shivers will run down your spine when you hear the lyrics. "The Next Right Thing" is sleek, chic, and loaded with funk. It features a great arrangement that travels from mellow to heavy. During "Take Me Off The Road," Castro is self-reflecting and soul-searching, while McDonald launches into a wild trucker’s CB radio rap. "What You Gonna’ Do Now?" is thought-provoking and expresses questions which many of us cannot or will not address. At times, Crossan blows his sax as deep as a Great Lakes freight ship’s horn. Throughout, he injects a rock ‘n’ roll feel ala the Silver Bullet Band.

Castro is a real inimitable string-bender. As proof, just watch and listen to "No One Left To Lie To." Time and time again, the ghost of Otis Redding can be heard in Castro’s vocals that moan, shout, scream, and hum. In a different era, Castro would have been the ruler of FM radio. For the present, he is without a doubt, the king of rock ‘n’ soul.

--- Tim Holek