Blues Revue - June Issue
Tommy Castro: Whole Lotta Soul
Blind Pig

"We've been playing together for 14 years," bassist Randy McDonald says in one of the two interview segments that supplement this 80-minute concert at Chico, California's Sierra Nevada Brewery.

And it's that time-established groove, more than Tommy Castro's generically soulful vocals, that accounts for the success of this energized live performance. Cunningly crafted songs don't hurt, either:

McDonald's "Texas Flower" displays the sassy, Delbert-like soul-meets-country hybrid that's Castro's band's forte, while Castro and Bowe's "No One Left To Lie To" is a refreshing twist on slow blues. And when Renee Austin comes out to harmonize on a passionate "Let's Give Love A Try" - a while after this performance, she faced surgery that essentially ended her singing career - you're left with a bittersweet feeling that goes right along with the DVD's love-gone-wrong ambiance.

- Scott Stuart