June 1999

Right As Rain

Tommy Castro can do no wrong. He's the King Midas of blues-to-pop crossover; his golden touch seems unerringly on target. Small wonder that Castro is quickly becoming a true star of the American blues-guitar scene. From his permanent spot as HBO Productions' house band for Comedy Showcase to his smoking performances at blues festivals nationwide, Castro is developing a huge following of listeners who may not otherwise be blues fans.

Coming on the heels of his smash Can't Keep A Good Man Down, this batch of 12 danceable party blues cuts with fun, upbeat arrangements is an obvious segue for Castro. He seems to be moving more and more toward R&B and soul; the tight horn-section blasts and his trademark vocal growl recall the sounds of Sam and Dave.

Castro, sax man Keith Crossan, bassist Randy McDonald and drummer Billy Lee Lewis are already a formidable group, but the heavyweight guests here push the pedal even further. Delbert McClinton's vocals on the Cropper/Isbell classic "Don't Turn Your Heater Down" are a major dose of cool, as is Dr. John's organ work. On much of the other material, Jimmy Pugh (Robert Cray's organ player and likely the best keyboard stylist on the West Coast) and trumpeter Tom Poole lend their talents.

Castro takes center stage. His guitar work is becoming almost dangerous -- each solo is a mini-symphony, never overdone or raucous, and born from pure inspiration. By being a master of understatment, Castro actually achieves the opposite: He burns his guitar style into the listener's consciousness like a laser beam.

But it's all about the songs, and Right As Rain is as complete a set of great ones as you'll find. It opens with the Castro-penned "Lucky In Love", a midtempo rocker with great female backup vocals and Crossan's saucy sax fills that fall somewhere between ZZ Top and The Black Crows. "Like An Angel" is a soul-strutter featuring Crossan's stabbing sax lines and Pugh's lush organ fills. "Just Like A Man" is another gem; it's belly-rubbin' Stax sound could put goose flesh on a dead man. Recorded in San Francisco and in Nashville by producer Jim Gaines, this is audiophile-quality, perfectly mixed sound.

When people seek out Tommy Castro's music, they may start to pay attention to today's other hardworking blues artists, too. Castro's a perfect spokeman for America's greatest musical legacy, and Right As Rain proves that he richly deserves his success.

Ed Ivey