Saturday 7pmAlthough he took his musical apprenticeship with the legendary Junior Wells, an evening with Albert Castiglia isn't just another cruise through the blues. A consummate showman, Castiglia peppers his performances with witty repartee, offbeat and impromptu asides, original songs, and material mined from a diverse classic rock repertoire.
Albert Castiglia was born on August 12, 1969 in New York. At the age of 5, his family moved to Miami. With a Cuban mother and an Italian father, he is an example of the melting pot of culture that is Miami. He learned to play guitar at the age of 12 soon realized that the passions in his heart were expressed best by his music.
In 1990 he joined The Miami Blues Authority. After performing with the group as lead guitarist and vocalist for more than 7 years, Albert won the award for �Best Local Blues Guitarist for 1997� by the Miami New Times Magazine and soon after, decided to pursue his lifelong dream of �hitting the road� as a blues performer.
Albert got an audition with international and Chicago blues great Junior Wells, and so impressed Wells with his playing and vocal style, that he was asked to join the band playing both guitar and lead vocals. With Junior and his band, Albert performed in major Chicago clubs as well as clubs and blues festivals all over the US, Canada and Europe winning rave reviews for his performances along the way. As well as playing with Junior, Albert has performed and jammed with important blues artists and bands such as Sandra Hall, Pinetop Perkins, Aaron Burton, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Sugar Blue, Melvin Taylor, Ronnie Earl, Billie Boy Arnold, Phil Guy, John Primer, Lurrie Bell, Jerry Portnoy, Larry McCray, Lee Oskar, Michael Coleman, J.W. Williams, Little Mack Simmons, Eddy Clearwater, Jimmy Burns, Otis Clay and Sandra Hall.
In 2001, Albert decided to work on his own material and began writing and working in a recording studio. He returned to his hometown of Coral Gables, Florida. Using his exceptional writing skills and some collaboration with Graham Drout, from the Miami-based IKO-IKO, Albert
finished his own debut CD entitled �Burn. �
Castiglia continues to show off his growth as a guitarist on his follow-up CD �A Stone�s Throw� on Blues Leaf Records. To quote Art Tipaldi in Blues Review April/May 2006 issue �His partnership with Miami Songwriter Graham Drout continues: In Castiglia�s hands, Drout�s song �Big Toe� and �Ghosts of the Mississippi� become emotionally resonant pieces of cultural history. �Ghost of the Mississippi� could be the blues song of the year: As Castiglia sings about the place where �southern crosses the Dog/Where the ghosts of Mississippi meet the
Gods of Africa,� his acoustic slide evokes life in the hot, back breaking Delta.
Castiglia�s own originals, �Hurricane Blues,� �Speed On� and Someone Else�s Problem,� show off his bluesrock side.
A Stone�s Throw confirms that Castiglia is among the next generation of hot, young blues-committed guitarist.�
Albert Castiglia's Website
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