By Phillip Smith
If one thing can be said
about Tommy Castro, it’s that he knows how to put on a show. So well in fact that he is the honorary
captain of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruises. This album features some of the highlights from
The Revue’s recent live performances.
The Revue consists of Tommy Castro, his band, complete with horn
section, and a number of musical guests.
Magic is in the air as Castro
totally reinvents Bob Dylan’s ‘Gotta Serve Somebody’. Possibly one of the hottest tracks on the
whole album, it’s as if Stevie Wonder himself took the song, baptized it in a
lake of funk, and handed it back.
Rick Estrin, who has recently
taken over for Little Charlie as front man for the Nightcats, dishes out some
smoking’ harp licks on ‘My Next Ex-Wife’.
Estrin, not the only Nightcat in on this one, is joined on this one by
his guitarist Chris ‘Kid’ Anderson, who adds some pretty hot licks to the song
as well.
If I were to continue name
dropping, I might ask what Michael Burks, Joe Louis Walker, Trampled Under Foot, and Janiva Magness all
have in common. The answer would be that
they all contribute smoking hot numbers on this album as well.
This CD is definitely a jewel
for those who dig their compilation albums.
Because Castro’s band is backing each track, the listener gets a really
good mix of music, but with a common thread providing a fluid connection. Of course, this one comes highly
recommended.
