Wild And Free
Gulf Coast, 2020
9/10
Recorded live at The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton, Florida, Albert Castiglia is in great company here as Mike Zito, John Ginty and Lewis Stephens contribute to the gritty, guitar fueled, blues performance.
“Big Dog” starts the set with soaring guitar work from Castiglia in the energetic blues setting as organs punctuate the mood, and “Hoodoo On Me” continues the energy with strong riffage and thick rhythm in the memorable atmosphere.
At 11 tunes, Castiglia keeps the landscape consistent with the roaring quality and acrobatic keys of the anthemic “Get Your Ass In The Van”, as well as the more restrained “Searching The Desert For The Blues”, where a soulful quality enters the firm blues template.
Deeper into the performance, “Loving Cup” contains some of the best guitar solos as the emotive delivery from Castiglia makes this one of the best tracks present, and “Boogie Funk” certainly adds some funk prowess to the rock’n’roll spirit that permeates the entire listen.
Castiglia’s had an impressive career that began working alongside Junior Wells and Sandra Hall. Now 9 solos album deep, the virtuoso is seeing more praise than ever, and if you listen to this exceptional display of his unparalleled blues skill, you’ll see why.
Travels well with: Mike Zito & Friends- Rock’n’Roll: A Tribute To Chuck Berry; Billy Price- Dog Eat Dog