Should you have any question that the blues are alive and well in the 21st Century, light up Albert Castiglia's new album, Big Dog. They will be answered - Emphatically. For Big Dog, Castiglia teamed up with former Royal Southern Brotherhood guitarist Mike Zito and a rock solid rhythm section of Rob Lee, Scot Sutherland and Lewis Stephens to lay down 11 searing tracks that will make blues fans stand up and take notice.Castiglia & Co. waste no time making a statement, with a brilliant opening trio: Big Dog is the bait, gritty and energetic, complete with firey guitar work from Castiglia and Zito. Don't Let 'Em Fool Ya, drawing on a big, fat riff and the roots of the blues - lyin' and cheatin' - sets the hook. And Get Your Ass in The Van, with the band channeling the old-school slide shuffle made famous by their forefather, Elmore James, reels you in for good.
Nearly every song has a highlight worth pulling your ears further along. From the soaring leads and vocals of Drowning at The Bottom (reminiscent of Buddy Guy), to the soft, sweet sentiments of Let's Make Love In the Morning. The brilliant harmonica work of Johnny Sansone wraps it all up nicely with Where Did I Go Wrong and Where The Devil Makes His Deal, leaving you with only one question: Can we have more?
The bottom line - Get your ass in Albert Castiglia's van, pull up a chair at the table and let the Big Dog eat.
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