ALBERT CASTIGLIA

Living the Dream

albertcastiglia.com

On “The Man,” the kind of smirking anti-Wall Street screed every good bluesman is required to record these days, Castiglia sings about how gin or reefer might dull his pain. Said substances have been known to work, but so has music. “Freddie’s Boogie,” his cooking cover of the Freddie King instrumental, reveals a guy too focused on his guitar—here an instrument of joyful showboating—to fret about bank bailouts. Mostly an electric affair, Castiglia’s latest frames his fast, fluid playing and woe-is-me vocals—born of his apprenticeship with Junior Wells—with tastefully funky bass, organ and drums. He’s equally great acoustic, so should the fat cats shut off his power, he’ll keep the party going.