Albert Castiglia - Being a musician is the greatest job in the world.
Albert Castiglia talks about a music man’s journey, his love and passion for guitar, the real struggles of being a musician; and his overall attitude that being a musician is the greatest job in the world. His current band features Albert on Guitar & Vocals, Justine Tompkins on Bass & Vocals and Ephraim Lowell on Drums.
Vizions of Rock: How did the band come together and how long have you been together?
ALBERT CASTIGLIA: I’ve had my own band since 2002. My current lineup has been together for the last year. My previous bass player, Jimmy Pritchard had to move back home for family reasons and Justine was my first call to replace him. My previous drummer, Brian Menendez just got married around the time of Jimmy’s departure and wasn’t into touring anymore. Ephraim had heard I was looking to fill the drumming position and reached out to me. I was familiar with his work with Roomful Of Blues and hired him right away.
Vizions of Rock: When I listen to you, I hear a mix of a lot of styles; how would you describe your sound?
ALBERT CASTIGLIA: I feel my style is a mix of old school and new school blues with a rock and roll edge.
Vizions of Rock: What inspired you to record “Wild & Free” as a live album?
ALBERT CASTIGLIA: Around October 2019, I approached my label chief and producer Mike Zito and asked him what our plans were for next year in terms of recording. He told me we could do a studio album the following Fall or record a live album the first week of January 2020 with a release date in April 2020. My fans had been wanting me to do a live album for years and the time couldn’t have been better to do it. Although “Wild And Free” was released during the pandemic, there would’ve been no album at all had I decided to do a studio album.
Vizions of Rock: What is the creative process when you sit down to write a song?
ALBERT CASTIGLIA: There’s no set formula for me. Sometimes the words come first, sometimes it’s the music. I might write some lyrics, let them sit for a few weeks and then find a hook and chord progression that works. It just happens how it happens.
Vizions of Rock: Your album “Masterpiece” was a deeply personal album. Is it more therapeutic delving so deep into your psyche to create your art or nerve racking when you know something so personal will be released to the public?
ALBERT CASTIGLIA: I find it therapeutic, but I think it’s important to share glimpses of your life through your art. It’s a part of connecting with the listener. It’s essential. The blues is life and my life is the only one I can write and sing about.
Vizions of Rock: As a follow up - Is there a message that you are trying to communicate with your albums?
ALBERT CASTIGLIA: I’m just trying to entertain and inspire. It’s that simple. It’s the same thing I’m trying to do with my live performances.
Vizions of Rock: You spent your early years in Florida and then moved to Chicago. How did the music scene in Miami differ from the music scene in Chicago?
ALBERT CASTIGLIA: There are a few differences, but they were both equally important to me. The blues scene in Miami was really happening in the 80’s and 90’s. There were lots of great bands and players that I learned from. Iko Iko, Papa Joe, Piano Bob, Lynne Noble, Little Nicky And The Slicks, Pat DeLeon, Good Rockin’ Johnny And The Wiseguys, Joey Gilmore. These bands carried themselves in a very professional manor, set an example for me and prepared me for the next level, which was moving to Chicago and going on the road with Junior Wells.
Chicago was like graduate school for me. My heroes lived there. Buddy and Phil Guy, Otis Rush, Koko Taylor, Dave Myers, Lurrie Bell, Lonnie Brooks, Lil Ed, Joanna Connor, Magic Slim, John Primer, Eddy Clearwater, Carl Weathersby, Billy Branch, Ronnie Baker Brooks, those were the ones that I knew about. When I moved there, I discovered a bunch of young guns and lesser known elders that absolutely blew my mind. Jimmy Burns, Johnny Dollar, Nellie Travis, Sammy Fender, Walter & Howard Scott, Carlos Johnson, Lindsey Alexander, Charlie Love, Melvin Taylor, J.W Williams, Pistol Pete, Michael Coleman, Little Mack Simmons, Chico Banks, Rico Mcfarland, Mike Wheeler. The younger guys were doing a modern take on the blues that I’d never heard before. The younger players on the Chicago scene made as much of an impact on me as the old school players. I was blessed to have been a part of both scenes. They helped shape me into the musician that I am today.
Vizions of Rock: How do you think the music industry has changed over the last 25 years and is there anything that you wish you could change about it?
ALBERT CASTIGLIA: The digital age has certainly changed the game. I’m not selling as many cds as I used to. It’s put a bit of a strain on musicians who rely on the merchandise to help get through tours. I don’t know what we can do to change it, but we just have to adapt until we figure it out. I’ve adapted and luckily been able to earn a solid living.
Vizions of Rock: Do have any advice for up and coming musicians who want to follow in your footstep, aside from “Stay in school” and “Don’t quit your day job”?
ALBERT CASTIGLIA: LMAO You would think I’d suggest staying in school or not quitting a day job but that’s not the case. I think being a musician is the greatest job in the world. If you love it enough and work hard at it, you will succeed. I strongly believe that. I wasn’t the best player in high school, far from it. But the love and passion I had for guitar and music was so intense, that’s all I saw myself doing. What I lacked in talent those early years, I made up for in hard work. I played and played. I went to every jam and took every gig I could. I played through college, through day jobs. I felt that the more gigs I took, the better the odds to make a living at it. I’ve been doing this for thirty years and it’s been a slow and steady climb to where I am now. I wouldn’t trade my path for anyone else’s. With that said, it’s a hard life. Not a lot of money sometimes, the business is absolutely brutal, shitty record labels, backstabbing musicians that smile in your face and wish for your demise behind your back, shifty talent buyers. It’s an endless chain of pitfalls. However, the music, the fans, the talent buyers that give a damn, the peers that lift you up and don’t bring you down, the record labels that play fair, the memories that you accrue and the ability to support your family and contribute to society as a result of this life is what makes it the best job I ever had. If you keep your eye on the prize and don’t let the obstacles get you down, you can do it!
Vizions of Rock: Who are your influences?
ALBERT CASTIGLIA: Everything that ever made the hair on my arms stand. Everything that ever gave me goosebumps, pieces of music, bands, songwriters, genres. Of course, blues and rock & roll are my primary sources of inspiration but there’s so much great music being created in other genres that move and influence me.
Vizions of Rock: What is on the horizon for the future?
ALBERT CASTIGLIA: Surviving this pandemic and getting back out on the road.
Vizions of Rock: How can we find you music?
ALBERT CASTIGLIA: www.albertcastiglia.net
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