As its title suggests,
Tommy Castro's seventh album is a note of thanks to the artists who inspired the West Coast guitarist/vocalist. While rocking R&B and blues greats like
B.B. and
Albert King,
Chuck Berry and
Buddy Guy are obvious choices,
Castro digs deep into their catalogs. He covers
B.B. King's "Bad Case of Love,"
Albert King's "Everybody Want to Go to Heaven,"
Berry's "Tulane," and
Guy's version of
Willie Dixon's "When My Left Eye Jumps." More interesting, though, are
Castro's '60s soul roots which he acknowledges in versions of songs made popular by
Wilson Pickett (a powerful "I Found a Love"),
Sam & Dave (
Curtis Salgado joins in on a duet of "I Take What I Want"),
Otis Redding (a thumping "Lovey Dovey" with
Sista Monica Parker taking the
Carla Thomas part) and
James Brown (a swinging "I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On," which is a departure from
Brown's usual funky work). Less successful are
Castro's takes on
Howlin' Wolf's "44" where his direct approach loses the original's voodoo marching vibe.
John Lee Hooker's "Serve You Right to Suffer" sounds more like the
J. Geils Band's cover than
Hooker's spooky approach, with an ill-advised rocking middle section that misses the song's intent. Much better is
Castro's succinct, sharp cover of
Muddy Waters' "I Wants to Be Loved" where he toughens up the attack but maintains the tune's defiant drive. Pianist
John Turk helps fatten the sound, keeping it raw with his work on the album's slow blues workouts such as
Guy's "...Left Eye" and
Ray Charles' "Come Back Baby."
Castro is loose and tough, with his gritty voice and thick, clean guitar lines sounding confident and assertive. More than just a holding pattern until he writes new tunes,
Gratitude is not only an enjoyable peek inside
Tommy Castro's influences but a fascinating compilation of generally underexposed material from blues, soul and R&B greats. ~ Hal Horowitz