Apparently things aren't that bad on the business side of the blues world: Only a minute or two into a telephone interview earlier this month while running errands near his Bay Area home, guitarist-singer Tommy Castro could be heard hitting his horn, which he quickly explained: "I just honked at Carlos Santana ---- he was driving down the hill in his Maserati."
Being firmly ensconced in the blues world, Castro has nowhere near the name recognition of that rock legend, of course ---- but that they're neighbors in Marin County speaks to Castro's own ongoing success. His latest album, "Hard Believer," is out on Alligator Records ---- his first release on the preeminent indie label, which has been specializing in the blues since the early '70s.
After putting out his last two albums on Blind Pig (and four more before that earlier in his career), plus another on Telarc, Castro said he was looking for a different approach.
"I have some good friends on the label. It was time."
He said his booking agent had experience with artists on Alligator, and the agent agreed to put him in contact with Bruce Iglauer, Alligator's founder and CEO.
So far, Castro said, he's been impressed.
"It's been in the Top 5 of the blues charts, been bouncing around the top register of the blues charts since it came out ---- about seven weeks now," Castro said of his latest release. "They're on the case in all aspects of the business; they've got it pretty dialed in."
While Iglauer is known for producing most of the releases on Alligator from his Chicago headquarters, Castro said he was left alone to put the record together how he wanted.
"I told (Bruce), 'We're going to make a record, and I'd like John Porter to produce ---- he produced my last one, and it won some awards. I like working with him and he's a guy who just knows how to make good records.'
"This is a real good fit. I couldn't be happier with their performance."
While the business end of things is being handled by Alligator, Castro said he was equally pleased with his own efforts on the artistic side.
"I had a good time with this record; it felt like we were going through some new territory. If I put myself in the capable hands of Porter and this band of mine, and hopefully some good material, I felt I would come out with something good.
"I'm pretty happy with it, and I'm pretty much a guy who never thinks he's good enough. I don't think I'm a good enough player, I don't think I'm a good enough singer, I don't think I'm a good enough songwriter.
"But I can look back at this one and be happy with it."
He's back on tour, too, in support of the new record, and will be playing at the Belly Up on Saturday night, just hours after the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise concludes its 2009 run.
He said he'll disembark in San Diego and drive straight to Solana Beach for the show ---- but only after inviting the other participants of the cruise to come join him that night.
"Who knows what kind of maniacs will show up after the blues cruise docks that day?" he said.
The blues cruises have become a regular part of his touring itinerary, and a favorite on his calendar.
"It's the funnest gig ---- I can't think of a place I enjoy more than those cruises. You're in the middle of the ocean, outside on the back deck of this ship with a first-class professional soundstage, covered and everything. A proper festival setup on a really huge gigantic cruise ship.
"You might have lunch with Rick Estrin or Elvin Bishop, or whoever I run into in the buffet line. You see an old friend you never have time to talk to ---- on the ship there's hours and hours of downtime to hang out. We'll be coming off that thing, so who knows who's going to be in town that night. I'm certainly going to invite everyone who wants to play."
Tommy Castro
When: 9 p.m. Oct. 24
Where: Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach
Tickets: $17-$19
Info: 858-481-8140 or bellyup.com
Web: tommycastro.com
