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7 October 2009
Sean Costello Remembered
Sean' Blues is a 20-track memorial retrospective collection saluting the late
blues guitarist and singer, Sean Costello. Culled from his three commercial
album releases from 1996 through 2001, as well as previously unreleased
tracks including three live songs, Sean's Blues captures the essence of what
made Sean Costello such a rising star in the blues world until his tragic death
in April, 2008, one day before his 29th birthday.
A portion of the royalties from the sale of the album will benefit the Sean Costello
Memorial Fund for Bi-Polar Research.
The album’s liner notes include personal remembrances from Landslide Records
President Michael Rothschild. The CD package also contains several previously
unpublished Sean Costello photos.
Sean Costello was already a blues guitar prodigy when, at age 15, he won the
1994 Blues Talent Contest sponsored by the Memphis Beale Street Blues Society
and later competed in the National Blues Talent Competition, which also featured
Susan Tedeschi. The two met up again in 1997 and began doing shows together
– first out of Boston and later Atlanta. Costello played lead guitar on Tedeschi’s
best selling CD, Just Won't Burn, while she participated in 1998 sessions with his
band, two tracks of which are represented on Sean's Blues.
Sean Costello released his first album, Call the Cops, in 1996, from which three
tracks were selected for the new compilation. They showcase an already mature
blues player of uncommon sensibility and nuance well beyond his years, with an
obvious command of blues, soul and R&B.
Top Contender
Throughout the 20 tracks on Sean's Blues, Costello is backed by his hand-picked
band that was clearly in precise sync with what he wanted to achieve, both in
the studio and in live situations. A telling example of that are the three live
tracks, recorded in Chicago, Illinois and Marquette, Michigan, which show a band
in perfect lockstep with its leader. Costello’s performances on these tracks are
astonishing, especially his transcendent guitar solo on "Motor Head Baby."
In 2002, Blues Revue published a cover story on Sean Costello, calling him "the
top contender to be the next blues star… and soon." Sean Costello was still
headed on that path when he was tragically taken away from his family, friends
and fans at such a young age.
By age 11 Sean had mastered the blues-rock sounds of Jimi Hendrix and Led
Zeppelin. At 12, he picked up a Howlin’ Wolf record at a local bargain bin, and it
changed his life. "It was the hippest thing I’d ever heard," he said. "His guitar
player, Hubert Sumlin, was a revelation." Soon after, Sean developed a friendship
with Atlanta bluesman Felix Reyes, who let him sit in regularly with his popular
band, Felix And The Cats. Among the Cats was future band mate and lifelong
collaborator, Paul Linden, whose exceptional contribution to Sean’s music is well
represented on Sean's Blues.
The album Cuttin' In garnered a W.C. Handy Award nomination for Best New
Artist Debut. From the beginning Sean’s delivery was natural and pure, without
sounding forced or copycat. He knew the traditional licks and vocal intentions for
sure, but he added his own nuances, riffs, and asides that made his sound
catchy, distinctive and recognizable.
Captivating, Astounding
During this period Sean’s quintet - Linden, Prather, keyboardist Matt Wauchope,
and bassist Melvin Zachary - made for an accomplished and powerful blues
aggregation. We are pleased to present a mini live set of this historic band
reeling off spot on renditions from major influences--Otis Rush, J.B. Lenoir, and
Johnny "Guitar" Watson. Sean’s take on "Motor Head Baby" is a testament to his
natural feel for authenticity, coupled with an extensive and absolutely chilling
guitar solo.
Linden agrees, and says, "Sean was a captivating vocalist and an astounding
instrumentalist. That solo is a great example of the way he crafted his work with
such care, energy and artistic integrity."
With 2001’s Moanin' for Molasses, also on Landslide, Sean had already shared
stages with the likes of B.B. King, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Pinetop Perkins, and
Bo Diddley. In 2002 Sean cut several tracks with Bakos that incorporated the
work of favorite soul bluesmen like Johnnie Taylor, Robert Ward, and Fenton
Robinson.
"Your Love Is Amazing" and "You Don’t Know What Love Is" are from those
sessions, as are the original versions of "Feel Like I Ain’t Got A Home" and "She
Changed My Mind," both of which represent Sean’s ongoing development and
were re-recorded with different arrangements for subsequent albums.
A self-titled CD, produced in New York with Steve Rosenthal, was picked up by
Tone Cool/Artemis Records in 2004. Sean remained a stalwart on the U.S. blues
highway and built a following in Europe while he and his band occasionally
worked with, among others, long time idol Hubert Sumlin, Levon Helm, and
rhythm and blues shouter Nappy Brown. He made more new fans through the
release of his final CD, We Can Get Togehter, for Delta Groove Records in 2008.
Link: Sean Costello Fund
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