Tommy Castro & the Painkillers: Closer To The Bone Review

There are a handful of blues groups who are a lock if you’re looking for a great live show. Tommy Castro & the Painkillers is definitely one of those. He’s a much sought-after artist and has played almost every festival and major venue in North America and beyond. Castro cites Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield among his influences and the two powerhouse guitarists from the Paul Butterfield Band provide a fabulous blueprint for guitarists, like Castro, who followed.

With 10 Blues Music Awards, including the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year in 2023, his performances and records have become synonymous with listening pleasure and his latest offering “Closer To The Bone“ is no exception.

With the release of this album, Castro remarked, “It’s a blues record the way they might have made blues records back in the day.“ With it, he is able to place a modern twist on the traditional themes and, like Jimmie Vaughan, Castro proves he can be firmly ensconced in the blues whenever he chooses. He took great care in selecting the tunes that were to be included. It includes three original songs, “Can’t Catch a Break,” “Crazy Woman Blues” and “Ain’t Worth the Heartache,” and eleven covers. In an interview with Blues Rock Review Castro said, “I can listen to this whole record, and I enjoy every track on it,” and, after its release on February 7, so can every blues fan.

Castro also manages to inject a fair bit of humor into this recording, making it a fun listening experience. Famed oldtimers often insist the blues must be about women and love, and this album provides plenty of that, at a variety of tempos and moods.

The band includes master guitarist Castro, who also contributes vocals and resonator guitar, Mike Emerson on keyboards, Randy McDonald on bass and vocals along with Bowen Brown on drums, but there are also a number of guest stars helping out, most notably Chris Cain and Rick Estrin and multi-instrumentalist Christoffer “Kid” Andersen, who contributes bass, piano, rhythm guitar, organ and upright bass as well as serving as producer. Writing credits include Castro and several contributors. Covers include “A Fool For You” by Ray Charles and the Brownie McGhee song, “Hole in the Wall.”

The album offers a fine selection of slow blues including “Crazy Woman Blues” and featuring Chris Cain on Piano, “A Fool For You,” while “One More Night,” is a superb shuffle addition to the album.

Those fans of faster tempo and a fun approach to the blues will be thrilled with “Freight Train,” in which Castro shines on slide resonator along with Jim Pugh on piano. Other songs in this group include: “Everywhere I Go,” which has an early ZZ Top blues vibe to it, “Bloodshot Eyes,” and “Stroll Out West.” The latter features funky, cool vocals and includes Rick Estrin on harp. Add to this collection “Hole In The Wall,” which includes Pugh on organ, and “The Way You Do,” with more Estrin on harmonica. Rounding out these higher energy selections is “Ain’t Worth The Heartache” featuring Billy Branch on harmonica.

“Can’t Catch A Break” covers the mid-tempo ground and also fills the bill as a traditional blues tale of woe.

“Keep Your Dog Inside” is a throwback to the days when blues tunes contained a lot of double entendre and not-so-hidden meaning. Deana Bogart, who contributes sax to “Some Moves Me,” and “Bloodshot Eyes,” is a featured vocalist on this one.

Woman troubles are chronicled in “The Way You Do,” “One More Night,” “Crazy Woman Blues,” and “Woke Up and Smelled The Coffee.”

Commenting on the album Castro said, “Closer To The Bone shows the real, deeper blues side of me: not the contemporary guy, not the rock guy, not the soul guy.” So no matter what style of blues you’re craving, with this one, Castro’s got you covered.

The Review: 9/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Everywhere I Go
– One More Night
– A Fool For You
– Freight Train

The Big Hit

– Freight Train