Albert Castiglia
April is blues month in the Tampa Bay area. The Tampa Bay Blues Fest, a homegrown festival that’s been a hit since 1995, returns each April. Three years ago, the Palladium joined the festival as home of the Festival After Shows. We’re keeping the blues alive the rest of the month with Side Door shows by Albert Castiglia (4-19) and Damon Fower (4-26). More on those shows later in this post.
Now let’s talk about this year’s festival.
Despite some very odd April weather and an unexpected visit from a head cold on Friday, I really enjoyed this year’s version of the Tampa Bay Blues Festival. Chuck Ross and his crew put on a first-rate event. I didn’t hear all the bands – but I was really impressed with the talent on stage.
Friday was the toughest day for me and the fest. I was fighting a bad cold and Friday headliner Dickey Betts was hospitalized. His band went on without him, with added guests like Lucky Peterson and Dennis Greunling helping out.
The sun came out on Saturday and the weather cooperated for the rest of the fest until the rain fell toward the end of Sunday night’s final set.
Here are some of my personal some highlights:
Marquise Knox, a young blues guitarist I caught at the Palladium after-show on Saturday night. Barely out of his teens, this African American artist from St. Louis seemed to be channeling early BB King, Muddy Waters and other classic blues artists, while projecting his own personality. He’s a star in the making.
Curtis Salgado performed two top-flight sets – one on the main stage Saturday and later at the Palladium. His daytime set was funkier and more urban feeling, while his evening set was closer to the roots. But his soaring vocals, his incredible band and his harmonica – when he finally broke it out – were festival highlights for lots of folks I spoke with.
Selwyn Birchwood didn’t perform at the fest, but he was honored with a special presentation on Saturday on the main stage. Selwyn, who sold-out his last show in the Side Door, was honored for his big International Blues Challenge win in Memphis earlier this year. Don’t miss Selwyn when he comes back to the Palladium this summer. He’s officially got the Best Band in Blues and was also named best guitarist. See him before he gets too big for our cabaret space.
The entire Sunday lineup – which featured music and musicians from Louisiana – was excellent. I arrived too late for Rosie Ledet, but she’s a great performer who I’ve seen many times at Jazz Fest. The rest of the day – including Walter “Wolfman” Washington’s soulful R&B, the star-studded Royal Southern Brotherhood (Devon Allman, Mike Zito and Cyril Neville), Tab Benoit (who jammed with Allman, Zito and Neville at the end of his set) and Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue were mesmerizing throughout.
The rain held off all weekend until the end of Shorty’s set. As lots of folks left, Shorty and his horn band kept playing. When they finally left the stage, they moved into the crowd for a Second Line throwdown to “When the Saints Come Marching In.” It was a truly magical moment.
The blues continues at the Palladium this month. Friday night (4-19) we’ve got a star from last year’s festival – Albert Castiglia, playing in the Side Door at 8. Tickets are going fast for that one. Don’t be turned away when the show sells out. Next Friday (4-26), Palladium favorite Damon Fowler returns with his band.
For tickets and information, visit www.mypalladium.org or call the box office at 727 822-3590.
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