The Tommy Castro Band headlines the 2009 Riverside Bluesfest Sunday show.

Tommy Castro began his lifetime love affair with the blues guitar as a ten year old in his native town of San Jose, California. First inspired by Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop, Castro soon sought out their influences and discovered B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Elmore James and Freddie King.

Touring nationally with Warner Brothers recording artists The Dynatones gave Castro the experience he needed to form his own band in 1991. By 1994, The Tommy Castro Band had won the prestigious Bay Area Music Awards "Club Band of the Year" title two years in succession - a title previously held by Chris Isaak and Huey Lewis & the News.

Developing a style that infuses blues with soul and rock & roll, Castro's first major album Exception to the Rule received high praise on its release in 1996. That and his west-coast popularity led to being selected as the house band for the NBC-TV late-night program Comedy Showcase, which aired after Saturday Night Live. That gig lasted for three years.

A dream came true for Castro when B.B. King invited The Tommy Castro Band to travel as openers on his 2001 tour. King's Live at the Cook County Jail was the first blues album a young Tommy Castro ever bought, and he had played it constantly trying to learn the distinctive guitar licks. The Tommy Castro Band played more than eighty shows with B.B. King.

Kudos abound for The Tommy Castro Band.

• Playboy magazine: "Worshipped for his guitar virtuosity, Castro throws a bit more rock and two bits of soul into his basic blues mix on Right As Rain. He has the voice, the band, and the guitar to pull it off."
• Billboard: "Castro combines the earthy soulfulness of Albert Collins and B.B. King with the polish of Robert Cray."
• Blues Revue: "Castro's energy and charisma leap right out of each and every one of the cuts on the album. Castro's clearly got the goods and knows how to use them."
• Living Blues: "Castro's stinging, clean guitar tone shines. A talented guitarist who shows much promise, Tommy Castro can play with both scorching power and restraint."
• Carlos Santana: "The blues is in good hands. This is the person who has the voice, the sound, and the right intentions to touch everybody's heart."

The Tommy Castro Band includes Castro on guitar, Keith Crossan on saxophone, Ronnie Smith on drums, Scot Sutherland on bass, Tom Poole on trumpet and Steve Spirn on rhythm guitar.

The Tommy Castro Band closes the 2009 Riverside Bluesfest on a high note at 9:30 pm, Sunday, September 6. No excuses; tickets are on sale now.
 

Discography:
Year	Title	Label
2007	Painkiller	Blind Pig Records
2005	Soul Shaker	Blind Pig Records
2003	Triple Trouble	Telarc
2003	Gratitude	Heart And Soul
2001	Guilty Of Love	33rd Street
2000	Live at the Fillmore	Blind Pig Records
1999	Right As Rain	Blind Pig Records
1997	Can't Keep A Good Man Down	Blind Pig Records
1996	Exception To The Rule	Blind Pig Records
1994	No Foolin' (Live)	Saloon Records