Congratulations to Steven Soratos and Diane Soratos (Salinas, CA) who won the Monterey Blues Festival Raffle and will be sailing on the October 5-12, 2008 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. Welcome aboard!!

October 17-24, 2009 Pacific
Pre-Booking Starts July 15!

January 23-30, 2010
Pre-Booking starts Sept. 22!

“Command Performance” CD REVIEWS:  (BUY DISC)
“The Tommy Castro Band (with associates and friends) delivers a Stax/Volt Carribean vacation workshop on how to play the blues! This is a live powerhouse set from the best of the best including the mouth harp of J.Geils frontman “Magic Dick,” the piano and sax stylings of the east coast “Girl in the Band” Deanna Bogart and the Chicago guitar bluesman Ronnie Baker Brooks who sounds like Otis Redding himself reincarnated on the soulful “See You Hurt No More.”

The best of the blues is the “Shuffle” beat and Castro regulars Scot Sutherland-bass and Chris Sandoval on percussion are simply “smokin” throughout the entire CD particularly on the CD’s best number “I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On.” Deanna Bogart is a real treasure as she nails the piano and then fills in with a “FAT” Tenor Sax on the closing number “Sea Cruise” with the added attraction of Louisiana swamp keyboardist Marcia Ball and Castro stalwarts, Trumpeteer Tom Poole and sax phenom Keith Crossan. The CD also features San Fran sideman Mike Emerson on the Hammond B-3.

This is one terrific CD featuring the blazing guitar and vocals of the best of the new generation of bluesmen Tommy Castro…six minutes of “If I had a Nickel” just wasn’t enough. Five stars for the CD and two more stars for Ronnie Baker Brooks when he opines the nasty “She’s Nineteen Years Old!” My next vacation will be aboard the Rhythm and Blues Cruise!” - c/o Amazon.com, T. Goldman

* * *
“For a good time, call The Legendary Rhythm And Blues Revue.”
This slogan should be scrawled on walls from Terre Haute to Timbuktu. Command Performance is the rave-up, jump back, get down, spin-around party record of the decade. This electrifying live album generates enough pure power to light up the entire Western Hemisphere — with a little left over for the other hemisphere.

The opening track alone is bound to paste a permanent smile on the face of any rhythm and blues lover. Chris Sandoval’s pulse pounding drum intro to “Can’t You See” promises something amazing, and the band delivers, in spades. Deanna Bogart is a dynamo on keys, while Ronnie Baker Brooks rips it up on guitar. Keith Crossan on sax and Tom Poole on trumpet are simply astounding. “I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On” finds Tommy Castro contributing a mind blowing guitar solo. He also delivers the lyrics with a marvelous head shakin’ wail. Horn solos from Crossan, Poole, and Deanna Bogart are right on the money.

Bogart’s “Still The Girl In The Band” is a foot tapper and a great story, driven home by a knowing vocal and more fabulous piano work. Shouter Curtis Salgado turns in a badass “If It Ain’t Me,” letting his harmonica tell half the tale. Harmonica icon Magic Dick, well known for his work with the J. Geils Band, tears the entire stage apart on “Whammer Jammer.” The Ronnie Baker Brooks original “See You Hurt No More” takes it down a few notches, for a truly touching blues/soul ballad. As live albums go, Command Performance is one of the best ever recorded. It has everything: great songs, great players, and a fantastic vibe. Long live The Rhythm And Blues Revue!” - retromusicreview.com / M. Macomber

Don’t miss it! www.myclearwater.com

Elvin Bishop joins the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue (Tommy Castro, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Magic Dick, Deanna Bogart & The Tommy Castro Band) on the October 2007 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise from San Diego. www.bluescruise.com

THE LEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUES™ REVUE TOUR

Fall 2007 West Coast dates announced! Click to view upcoming shows.

This is not just another blues show, but a standout blues event! Spearheaded by Tommy Castro and Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise founder, Roger Naber, it brings the energy and excitement of this decade’s hottest blues ticket from the High Seas to the land!

Performers: The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue Tour line-up features amazing Live performing artists. Each artist will perform a 30 minute set with The Tommy Castro Band, and the show closes with an electrifying jam (the highlight of the evening) sure to thrill and satisfy any blues fan! These late night jams are the highlight of each day of music on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, and all four of the acts featured in the Revue are favorites of the Blues Cruise community passengers, as tallied by cruiser feedback.

Featured artists include:
• Tommy Castro Band
• Deanna Bogart
• Magic Dick
• Ronnie Baker Brooks
• Possibly A Local Celebrity Musician In Your City

Hey everybody,

I’m in Fayetteville Arkansas, catching up on some email and stuff. The LRBR tour is going great! The shows have been stellar, and “The Jam” gets better every night. We should have mp3s up soon.

Hanging on the bus has been a lot of fun too. Ronnie and me have been playing guitar and trading licks. He’s such a great player, I’m really learning a lot. Scott Sutherland the bass player brought a ton of videos. We’ve some long hauls so we’ve watching live shows of James Brown, Albert King Etta James, B.B., The MG’s, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells. We have to eat on the run a lot, so Deanna has named the area up front where we usually eat, “The Nosh Pit”.

We’ll see you all at the Blues Music Awards. Don’t forget The Revue will play the New Daisy Theatre the night before.

I’ve got video to edit and will have that on my site soon,

Later,
TC

Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tenn.

Here are some things you might find of interest:

Wednesday, May 9

7:00 (doors open) Legendary Rhythm and Blues Revue Spring Tour @ The New Daisy Theater, $15 in advance and $17 at the door. Features Blues Music Award Nominees Ronnie Baker Brooks and Deanna Bogart, as well as Magic Dick and Tommy Castro.

Thursday, May 10

2007 Blues Music Awards @ The Memphis Cook Convention Center–225 North Main Street presented by The GIBSON Foundation

5:30pm — Pre-party reception featuring the performances of the 2007 IBC winners; fabulous silent auction and mingling with the nominees

7:00pm-1:00am Dinner, Awards and Nominee performances

The full schedule can be found here: http://www.blues.org/bluesmusicawards/schedule.php