HIGHWAY KEY IS PROUD TO ANNOUCE THE

LASTEST ADDITION TO OUR ROSTER

HOWARD AND THE WHITE BOYS

The members of Howard & the White Boys first met at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb in 1988 and began jamming together just for fun, but their fast-growing popularity soon convinced them they could

make a career of it. After only a few months, they got their first big break by opening for B.B. King. The band soon made the move to Chicago and began performing with the biggest names in blues: Koko Taylor,

Albert King, Junior Wells, Lonnie Brooks, Luther Allison, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry.

Howard & the White Boys have established a reputation as one of Chicago's favorite attractions and regular appearances at Buddy Guy’s Legends has afforded them an opportunity to display their wares before locals and out-of-towners who come to Legends to hear the best the city has to offer in blues entertainment. Indeed, Buddy Guy has been their unofficial mentor.

ALBERT CASTIGLIA

Albert Castiglia was born on August 12, 1969 in New York during the weekend of the famous (infamous) Woodstock music festival. At the age of 5, his family moved to Miami. With a Cuban mother and an Italian father, he is an example of the melting pot of culture that is Miami. He learned to play guitar at the age of 12 and soon realized that the passions in his heart were expressed best by his music. He realized too that he could sing as well as he played. Upon completion of his high school and college education, he worked for four years as a social service investigator for the State of Florida. During that time Albert continued to hone his musical skills playing nights and weekends with local bands around South Florida. In 1990 he joined The Miami Blues Authority.

WHAT'S THE SPIN

Spring, 2008 - Here’s some of our favorite new music in rotation at the Highway Key Touring Offices … See you at the shows!

Albert Castiglia – These Are the Days, 2008

The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Revue - Command Performance, 2008

Zac Harmon – Boogie Down in Paris, 2008

Drive by Truckers – Brighter than Creation’s Dark, 2008

Eddie Clearwater – West Side Strut, 2008

Galactic – From the Corner to the Block, 2008

Jason Ricci – Rocket Number 9, 2007

Backyard Tire Fire - Vagabonds and Hooligans, 2007

Spam Allstars – Electrodomesticos, 2007

Waters, Winter and Cotton – Breakin’ It Up, Breakin’s It Down, 2007

ALBERT CASTIGLIA'S NEW CD ANNOUNCES: THESE ARE THE DAYS

MIAMI, FL - Blues Leaf Records announces an April 1st release date for guitarist/singer Albert Castiglia's new CD, These are the Days, distributed nationally by Allegro.

Born in New York and raised in Miami, Albert Castiglia (pronounced "ka-STEEL-ya"), began playing guitar at 12. In 1990, he became a member of The Miami Blues Authority and was later voted "Best Blues Guitarist" by New Times magazine in 1997. Shortly thereafter, he was spotted by legendary blues singer/harmonica player Junior Wells, who asked Castiglia to join his band as a guitarist and singer. With Wells as his mentor, Albert performed at clubs and festivals across America, as well as in Canada and Europe. During that time, he also got the opportunity to play and jam with many other blues stars, including Pinetop Perkins, Ronnie Earl, Billy Boy Arnold, Lurrie Bell, Jerry Portnoy, Eddy Clearwater and Otis Clay. After Junior Wells passed away, Castiglia toured with Atlanta blues singer Sandra Hall.

In 2002, Albert launched his solo career with the debut CD, Burn, collaborating with his longtime friend, Graham Wood Drout of south Florida band Iko-Iko. Drout's visceral, yet literary songs became the perfect vehicle for Castiglia's soulful vocals, which recall Van Morrison, and stinging guitar playing. In 2006, he released his second album (and first for Blues Leaf Records), A Stone's Throw, which included two more Drout compositions, "Big Toe," and the amazing "Ghosts of Mississippi," which has all the earmarks of becoming a blues classic. Castiglia and Drout also released a live CD together, titled The Bittersweet Sessions, in 2005.

These are the Days, contains five original Albert Castiglia songs, including the opening track, "Bad Year Blues," which jumps out of the box with both killer guitar hooks and memorable lyrics, and "Godfather of the Blues," his tribute to Junior Wells. Once again, Graham Wood Drout contributes another song for Albert, "Celebration." The cover songs on These are the Days salute a wide range of styles and artists ranging from Bob Dylan ("Catfish") and Nappy Brown ("Night Time is the Right Time"), to Fenton Robinson ("Somebody Loan me a Dime") and Little Willie John ("Need Your Love So Bad").

With the release of These are the Days, Albert Castiglia makes a statement as a major force in the blues.