Sadly, blues guitarist Sean Costello's star was still on the rise when he tragically passed away in April 2008, the day before his 29th birthday. The still-young bluesman was flying high after the release of his critically-acclaimed 2008 album We Can Get Together, which earned Costello a posthumous Blues Music Award nomination, and it seemed as if the sky was the limit.
Sean's Blues: A Memorial Retrospective pays tribute to the talented bluesman by revisiting Costello's early years. Released by Landslide Records and co-produced by label President Michael Rothschild, Sean's Blues includes five songs from the guitarist's two Landslide albums, as well as three from his independently-released 1996 debut, which is nearly impossible to find. Rothschild also offers his memories of Costello in the liner notes, and the collection includes a bunch of unpublished Costello photos. Part of the proceeds from the sales of Sean's Blues will benefit the Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bi-Polar Research.
Sean Costello's Sean's Blues
Costello's early years were a particularly fertile period for the young blues guitarist, and by drawing from his first three albums, Sean's Blues showcases Costello's rapid development as an artist. A trio of songs from Costello's 1996 debut, Call The Cops - which was recorded when he was just 16 years old - have him looking for a sound...from the jump blues of the lively "Take Me Back," to the Delta-inspired dirty blues of "Sail On" and the Chicago style rave-up of the album's title track, Costello handles each varying style with a fierce talent and an amazing six-string dexterity.
The three songs taken from Costello's 2000 album Cuttin' In resemble those from his debut, albeit with signs of a greater maturity in the guitarist's vocal performances. Costello's spry cover of John Lee "Sonny" Boy Williamson's "Mellow Chick Swing" could pass for Duke Robillard or Roomful of Blues, the song imbued with a swinging jump blues vibe and loose-limbed guitarplay. On the other hand, a truly inspired cover of Otis Rush's classic "Double Trouble" allows Costello the room to spread his wings and fly with an amazing display of his guitar skills.
Previously Unreleased Material
Only two tracks are included here from Costello's 2001 album Moanin' For Molasses, but they're good 'uns, so we'll pass on any criticism. The Costello original "Don't Be Reckless With My Heart" is a delightful Chicago blues-styled romp with a Windy City rhythm, keyboardist Matt Wauchope's Otis Spann-inspired piano-pounding, and a pitch-perfect vocal and guitar performance by Costello that would have ol' Muddy Waters hisself stompin' his foot in agreement. Another Otis Rush cover, "It Takes Time," is a bona-fide winner with torch-song vocals and blistering West Side guitar-blaze.
Sean's Blues features a whopping dozen previously unreleased tracks, including three live performances, and as my dear old granpappy would say, "there's not a punter in the bunch!" The fiery cover of Robert Johnson's "Walking Blues," in which Costello's muted six-string is blanketed by a wall of sound from the rhythm section, and guest vocalist Susan Tedeschi belts out the lyrics with an immense energy, is a real find. A reading of guitarist Fenton Robinson's heartbreak-blues "You Don't Know What Love Is" is spot on and should have been released long before now. Of the live tracks, a raucous cover of J.B. Lenoir's "Mojo Boogie" displays a gruffer, street-smart side to Costello's vocals, while "All Your Loving (I Miss Loving)" offers up a stellar mix of guitarplay, soulful vocals, and barroom rhythms.
The Reverend's Bottom Line
During a little more than a decade in the blues biz, Sean Costello had built up a growing and loyal audience, and his fans should be thrilled by the release of Sean's Blues. The inclusion of three songs from his long-lost debut album is a good enough reason for a lot of fans to cough up the cash, but the wealth of previously unreleased material is certain to have 'em lining up three deep at their local record store for a copy of Sean's Blues.
The unreleased studio tracks are, for the most part, unpolished when compared to Costello's familiar recordings, but they display no less passion or fire and several of them should have been released on an EP or something years ago. The live tracks are cool, though I wish there were a few more of them...maybe there's enough left in the vault for a live album? Nevertheless, Sean's Blues is both a fitting tribute to the fallen bluesman as well as an excellent representation of his talents. (Landslide Records, released September 29, 2009)
