Heard you guys Saturday night at the State Theatre. May well be the best concert I have ever heard. Bought the CD and have about worn it out and am still discovering hidden little licks that have depth that only master musicans can provide. Thanks to all of you. Best regards, OJ Higgins

Man-oh-Man! Talk about one hell of a show! I caught the act Friday night in Pittsburgh. It was a throw down of maximum intensity. They packed us into that little theatre like sardines but nobody seemed to mind. It was without a doubt the rockin-est blues show I think I've ever seen. Everyone was just fantastic. My only regret is that I will not be able to head west and see it again and again and again and well you get he point. Can't wait till next time. Keep up the good work and God bless all. Joey Calangelo

Hi Everybody,
Janie Soong aka too_rainy here. Just got home to Seattle from seeing the first three shows of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue and I was totally blown away! The first show in Hollywood was just incredible and I thought it couldn't get any better than this. The only thing lacking was boogie room, so we had to dance in the aisles. The show started on time, exactly at 8 p.m. and went on for a solid three and a half hours with no breaks! I know that Tommy was a bit nervous about it because it was his idea to get a few of the musicians that were onboard the cruises with him and to take them on the road to give us landlubbers a little taste of the cruise ship experience, and after seeing the first show, he had me sold. I bit the bullet and will be going on the blues cruise out of San Diego in October!

Deanna Bogart was absolutely awesome on sax, playing along side our Keith. Her boogie-woogie piano, her voice and her style were just marvelous. The only woman in the band and on the bus - you go, girl!
Magic Dick can do some kind of magic on that harp of his. And when he and Tommy jammed on Whammer Jammer, it was just too good for words! And what can I say about Ronnie Baker Brooks that hasn't been said before? He's the man, Mr. Chicago with a capital M! The jam session at the end of the show was superb. Let Me Love You Baby never sounded so good and the rendition of Sex Machine, well, I can just imagine James Brown smiling down from above. Truly a great tribute to the Godfather. And that was just the first show, with very little rehearsal.

The second show at the newly renovated Sunset Theater was sheer energy, just dripping with charismatic performances from each of the artists. But, alas, no room to boogie on down again. Many, many kudos go to Keith, Chris and Steve Sunderland (sorry, Steve, if I‘ve misspelled your name), who’s substituting for our dear Randy. While Tommy is backstage watching the three guest artists do their thing, these three guys are up on stage all the time, constantly providing the audience with superb, standout performances of their own and tremendous backup. Steve Spirn, many kudos to you, too, for doing a remarkable job with the sound and production. I hope you’re recording each one of these shows for posterity, maybe even for a possible CD and/or MP3‘s.

Tommy Castro, Deanna Bogart & Ronnie Baker Brooks

And then comes the show last night at Skipper’s, a real funky, very eclectic place on the outskirts of Tampa. I really love that place. The ambiance of the place was perfect. And the “Skipper Dome” was just right, at last, with lots of room to dance. Even though it was really cold (about 46 degrees) and it was an outdoor venue, the place was HOT HOT HOT! There were so many people dancing and a-prancing, just the way Tommy likes it. And we all know what Tommy’s like when he sees the audience is with him. He likes to take us higher! He said that he felt like a little kid again, just jamming with some friends of his, just plain old havin’ fun and grinning from ear to ear. It did my heart good to see him so happy. There was magic in the air and an amazing mind-meld of some kind, because I was hoping that they would play one of my all time favorites, Manchile, and sho ‘nuff, it happened! That and another remarkable rendition of Let Me Love You Baby and I was in seventh heaven! The show ran well past midnight, almost four and half hours of sheer delight.

Now I’ve got to put in a good word for Brother Ray and son Skyeler, Tommy’s “Dream Team” of merch sales. Thanks, guys, for letting me be a part of your team. And, Skyeler, thanks for being my “protector”, too. I love you guys to pieces! And to Jeff, Roger, and Mike and to all the cruisers, street teamers and fans I met, all of you guys are so nice, kind, warm-hearted people.  Sorry I had to bring the Seattle weather with me to Florida.

Tommy had suggested that I put my own thoughts down about the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Revue tour for the website after seeing the first three shows, so here it is. I did take lots of pictures, too, so hopefully, a few of them will turn out to be good enough to get posted. I wish I could have made it to all of the shows, because I know, for a fact, that they’ll just get better and better. You just have to go and see these one of a kind, killer shows! They’ll blow your socks off, for real! So much talent all in one place and all at one time. These shows are not to be missed, even if you have to go hundreds of miles to catch one. It was well worth my taking the redeye from Seattle to Miami and the two hours of sleep I got last night, or rather this morning to catch the flight back home. You won’t be sorry that you did. It’ll cure whatever ails you, for sure! It’s medicine for your soul!

As a friend of mine always says, peace through music.
Love always,
Janie

Tommy Castro & Magic Dick

Have you ever hear the expression they blew the roof off the house? Last night I was sitness to a music show that was 100% pure music and fun. I've been to the Chicago Blues Festival four times over the last six years. I've been to so many concerts I have lost count. Last year I saw Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, BB King, Gregg Allman and The Doobie Brothers. I could name ten more concerts but let's get back to last night. Pure power blues and soul. The talent on the stage was incredible. Each musician played their hearts out adn they all blended together to make music magic. the venue was a small theatre but the sound was incredible, from the leader Tommy Castro to Deanna Bogart (who I thought I was seeing a female version of Jerry Lee Lewis on keyboards) with her soulful singing and sax playing to Ronnie Baker Brooks who could shake the walls one second and then move to a quiet soulful guitar and singing. Magic Dick / Whammer Jammer... need I say anything more. To the drummer Chris Sandoval who guided the beat all night and made the house rock. To Keith Crossan who played that sax that would melt your heart. Throw in Joey Gillmore for good measure. One of the best concerts I ever saw. What a way to start 2007. I would like to say thank you very much for a very memorable music night to all the people involved for making last night's show one that I will remember for a long time to come.
-- Tom Ciccaglione

Saw the Legendary R&B Revue last night. WOW. For not rehearsing you were all fantastic. Thanks for the brilliant idea of putting together a bunch of greats and taking it to the road. It was honored to have seen the show and to meet you all afterwards. I just thought it was wonderful of you to take the time to give us the opportunity. Bought myself a new collection of CDs and lovin' it! For us unfortunate that we couldn't make the Blues Cruise, we have the next best thing. Thanks again for an awesome night. Keep your soul shining. Your latest fan,
Tina L.

There are no words to express how much we enjoyed your show at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa, FL on January 26th. As always, your portion of the show was outstanding and worth ten times the price of admission. Tha sax duets by Ms. Bogart and Keith were breathtaking. As a blues guitarist and vocalist with my own band, I never cease to be inspired by your performances. Your natural, relaxed performance style is very impressive and, as my wife puts it, I go to school every time you appear here in Tampa. I've learned so much from you and your band, and I am grateful to you and the guys.
Skip and Lynda Wood

Your Legendary Blues Revue show the other night in Charlotte really rocked my soul. I needed the great music fix since it had been a couple of weeks since Delbert's cruise. Ronnie, Deanna and Magic Dick were awesome and you could tell the whole crowd really enjoyed the show. It was great talking to everyone and thanks for the autographs. Thanks for the fun show.
Curtis Ingram

LRBR