CD REVIEW - Sean Costello - A Memorial Retrospective
I was given the memorial Sean Costello CD to review. I decided to do more than just review it. I found out that many do not know Sean's story. Allow me to give you a little history of Sean Costello, a talented man who left us way too soon. While he may never be mentioned in the same breath as Jimi Hendrix or Janis Joplin, his death at such a young age (he died the day before his 29th birthday) is a true loss to blues fans and the future of blues music. He was destined for greatness. Sean was an excellent guitarist, great writer with good, soulful vocals.
His start in the industry was at 14 when he knocked everyone over at a music store with his guitar playing. The owner told his dad about the IBCs for the Beale Street Blues Society that was to be held soon. Sean entered and won. Two years later , he put out his first CD, "Call the Cops," which was given wonderful reviews-" Sean already displays a flawless command of 50's blues guitar" --
At 17, he played with Susan Tedeschi on her CD, "Just Won't Burn," and received national praise. His band toured with Susan that year.
At 20 he put out his second CD, “cuttin in," and followed it with "Moanin for Molasses" and then my favorite, "Sean Costello." On that CD, “Sean Costello,” he became more diverse, with the influence of Levon Helm (formerly of "The Band").
My favorite Sean tune is on that CD is "No Half-Steppin." He then released “We Can Get Together “in 2008.
Sean's death was found to be an accidental drug overdose. His family later announced that Sean suffered from bipolar disorder. There is a foundation for bipolar research in Sean’s name today.
NOW! on to the CD. When I first looked at the selections, I scratched my head wondering why I knew so few of these songs. After reading a bit (always a good idea) I found out that ten of the songs were previously unreleased. I listened to the CD quite a few times and it just made me miss Sean and his music more. Two of my favorites are "Mellow Chick Swing” and "Motor Head Baby," but there are twenty tunes on here and it shows the diversity of Sean’s music and lyrics…from love tunes to humor.
While it's too late to enjoy Sean in concert, it's not too late to be a fan like I am. Catch this CD and some of his others. You won't regret it.
~ Don Vecchio
