Closer To The Bone [CD]

Tommy Castro: Guitar, Resonator Guitar, Vocals
Mike Emerson: Keyboards
Randy McDonald: Bass, Vocals (11)
Bowen Brown: Drums

with:

Christoffer “Kid” Andersen: Bass (1, 3, 8, 10, 13, 14), Piano (1, 11), Fender Bass VI (2), Rhythm Guitar (3, 5, 8, 12, 13, 14), RMI Electra Piano (6), Organ (7, 9, 13), Upright Bass (12)
Deanna Bogart: Tenor Sax (7, 12), Sax solo (7), Vocals (6)
Billy Branch: Harmonica (8)
Chris Cain: Piano (9)
June Core: Drums (1, 8, 9, 12)
Rick Estrin: Harmonica (2, 13)
Scott Jensen: Trumpet (1)
Jim Pugh: Piano (10), Organ (14)
Mike Rinta: Trombone (1)
Jack Sanford: Baritone Sax (1, 7)
Sons Of Soul Revivers: (James Morgan, Dwayne Morgan) Background Vocals (6, 9, 14)
Endre Tarczy: Piano (5, 12)
Lisa Leuschner Andersen: Female Voice (3, 7)

Produced, Recorded and Mixed by Christoffer “Kid” Andersen at Greaseland Studios, San Jose, CA
Mastered by Collin Jordan and Bruce Iglauer at The Boiler Room, Chicago, IL
Photos by Dragan Tasic
Packaging Design by Kevin Niemiec
Band Logo Design by Britt Lundberg

"I have always wanted to do what I would call a real blues record, and I felt like the right time was now. There is nothing contemporary about this album. It’s a blues record the way they might have made blues records back in the day. Closer To The Bone shows the real, deeper blues side of me: not the contemporary guy, not the rock guy, not the soul guy. I have real love for this music, so the tricky part was selecting the songs. I wrote a few new ones and chose songs by my friends and mentors including Johnny Nitro, Magic Slim, Ron Thompson, Mike Duke and Chris Cain. I picked songs by Wynonie Harris, Eddie Taylor, Jimmy Nolen and Johnny “Guitar” Watson. These are not the obvious artists people generally cover, and that was most definitely on purpose. Listening to Closer To The Bone, I hear my singing and my playing—and I know, with these songs, I am at my most authentic." –Tommy Castro (as told to Marc Lipkin)

Big thanks to Roger Naber and The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Bruce Iglauer, the whole Alligator Records staff, Jim Dunlop, Seymour Duncan, Delaney Guitars, GHS strings, Eminence Speakers, Reverend Guitars (Randy’s basses), Hammond (Mike’s organ), Eric and Maria Hoppe at One Step Management, Jerry Lima at The Mint Talent Group, Hendrik Wippermann at Eat Music Talent Agency, Diego’s Trucking, Magge Childress and John Dupar, my go-to guitar buds: Tal Morris, Mark Karan, Chris Barnette, Beau MacDougall, and Gene Garbis.

To our internet and social media support team: Ray Lillo, Skyeler Castro Williams, Alix Sharp, Dani Barese, Scott Burnett, Daryl Hawkins, and Tina Abbaszadeh.

Special thanks to some folks who help us in various ways on and off the road—Good friends who are like family to us—Armando Morales, Linda Bacon and Charles Mc Burney, Terry Lundberg family, Amanda Gresham, Barbara Hammerman, and Raymond Levine, Jay and Sue Pietro, Mark and Nancy McGraw, Dave Simonini, Janie Soong, John and Linda Arrington.

A special thanks to Bowen Brown for ten years of playing his heart out for us.

Last but not least, thanks to my wife-to-be, the lovely and talented Deanna Bogart, for her always positive attitude, encouragement, and faith in me when I need it most.