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 Born in 1994, Doctor Joe Castellano Blues Band is considered one of the biggest and most original among the European Soul&Rhythm’n’ Blues Band, and on the past summer, the Band has titled as “BIGGEST ITALIAN BLUES & SOUL BIG BAND”, for the Italian National Radio & Television – RADIO 1 RAI – DEMO.
Starting from 2002 Tour, the group has been composed of 9 members with a complete horns section; from time to time, it has an American special guest, chosen among the “Big Singers”. The Group, which in 2003 introduced itself with proper uniforms, according to Rhythm’n Blues tradition, has some of the most Sicilian Blues and Jazz players. Doctor Joe his gathered them; they can be promo of the co-operation and Jam-sessions with some of the great stars of Jazz&Blues such as Blues Brothers, Ray Charles, Solomon Burke, Sherman Robertson, Holmes Brothers and also Gil Evans, Toots Thieleemans, Diane Schuur, Arturo Sandoval, Al Galper and many others… The Dr.Joe’s project brings on the stage a powerful rhythm- section and an excellent horn-section, in the traditional Rhythm’n’Blues style! The band guest in different times famous black-Singers who play blues & soul classics and the Joe Castellano’s original compositions. A Band very rich of talents and prestigious American and Italian Jazz & Blues players. By next summer tour, you’ll can hear the SUPER BLUES BAND!!! ...an explosive group, where stay together big American and Italian musicians (9 or 10), and so liked as the Great American Blues Band! They’ll plays FOR THE SUMMER TOUR 2006: JOE CASTELLANO – Piano, Hammond, vocal, Band Direction PHIL HALE / G. CUFFARO – Hammond * BRETT LUCAS / N. CELICOLA – Guitar * CHUCK BARTELS/ G. GUARNERI – Bass * CHARLIE KOLTAK/ C. FALZONE – Drums * GASP PALAZZOLO - Tenor Sax FRANKIE “BLUE” MARCHESE – Tenor Sax ALDO OLIVERI – Trumpet AMEDEO MANIGLIA – Trombone **Guest Vocals : HARRIET LEWIS, CHARLES WALKER, KEISHA JACKSON, ROY ROBERTS, REV. LEE BROWN. * (1 of these in different times like the rhythm-section players). ** (1 – 2 or 3 of these in different times). We can add in some performance, special friend great artists, such as: Sherman Robertson or Thornetta Davis. Special great Black-American singers, plays in the Joe Castellano Tour 2006... ROY ROBERTS  Guitarist, singer, producer and record company owner Roy Roberts is a leading figure of Southern Black Music. No other guitarist or blues singer can be compared with him because of his soul-painted shuffle on o minor tonality. During his 40 years long career he has achieved a great approval performing r&b, gospel and country, but after the recent successes (including the Living Blues cover and various Awards for the record production of his Rock House Records) he decided to dedicate himself completely to blues. Roy was born in 1942 in Livingstone, Tennessee and was grown up in this region listening to the radio station WLAC transmitting pieces by Jimmy Reed, Chuck Berry, Elmore James and John Lee Hooker all the nights. As a young man he learned the basic elements of the piano from his mother, training and playing mostly boogie-woogie and gospel. Aged 18 driving a wreck of a car he reached Greensboro, in North Carolina, where he settled to become ono of the main musical icon. He bought his first guitar, a “Sears Silver Tone” (after having saved his money working in a farm) and decided to dedicate himself to that instrument. In a few months he was a member of Greensboro Ponderosa club house-band, where he played with the rising stars of that period; Clarence Carter, Joe Tex, Eddy Floyd, Dee Clark, Solomon Burke, and the legendary Otis Redding. Quite soon he left the club for an on – the – road life because he became a member of His Majesty Solomon Burke’s orchestra and later entered the band accompanying Eddie Floyd on live shows. In 1965 he was in great Otis Redding’s band and his guitar played for the most important soul artist, reaching an unexpected fame. The tragic end of Otis’ life inspired Roy his first recording work named “The Legend of Otis Redding” to celebrate the dead artist. In the 60s and 70s he concetrared on urban blues and soul styles, very popular music among the black communities in Georgia, Virginia and Carolina, where he travelled up and down to perform with his band (The Roy Roberts Experience). The reached fame led him to important collaborations with artists like Stevie Wonder, Dee Clark and Robert Ward’s Ohio Untouchables. In the 80s the coming of disco-music caused a great crisis on live blues and soul scene, with the consequent closing of a lot of clubs. Roy wasn’t discouraged and as he’s really a clever business-man he converted himself into a country & Western musician, spending these years on tours with his friend, the country artist O.B. McClinton. After McClinton’s death in 1989, he dedicated himself to gospel music: He also recorded dome gospel albums signed by him. That “sacred” period steered up his inspiration, he wrote new songs for other artists, but kept for himself the best pieces, which would be fundamental for his artistic and professional renaissance. In the 90s he got a blues fever and founded his own record company the Rock House Records and produced Floyd Miles, Priscilla Pride, Chick Willis, Eddy Floyd, Patty Benson and most of all x (blues) albums with his name, including his recent studio recording “Burning Love”. Roy Roberts’ rich discography comprises a lot of recordings ranging from soul to country, from gospel to blues, a real cross-section of the music from South of the USA. HARRIET LEWIS  A special show-woman of Philadelphia, Harriet Lewis comes from the Gospel music and in the past years, she realize her musical professional carrier as background vocal in the so famous artist’s Bands, such as: LUTHER VANDROSS, MICHAEL JACKSON, RAY CHARLES, MICHAEL BOLTON, MARIAH CAREYand many others too!
Now Harriet she’s one of the best Blues-woman of international Blues scene and she’s performing in many clubs and festivals with a great success.
By the 2004 year, she always stay in collaboration with Joe Castellano Band. REV. LEE BROWN  This great vocalist of Topeka (Kansas), is one of the most important Gospel/Soul voices in the world.
A long time during, he was in collaboration with the legendary drummer Jazz-player Bobby Dhuram, and every two they’re been guested in the first Dr.Joe’s CD.
In all the year, Lee Brown is the a lot of Gospel Choirs leader and he also play like vocalist in many Jazz & Blues festival. He has also performed with JIMMY COBB and GEORGE BENSON. CHARLES WALKER e KEISHA JACKSON (coming soon!!!) NINO CELICOLA - Lead Guitar  He is a very interesting Sicilian guitarist, well known for years in the Clubs, alternating Blues with Countries reportoires, His style is dry, terse and always effective. He’s been a member of Doctor Joe Band since 2003 Tour. He participated in important Blues Festivals, performing magnificently with Nick Becattini, Rudy Rotta, Chico Banks, Eddy Floyd and “Texas Fire” Mr. Sherman Robertson (2001 Blues Man in in Blues Revue Magazine). His way of alternating strato and telecaster is one of the topical aspects of Doctor Joe Band’s sound, ranging over Blues, Soul and Gospel with half-hidden of Jazz and Funk. GIANFRANCO CUFFARO - Hammond & Keyboards  Keen of Keyboards, he studied the piano with Maestro A. Trombone, getting his Diploma at Palermo Conservatorio.
Like Doctor Joe, he has a real reverence for the Hammond I so - that, after a very long waiting he was called to join the Band, where he shares with Joe Castellano the performances with that unequalled instrument.
He usually plays a 1956 B3; he took part in a lot of festivals and tours (even in the USA) with different groups. GASPARE PALAZZOLO - Tenor Saxophone  He’s the last arrived in the Band, and very soon it was clear that he’s the scalthing and “Soulful” saxophonist Doctor Joe has been looking for for years. He’s an exceptional talent, studied clarinet and got his Diploma in 1996 at
Palermo Conservatorio. Anyway, he’s always been a sax lover and has devoted himself to this instrument, obtaining brilliant results playing with some of the best Sicilian Band and Orchestras.
He has always been involved with Joe Castelllano musical projects, and has played with the Band having Michael Allen, Rev. Lee Brown, Bobby Durham, Albert C. Humprey and Gordon Metz at special guests. FRANKIE "BLUE" MARCHESE - Tenor & Baritone Sax Francesco Marchese – also known as Frankie Blue because of his sonority is similar to the one of great “Blue Lou Marini” from the Blues Brothers – is a high level representative of Sicilian Jazz. Born in 1969, in 1992 he got his Diploma at Palermo Conservatorio. He late improved his skills trough courses and seminars held I y Orazio Maugeri, Maurizio Giammarco, Randy Brecker and Gunther Schuller. Since 1995 has been the first saxophonist for the Orchestra Jazz Siciliana, to which he joined in 1990, en-operating with Toots Thielemans, Diane Schuur, Paolo Fresu, Miki Howard and many others. He participated in numerous Jazz & Blues Festivals, giving his contribution to different bands and artists such us Albert C. Humphrey and with Joe Castellano, Michael Allen, Gordon Metz, Roy Roberts, and Bobby Johnson. Permanent member of the bands since 2002, he’s teaching sax at Scuola Popolare di Musica di Palermo. ALDO OLIVERI - Trumpet He perform by 2003, in Joe Castellano’s Band. One of the most Sicilian Jazz Trompeter, Aldo Olivieri, works with many music Associations and Orchestras in Sicily. So appreciated for his precious sound in horn section, he got studied in different courses and seminars held by: Paolo Fresu, Randy Brecker, and Paul Jeffrey. For three years, he has improved at the important European School to Orchestra’s Direction” with teachers like: G. Schuller, Bill Russo e Dusko Gojkovich. He’s first Trumpet on “Sicilian Philarmonic Orchestra – F. Ferrara “. With Joe Castellano he got played with: Roy Roberts, Gordon Metz and Bobby Johnson. SILVIO BARBARA - Trumpet  He’s undoubtedly one of the greatest and most gifted trumpeter in Italy. He got his diploma at the Conservatorio in Trapani and since then he has shared his work with the Classic Sicilian Orchestra and the big Jazz and Latin Groups in Sicily.
Experts would define him a real “acutist” he appeared on TV with a leading role during important events like the “Montecarlo Film Festival” transmitted by Mediaset channels.
He collaborated with : Ray Charles, Roberto Pregadio, Adelmo Musso, Rudy Millard, Lele Melotti and others, obtaining a great success in 2003 Doctor Joe strongly wanted him, for a further consolidation on of a fantastic horn section. AMEDEO MANIGLIA - Trombone  Distinguished trombonist and percussionist, he alternated his activities playing Salsa, Classic Music, and Blues with Doctor Joe who appreciated him in the Funk group “Kaimano Sblei” Since then -always been the Band’s trombonist, with the role of driving force of the horn section.
Present at all the appointments and the recording activity of Doctor Joe’s Castellano group, he also co-operate with the Band “Alma De Cuba” after having experienced Caribbean music with other groups.
He got his Diploma at Conservatorio “Vincenzo Bellini” in Catania and his also a member of the classics group “Sikania Brass Ensemble” He has also collaborated with Bobby Durham, Joy Garrison, Rev. Lee Brown, Arthur Miles, Michael Allen, Gordon Metz, Holmes Brothers, Roy Roberts, Bobby Johnson, etc... OTHER FRIENDS... Collaborate permanently with this magnificent BIG BLUES BAND: Sebastiano Alioto ( drums), Giovanni Buzzurro (bass), Osvaldo Lo Jacono (guitar), Antonio Cordaro (guitar), Rodolfo Pagano (Hammond), Gai Bennici (guitar), Giuseppe Vitello (trombone). |