Multiple Blues Music Award winner and Billboard No. 1 artist Albert Castiglia isn’t pulling any punches on Grits & Glory, his latest solo studio album on Gulf Coast Records, recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios.
The record feels like a full-circle moment, reconnecting Albert with the wide-eyed, guitar-slinging kid from Miami whose world was flipped from black and white to technicolour by an 8-track of Rubber Soul on the way to a ball game. That spark of curiosity sent him chasing sounds and players from across the pond, Jeff Beck, John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, whose influence has echoed through Castiglia’s playing ever since. This record is the definition of an American bluesman taking it to London.
“Coming up playing in Chicago and down the East Coast defined my playing style and my take on the blues. But at the same time, I love the back and forth within the blues from America to the UK and back again, both places have had their own impact.”
The idea ignited during a 2023 European tour, when Albert and Gulf Coast Records’ Olly Overton began talking about bringing Albert to Britain to record.
Much thought went into the concepts surrounding the album. Lyrically, the record is both reflective of the journey so far and where Albert currently finds himself. “There is a lot of noise in America right now,” says Castiglia. “I wanted to step out of all that, give myself room for contemplation. Cutting this record in England allowed me to do that.”
Castiglia was all in, on one condition: he would record with his road band, Cliff Moore on bass and Ray Hangen on drums. It marks their first recording under this line-up of the ACB. The final piece fell into place with producer Dave Gross, a long-time friend with deep Abbey Road knowledge and a trusted history with Albert, having previously produced Solid Ground. With the team assembled, the vision was locked.
Once the label gave the green light, there was only one possible home for the sessions: Abbey Road. Ahead of recording, Albert immersed himself in British culture, stopping in Birmingham to walk the streets that shaped Black Sabbath and Tony Iommi, heroes who left a lasting mark on his musical soul. With the passing of Ozzy Osbourne, the visit carried added weight and reflection.
Then it was on to London, where the red light glowed and Grits & Glory took shape, 100% unfiltered Albert Castiglia, steeped in British-flavoured blues. The result is fierce, soulful, and alive, an album that crackles with history, heart, and the kind of grit that demands to be heard loud and lived with.
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Album Tracklist
1. In My America
2. I’m Afraid to Fall Asleep
3. Uncertainty
4. Michigan Avenue
5. Sack The Juggler
6. Slumlord Billionaire
7. The Milk Is Still Good
8. Don’t Burn Down The Bridge
9. When The Coin Came Callin’
10. Afro Blue
11. Yer Blues