Englewood Shrimp & Music Festival

Miami-raised Albert Castiglia served an apprenticeship while backing legendary blues musician Junior Wells. He later went on to work with singer Sandra Hall. Never content to allow himself to be confined to any particular category, he embarked on a solo career that’s yielded many critically-acclaimed albums and consist kudos for his exceptional instrumental prowess, his searing vocals, and live performances that have dazzled audiences from coast to coast. It’s little wonder that Miami’s New Times lauded him as South Florida’s “Best Blues Guitarist” or that USA Today was inspired to remark “It’s a revelation to discover the thrilling retro-electric blues from this astonishing young guitarist.” M Music & Musicians once noted, “His back-to-basics approach follows in the footsteps of those who fostered the blues in the Mississippi Delta and the smoky late-night haunts of Chicago.” After the highly successful and critically acclaimed release of Masterpiece on Gulf Coast Records, Castiglia was nominated for two Blues Music Awards in the categories of Blues Rock Album of the Year and Blues Rock Artist of the Year and won Blues Rock Album of the Year..

Tampa’s Damon Fowler, a masterful singer, guitar player and songwriter, has absorbed the best of and furthered the work of the region’s definitive artists.  A hard driving troubadour, his music is steeped with soul and representative of the many styles that make up the roots of American music. He has gained the respect of his peers given his featured slot in Butch Truck’s Freight Train band and his side gig as guitarist in the Dickey Betts Band.  Critics have compared Fowler’s guitar work to Johnny Winter and Jeff Beck, while his slide guitar is reminiscent of the late Duane Allman. Fowler can play fiery guitar runs with the best of them, and his lyrical work on lap steel and dobro makes him a stand out performer among the legions of guitar heroes.  His new release, ALAFIA MOON, combines all the influences that have shaped his distinctive blues career. 

On the strength of Fowler’s hybrid of roots rock, blues, and sacred steel, the Florida native started wowing audiences with his musical exploits as a teenager, building a reputation as one of the hottest young players on the scene. Adding songwriting and vocal skills to his repertoire over the years has brought him many accolades, with music journalists extolling his originality and maturity as well as his technical guitar expertise. All of these attributes have helped further define Damon Fowler as one of the great Southern artists of his time.

Dave has developed a style all his own and has written, recorded, and released three albums, “Rockin’ Roulette” (1980), “Something for the Pain” (1992), and “The Legacy” (2004-2005). The band also has “Live at the Contemporary Arts Center” (2003).  Dave plows a path between the rootsy and the revolutionary.

Dave is a legendary songwriter who now calls Florida home. He is considered by many to be one of  the best blues guitarist in the industry. It has been said by some that his every performance is a soul stirring, spontaneous healing experience.

The GASHOUSE GORILLAS are a five piece Female fronted ROCK band out of the Sarasota/Charlotte county

J.P. Soars is soaring high, touring the world after releasing a new studio album last Fall, LET GO OF THE REINS, produced by Tab Benoit on Benoit’s Whiskey Bayou label. Soars was also nominated for “Blues Rock Artist of the Year” in the 40th annual Blues Music Awards, alongside blues music heavyweights Billy Gibbons, Eric Gales, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Tinsley Ellis, rounding out the Blues Rock category.

5 Piece Band of Friends that loves to see you having as much fun as we are!

Kettle of Fish plays “festiblues”, a term for the kind of festival music that features blues, soul and funk with the energy of rock n’ roll. They make old songs new again, and their originals sound like classics. Kettle of Fish is one of the hottest live acts in Southwest Florida, headlining to thousands, and opening for such acts as Eddie Money, Marshall Tucker, Elvin Bishop, Dickey Betts (three times, who called the band “intimidating”) and many more playing mostly originals and deep track covers.

Kettle has been led by singer and principal songwriter Dana Lawrence since its inception in 2001. Current members include Greg Poulos on guitar (formerly with the Freddie King Band, the Venturas, Rock Bottom), Chris Guertin on bass (Big Kahuna Band), Rick Andre on drums (has toured with the Platters, Ben E King, Chuck Berry) and Robin Swenson on keys (Four Seasons, Aretha Franklin). Other honorary members include Thorson Moore, the rising star Kevin Miller on guitar, Garrett Dawson on drums/percussion, Andy Wallace or Matthew Frost on keys (when available), Jimmie Fadden (nitty Gritty Dirt Band) on drums and harmonicas and other friends of the road.

Florida-born Sean Chambers is an American blues rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Sean began his career in 1998 when he toured with the legendary Hubert Sumlin as his guitarist and band leader until 2003.  During his time with Hubert Sumlin, Sean was named by Britain’s Guitarist Magazine as “one of the top 50 blues guitarists of the last century.”

His main guitar playing influences are the work of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and his early professional music experience was gained while touring for four years backing Hubert Sumlin. Chambers has worked with a variety of amazingly-talented blues musicians.

Jonathon Long:  lead guitar, vocals

GENRES:  Southern-inspired Blues – Rock

Jonathon Long hails from Baton Rouge and at 29 years old, he has established himself regionally in an area rich with blues legacy tracing to Buddy Guy, Kenny Neal, Tabby Thomas, Lightnin’ Slim and others. Yet, Long doesn’t try to emulate any one of them.  Long has been growing his fan base non-stop. Playing festivals the world over, including his yearly spot at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has honed his skills to a razor’s edge.

Jonathon has released two CDs to the critics delight on Louisiana Red Hot Records under the name Jonathon “Boogie” Long. He has performed many festivals and venues around the world including New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Grolsch Blues Festival, Telluride Blues and Brews, and on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. Jonathon’s blues continues to evolve without any barrios and without any restraints. His style, tone, and the way he delivers the song lyrically with the dynamics and soul that make him and his guitar a great story teller and an exciting Artist.

• Maggie Noelle:   vocals, guitar
• Ryan Allen:   keyboard
•        :  drums
• Gregg Erwin:   guitar
• John Roberts:   bass

GENRES:   Soul – Blues – Rock

“When we’re onstage we play with a lot of emotion.” Noelle says.  “And then we feed off the crowd’s emotional reaction to us and we git it right back to them.”

Central to the Magnolia Boulevard experience is a sound that flows easily and seamlessly from a multitude of stylistic tributaries.  There’s plenty of blues, soul and rock ’n roll in the mix, but also elements of funk, jam band, folk, country, bluegrass and psychedelia.  It’s all fueled by the rhythm section’s elastic grooves. shot through with Erwin’s expressive and incisive slide guitar licks and topped by Noelle’s soul-stirring, powerhouse vocals.

“I think it was Gregg Allman who once said, ‘If there’s 10,000 people in the audience and they have one-and-a-half problems each, that’s 15,000 problems out there,” says Erwin. “So if you can put your heart into something and get onstage and help the audience forget about those problems for a couple of hours, then, you know, your job’s done. That’s the greatest satisfaction one can achieve, I believe.”

GENRES:  Blues – Rock – Variety

Mike Tozier is one of the longest-running acoustic musicians in the Bay area.  Mike plays with a barrelhouse-style reminiscent of John Hammond and guitar prowess to spare on his dobro and acoustic guitar. A Best of the Bay award-winning artist, Mike remains a down-to-earth, salt-of-the-earth fellow that puts on a heck of a show merging country, folk, Delta Blues and Americana.