Sean Costello

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Sean Costello

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Genre = Blues

Sean Costello (April 16 1979 – April 15 2008) was an American blues guitarist and singer. He released five critically-acclaimed albums before his career was cut tragically short by his sudden death at the age of 28. Tinsley Ellis called him ‘the most gifted young Blues guitarist on the scene... He was a triple threat on guitar, vocals and as a songwriter’. [http://www.jambands.com/News.phtml?newsfile=redesign_news363.html Jambands: Obituary by Rob Turner, April, 16, 2008 ] ]

Career

Born in Philadelphia, Costello moved to Atlanta at the age of 9 and began his career while still in high school. Obsessive about the guitar from a young age, he got hooked on the blues after buying a Howlin’ Wolf record. At 14 the young prodigy created a stir in a Memphis guitar shop, and an employee tipped his father off about a talent contest sponsored by the Beale Street Blues Society, which Costello duly entered and won. He formed his first band shortly after.

Costello’s first three albums are remarkable for the purity of his approach to a wide range of traditional blues material. He had a knack for picking obscure yet memorable songs, which were complemented by his own lively compositions. Costello recorded his first album, "Call The Cops" (1996), when he was just 16, already ‘displaying a flawless command of 1950s blues guitar’, in the words of music historian Tony Russell. [http://music.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,2279704,00.html Obituary: Sean Costello | Music | The Guardian ] ] His contribution to Susan Tedeschi's gold-selling album "Just Won't Burn," (1998) and lead guitar role in her touring band brought him wider exposure. By the time he recorded "Cuttin’ In" (2000) and "Moanin’ For Molasses" (2002), Costello's own unique sound was fully developed, and the maturity of his playing ensured these records were a hit with the critics.

Costello toured widely in the USA and Europe. His reputation as a brilliant live performer enabled him to play alongside blues luminaries such as Buddy Guy and B. B. King (Ma Rainey House benefit concert, Columbus, Georgia, June 1997) and Hubert Sumlin (South by Southwest, Austin, Texas, 2005). When not touring, Costello made a living playing small venues in his home town of Atlanta, Georgia, where he was a highly respected figure in the music community and always warmly received.

Sean Costello’s last two albums incorporate other strands of American music, particularly southern soul and R&B. The eponymous "Sean Costello" (2005) features multi-textured arrangements with a full band and horn section, whilst "We Can Get Together" (2008) showcases Costello’s last incarnation as part of a meaty three-piece, the production brilliantly capturing his edgy live sound. He often included a number of soul songs in his live set, which he infused with a blues sensibility through his expressive playing. He took this further on "Sean Costello" and "We Can Get Together" with songs of his own like No Half Steppin’ and Hard Luck Woman, that combine blues and soul in a style of his own.

Mark Wade of A1ArtistSpotlight conducted the last interview with Costello, in which Sean talked about his influences. [http://media.libsyn.com/media/a1artistspotlight/031_-_Sean_Costello_EX.mp3 Sean Costello's last interview at A1ArtistSpotlight (mp3 file)] ] This interview was conducted over the phone just a few hours before Sean passed away

Death

Sean Costello was found dead in his Atlanta hotel room on Tuesday, [http://www.macon.com/231/story/326242.html Bluesman Sean Costello dead] ] April 15, 2008, one day short of his 29th birthday. [ [http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15900187/detail.html Atlanta Bluesman Sean Costello Found Dead] ] He died of an accidental overdose of drugs that included prescribed anti-anxiety medication.

Posthumously, Sean's mother Debbie Smith established the Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research, whose information can be accessed through Sean Costello's official web site.

Releases

* "Call The Cops" (1996)
* "Cuttin' In" (2000)
* "Moanin' For Molasses" (2002)
* "Sean Costello" (2005)
* "We Can Get Together" (2008)

Notes

External links

* [http://www.seancostello.com Official website]
* [http://www.deltagroovemusic.com Delta Groove Music]
* [http://www.oraclesmusic.com/rants/rant_0013_sean_costello.php Commentary by Sir Hodge]