Sean Costello

[stephenT]

Told Me A Lie - a personal fav, Sean played both the t90 i built him and my John How Ladder Braced concert (acoustic) on that track, so it hits me on several levels.

Have You No Shame - Written by our friend Donnie McCormick, Sean sings the ears off this one, plus a wonderfully left handed guitar solo, love it.

Can't Let Go - Wow, I happened to stop in the studio when Sean and Oliver Wood were recording this beauty.

Little Birds - Another one. Sean played a gig Fat Matts Rib Shack with me and Scott Callison (percussion) maybe a month before he passed, Fat Matts was the first music venue he ever played at 13, played there with Felix for years and the gig he did with me was the last time he played there. I have a phone video of Little Birds from that gig and it sends chills and starts tears every time i see it.

[mr tom]

Stephen, thanks for the input. Have You No Shame is incredible, I agree 1000%! Do you know if it was recorded prior to this year? That's the only reason I didn't list it - this category is a songwriter's award for 'new' compositions. (Little Birds is traditional and I think out of the running for the same reason[s].)

I'm nominating the album in the Contemporary Blues category, and Sean's getting nods for Guitarist and almost certainly Contemporary Blues Artist (Male) and Entertainer of the Year on my ballot.

[Shnook]

Originally Posted by mr tom

Here's something maybe you all can help me with. It's nominating time again for the Blues Music Awards, and I'm looking at We Can Get Together for Song of the Year candidates. Want to help? I lean toward:

Can't Let Go
Told Me A Lie
All This Time

but am open to other suggestions. What are your favorites off WCGT?

Thanks in advance!

It's hard to pick one to lean on, but I'd go with Can't Let Go.

[TwoFeets]

Man, so hard to pick just one, and I love the ones already mentioned. My personal choice would be "Feel Like I Ain't Got a Home.". I had a conversation with Sean at one point where he had been touring for quite a long time and he said he just wanted to get back home and take a little time off to clear his head and work on stuff. The first time I heard this song all I could think of was that conversation. The way he just took all of those emotions and set them to music, that's just true talent. I like it most because to me, it just seems most autobiographical.

[jjboogie]

Originally Posted by bbarnard

Well not Sean originals but we cover Goombay Rock and I Got Loaded as Sean did them (except we add horns instead of harp). Here's a link to a sound file of us covering Goombay.

http://www.6streetmusic.com/Goombay1.wma

Goombay Rock was always one of my favorites to play when gigging with Sean.....something about that groove......I could have played it for hours!

[bbarnard]

Originally Posted by mr tom

Here's something maybe you all can help me with. It's nominating time again for the Blues Music Awards, and I'm looking at We Can Get Together for Song of the Year candidates. Want to help? I lean toward:

Can't Let Go
Told Me A Lie
All This Time

but am open to other suggestions. What are your favorites off WCGT?

Thanks in advance!

To me there's only one choice, Going Home (to Live with God). Gives me chills everytime I hear it.

[bbarnard]

Originally Posted by jjboogie

Goombay Rock was always one of my favorites to play when gigging with Sean.....something about that groove......I could have played it for hours!

It is a blast to play. I've gotten much better at the little tricky single string stuff that he does at the start and the end of the solo than what that clip shows. That clip was done the first or second time we tried it.

[TwoFeets]

Goombay Rock was my son's favorite!

The first time I saw Sean play at the HOB kitchen in Orlando,they were doing that tune and maybe hadn't done it in a while. When it got to the chorus and that little backing vocal behind "Goombay," Matt Wauchope came in way off key. It cracked Sean and him up, so much so they had a hard time delivering the next lines.

[gkoelling]

Originally Posted by mr tom

Here's something maybe you all can help me with. It's nominating time again for the Blues Music Awards, and I'm looking at We Can Get Together for Song of the Year candidates. Want to help? I lean toward:

Can't Let Go
Told Me A Lie
All This Time

but am open to other suggestions. What are your favorites off WCGT?

Thanks in advance!

You really can't miss. I love all three of these but find myself hitting the repeat button after "Can't Let Go" all the time.

[stephenT]

Originally Posted by mr tom

Stephen, thanks for the input. Have You No Shame is incredible, I agree 1000%! Do you know if it was recorded prior to this year? That's the only reason I didn't list it - this category is a songwriter's award for 'new' compositions. (Little Birds is traditional and I think out of the running for the same reason[s].)

I'm nominating the album in the Contemporary Blues category, and Sean's getting nods for Guitarist and almost certainly Contemporary Blues Artist (Male) and Entertainer of the Year on my ballot.

Thanks for the PM Tom, will do. Gottcha on the"new compositions". Donnie wrote "Shame" years back and has recored it on a couple CDs. "Going Home.." is an old gospel number, so it couldn't work.

"Feel Like I Ain't Got a Home." was actually written a few years ago,... so I'd go with either,

Can't Let Go
Told Me A Lie

[Mr Meaner]

Originally Posted by mr tom

Here's something maybe you all can help me with. It's nominating time again for the Blues Music Awards, and I'm looking at We Can Get Together for Song of the Year candidates. Want to help? I lean toward:

Can't Let Go
Told Me A Lie
All This Time

but am open to other suggestions. What are your favorites off WCGT?

Thanks in advance!

On this are we narrowing it down to only songs that Sean wrote? Or... can it be just any song on the album? If it's just songs that Sean wrote does anyone know exactly which songs were his? Can we have the songs we can pick from?

Thanks!!!

[JohnK24]

Well, for my two cents for any Blues Music Awards..."Can't Let Go" just a killer song, that melody and the guitar leads throughout stick in my head all day...then the solo just lifts it up and away. It's written and performed so damn well it comes across as an R&B tune that's been around for decades. It would be a crime if WCGT doesn't get a Grammy nom for Contemporary Blues album imho.

[custom kid]

Originally Posted by JohnK24

Well, for my two cents for any Blues Music Awards..."Can't Let Go" just a killer song, that melody and the guitar leads throughout stick in my head all day...then the solo just lifts it up and away. It's written and performed so damn well it comes across as an R&B tune that's been around for decades. It would be a crime if WCGT doesn't get a Grammy nom for Contemporary Blues album imho.

Totally agree....'Can't Let Go' is a great song (by the way does anyone know what effect he is using on that song?...it sounds a little similar to a wah..but is different)

'All this Time' is another great one......they're all good...I haven't heard a weak one yet.

In my opinion - his original songs fitted seamlessly into his set along with the cover tunes...which is no easy feat considering he was playing tracks by guys like Al Green and other giants of soul, blues and RnB.

Was Sean a prolific writer - is there much/any unreleased original material?

[Strat-O]

Originally Posted by mr tom

Here's something maybe you all can help me with. It's nominating time again for the Blues Music Awards, and I'm looking at We Can Get Together for Song of the Year candidates. Want to help? I lean toward:

Can't Let Go
Told Me A Lie
All This Time

but am open to other suggestions. What are your favorites off WCGT?

Thanks in advance!

They are all unforgettable but "Hard Luck Woman" is the one I can't get out of my head. It sounds new and old at the same time. Great guitar riffs (note riffs...not just riff) that just get hung up in your head. Cool lyrics. Has a bridge that flat rocks. Killer composition, lyrics, and musicianship.

[stephenT]

Originally Posted by custom kid

Also - did Sean play acoustic much? Stephen I think I found an old post from you while I looked for info on Sean describing how you guys went shopping for acoustic guitars. How did his acoustic playing differ from the electric work?...were there different styles and influences that came out when he played acoustic?

We saw a Collings 000-1 (12 fretter) that Sean fell in love with at Maple St. Guitars here in Atlanta, he called me early the next day, couldn't get the Collings out of his head and we met again and he bought it. Sold it a couple years later when funds were an issue.

Sean was a big fan of Robert Lockwood Jr., he taught me Lockwood's version of CC rider. When he played acoustic, it was acoustic music. here are two acoustics that Sean also owned, the Epi I mentioned earlier and a vintage Washburn parlor. He had a decent Gibson L-00 that I put a pickup in but I believe Amy Helm ended up with that guitar.