Artist:     Sean Costello

Album:     In The Magic Shop

Label:     VizzTone

Release Date:     10/21/2014

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BUY PHYSICAL

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Sean Costello burst upon the scene as a gifted child prodigy. His incendiary guitar playing, heart wrenching singing and the easy way he switched genres of music were all impressive. He was true to his calling and the song became the important thing to him: if he felt the song wanted less, he toned it down and let the silence speak for him, and he wasn’t afraid to let it all out ifthere was a fire breathing dragon waiting inside to burst forth. When Sean Costello died in 2008, it seemed we had lost another rising star far too early.  In The Magic Shop was recorded in 2005 by him and his tried-and-true bandmates; it is being released with assistance  from VizzTone Music and The Magic Shop to support The Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research (100% of the profits go to the fund).

There are six songs either written or co-written by Sean; the remaining six are written by the likes as B.B. King, Rod Stewart, and Bobby.  His regular tourmates (Paul Linden on harmonica, vibraphone, and keyboards; Melvin Zachery on bass; and Ray Hagen on drums and percussion) back him up; now and again a guest is thrown in to add a bit of spice to the mix.  In The Magic Shop is a solid record highlighted as Sean’s “Hard Luck Woman” and the delicate touch needed to do good service to the Fenton Robinson tune, “You Don’t know What Love Is.”  Though the roots of Sean’s music is in the blues, the tunes are quite varied and show his ability to handle different kinds material. In The Magic Hour does fine service to a prodigy taken from us far too early.

– Bob Gottlieb