San Francisco, California is one of America's premier rock and roll towns, once home to such legendary groups as The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. But, as VOA's Doug Levine tells us, the Bay Area also has a thriving blues scene, thanks in part to singer, guitarist and bandleader Tommy Castro.

Tommy Castro

For the 52-year-old vocalist and electric guitar virtuoso, sudden national acclaim is bittersweet. Longtime fans may remember when he was just starting out on the San Francisco blues circuit. Back then, the hours were longer and the tours more grueling. It wasn't unusual to find him playing seven nights a week, sometimes two or more shows a day. But Castro couldn't have been happier.

He once said, "When I was a kid, music was something I did for fun." He remarked that, "Later, it became obvious that music was the thing I was meant to do, so I made a decision to pursue it as a career."

On Painkiller, Castro revives songs by two other blues greats, Freddie King and Albert Collins. The album also features original songs blending Castro's trademark mix of electric blues, rock and soul.