Those who have seen Nikki Hill sing her ass off agree—this isn’t just another newcomer on the scene, this is a ‘whiplash’ moment. Where did this fireball come from? Why haven’t I heard of her before? If you haven’t heard of Nikki Hill yet, you soon will, and once you see her perform, you won’t forget her.

Hill draws on vintage female rhythm and blues influences such as LaVern Baker, Etta James and Ruth Brown, as well as some of her favorite male singers Otis Redding and Solomon Burke, without being stuck or pigeonholed strictly as a ‘retro’ artist. Her tough vocal style fits with contemporary sensibilities yet evokes all the great blues shouters of previous decades. With the success of similar artists such as Amy Winehouse or Imelda May, Hill is poised to blaze her own trail in their wake.

Albert Castiglia pronounced “ka-STEEL-ya” is Keepin On With the release of his 5th CD.
Castiglia’s history is as colorful as his home town of Miami, Florida. He got a big break after meeting Junior Wells in 1996, and became Junior’s lead guitar player before Wells died in 1998. After Wells passed, he toured with Sandra Hall. Returning to South Florida after launching his solo career releasing his first CD, Burn (2002), a self-release, collaborating with his long time friend, Graham Wood Drout. Drout’s songs became the perfect vehicle for Castiglia’s soulful vocals. In 2006, he released A Stone’s Throw, his second album and first release for Blues Leaf Record. Castiglia and Drout also released a live CD together, titled Bittersweet Sessions, in 2005.His 2008 CD, These are the Days contained five original Castiglia songs, including a tribute to his mentor Junior Wells, “Godfather of the Blues.” The cover songs from These are the Days paid tribute to a wide range of styles and artists. These are the Days earned him a Blues Music Award nomination for “Song of the Year” for his original, “Bad Year Blues.” Castiglia was nominated again by the Illinois Blues Blast Awards and walked away a winner for “Song of the Year” for “Bad Year Blues,” as well as being nominated for the “Sean Costello Rising Star Award.” Keepin On features five new original tunes, plus other covers of songs by John Lee Hooker, Mack Rice, T-Bone Walker, Robert Nighthawk and Bob Dylan “I did two acoustic songs and enlisted dobro genius Toby Walker for them,’ says Castiglia about the new CD. “Toby came in originally to play on a song I wrote called ‘Sweet Southern Angel.’ That went so well and quickly, that we wound up doing another number for the hell of it, Robert Nighthawk's ‘Murderin' Blues.’

The result is a fascinating journey into what Albert feels is his best work to date.

Joel DaSilva has blues running through his veins. Born and raised in his sweet home, Chicago, DaSilva hails from a musical family. His mother and father traveled throughout Brazil and Ukraine, his mother a singer and father accompanying her on guitar. His father passed away when he was 3, but Joel continues to channel that soulful energy in his live performances to this day.

As soon as he was old enough to work, Joel took a job as a bar back in a blues joint where his older brother tended bar. The goal was to get closer to the music, immersing in the scene. Eventually, he was setting up equipment for touring bands and getting to know them in exchange for lessons from the masters and lessons in Music Business 101.

By the age of 18, DaSilva joined his first band as lead guiotarist for Junior Drinkwater & the Thirstquenchers. He went on to play guitar and sing in jump blues in the Regulators, psychobilly, and surf-oriented band The Underbellies, and the frontman for rockin' blues act, the Hep Cat Boo Daddies before breaking out on his own as a solo artist.

Joel DaSilva and the Midnight Howl formed and with a resume that includes performances with heavy hitters like B.B. King, A.C.Reed, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Reverend Horton Heat and opening for acts as varied as: J.J. Grey, Nick Curran, the Smithereens, Foghat, Los Lobos, The White Stripes , The Black Crowes, Nighthawks, and Jimmie Vaughan, etc,etc

DaSilva has already made a mark in the industry; and is poised to become a power player..

Joel also enjoys Acting as he has been in some regional theatre, some indie films , extrawork, and is currently playing Sheriff Cousins and also doing Soundtrack work for the indie film "Sleep".

Ben Prestage’s musical background began before he was born... even before his parents were born. Ben’s great-grandmother was a Vaudeville musican who toured with Al Jolson and also participated in medicine shows. Her daughter was a Boogie-Woogie pianist and painter who used to play for Ben when he was coming up. On the other side of the family tree, his grandfather, who was a Mississippi sharecropper turned Ben onto the sounds and culture of Mississippi and Blues in general.