Description
Exclusive to propermusic.com: Pre-Order Grits & Glory and get a free Art Card with QR code to unlock 2 Bonus Tracks - a pair of Hendrix covers recorded at Hendrix Handel House!
As part of Albert's pilgrimage to Britain, he paused at places considered holy by anyone with musical inclination. One such stop was 25 Brook Street, London, the former home of the icon Jimi Hendrix.
Hendrix arrived in London as an apostle of the blues, sent to show the world what was possible with raw feeling, fearless innovation, and an upside down Fender.
It was here, inside Hendrix's former bedroom at Handel Hendrix House, that Albert immersed himself in the presence of his musical paramour and recorded two of Hendrix's most prolific tracks, Little Wing and Hey Joe.
This visit held deep personal meaning. Albert saw a powerful parallel in Hendrix's story: an American bluesman who came to London to lay it bare, challenge expectations, and prove a point to the world.
The recordings were originally made for Albert's own archive, a private moment captured in a place heavy with history. But as the journey toward Grits & Glory took shape, it became clear how integral these recordings were to the story behind the album.
An exclusive postcard art card features a QR code that unlocks downloads of these two intimate recordings, Little Wing and Hey Joe, as a thank you for supporting the release and for walking alongside Albert on this journey.
Albert Castiglia isn't pulling any punches on Grits & Glory, his latest solo studio album on Gulf Coast Records, recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. The record feels like a full-circle moment - reconnecting Albert with the wide-eyed, guitar-slinging kid from New York whose world was flipped from black and white to technicolor by an 8-track of Rubber Soul on the way to a ball game.
That spark of curiosity sent him chasing sounds and players - Jeff Beck, John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page - whose influence has echoed through Castiglia's playing ever since. British blues always felt essential to his DNA... just out of reach. Until now.
The idea ignited during a 2023 European tour, when Albert and Gulf Coast Records' Olly Overton began talking about bringing him back to Britain to record. Castiglia was all in - on one condition: he'd do it with his road band, Cliff Moore on bass and Ray Hangen on drums. The final piece fell into place with producer Dave Gross, a longtime friend with deep Abbey Road knowledge and a trusted history with Albert, having produced Solid Ground. With the team assembled, the vision was locked.
Once the label gave the green light, there was only one possible home for the sessions: Abbey Road. Ahead of recording, Albert immersed himself in British culture, stopping in Birmingham to walk the streets that shaped Black Sabbath and Tony Iommi - heroes who left a lasting mark on his musical soul. With the passing of Ozzy Osbourne, the visit carried added weight and reflection. Then it was on to London, where the red light came on and Grits & Glory took shape - 100% unfiltered Albert Castiglia, steeped in British-flavoured blues.
The result is fierce, soulful, and alive, an album that crackles with history, heart, and the kind of grit that demands to be heard loud and lived with.
