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Yes, you could say all that about Sean Costello, and of course you’d
be right, although any description seems nearly as incomplete as
his life.
As a guitarist he was simply astounding, but he never let his technique
become an end in itself. For Sean it was never about showing off
monstrous chops or stroking his own ego. His playing always fit the
song; he would work the tone and phrasing, sometimes with an economy
of notes that let the empty spaces hang achingly for what seemed
like hours. And when he did take off on the occasional blazing run,
he was the ultimate net-less tightrope walker, throwing caution to
the wind, flirting fearlessly with danger at the very edge of the
abyss before bringing it all back home with the unlikeliest of phrases
that was still, somehow, perfect.
Sean began hitting the stages of Atlanta and Memphis as a very young
teenager, so it wasn’t until a few years later that he really came
into his own as a vocalist. But it wasn’t long before he really began
to nail it, putting all the passion and intensity of his guitar work
into his singing and becoming a thoroughly soulful, expressive singer.
Soon his songwriting caught up with his other talents. Whether he
was playing one of his own songs or covering a classic, Sean poured
the truest, rawest of emotions into his performances, which were
never less than thrilling.
Those of us who were lucky enough to share space and time with Sean
Costello during his short life will have powerful memories to hold
and revisit for years to come. For the rest of the world, Sean leaves
a rich legacy of recorded work.
And man, we sure do miss him.
– Richard Rosenblatt, April 21 2008
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It is with the deepest sadness that we issue this press release,
and the news that Delta Groove recording artist Sean Costello passed
away in Atlanta, GA on Tuesday, April 15th, one day before his 29th
birthday. Sean was not only a member of the Delta Groove musical
family, he was also a friend, and words cannot express the sorrow
we feel at having to say goodbye so soon. As blues music fans, we
unfortunately grow somewhat accustomed to the sadness of the inevitable
passing of musical elders after long and fruitful careers. Losing
someone as young, vibrant, and talented as Sean, who had accomplished
so much in just a few short years and still had so much potential,
is a terribly difficult blow, not only to those who knew him personally,
but for the music community as a whole. He had been unanimously praised
as one of the main torch-bearers of the blues flame for the coming
generations, and now that potential will go sadly unfulfilled.
Costello was born in Philadelphia in 1979, moved with his family
to Atlanta at the age of 9, and soon afterward picked up the guitar.
Within a few short years he'd won the Memphis Blues Society's new
talent award, and was on the road with his own band. At age 17 he
released his first album, "Call The Cops", acclaimed by
Real Blues Magazine as "an explosive debut." He soon joined
forces with fellow blues guitarist Susan Tedeschi, with whom he toured
and recorded, laying down tasteful lead guitar work on her Gold-certified
Tone-Cool debut "Just Won't Burn".
In 2000, Costello released "Cuttin' In" on Landslide Records,
which earned him critical acclaim as well as a prestigious W. C.
Handy Award nomination for 'Best New Artist Debut.' With 2002's "Moanin'
For Molasses", also on Landslide, came a Blues Revue cover story
touting Costello as "the top contender to be the next blues
star - and soon." Costello's hometown paper The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
called his guitar playing "masterful" and of "remarkable
maturity." The paper also compared him to such legends as B.
B. King, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
In 2005, his self-titled fourth CD "Sean Costello" was
released by Artemis Records. Produced by Steve Rosenthal (The Rolling
Stones, Suzanne Vega, Freedy Johnston), it was an appealing blend
of soul, funk, upbeat rock. He was joined by some very special guests:
Levon Helm of The Band sits in on two tracks, as does his daughter,
Amy Helm, with her group, Ollabelle. Steve Jordan, Willie Weeks and
the Conan O'Brien horn section also appear.
Sean's Delta Groove debut CD "We Can Get Together", just
released in February, was produced by Costello himself. He was justly
proud of "We Can Get Together", calling it the best work
he'd ever done, and the critics agreed, with excellent reviews from
radio and press alike lauding it his most impressive and mature work
to date.
Costello was fortunate enough to earn the respect and admiration
of many of his own idols, and had the opportunity to perform with
his mentors. He shared stages with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, James Cotton,
Pinetop Perkins, and Bo Diddley among many others. He recently said, "All
I've ever wanted to do was play the guitar well. I've been fortunate
to be able to make a living doing it, and I plan to keep it up for
the rest of my life."
Rand Chortkoff and Robert Fitzpatrick, the CEO and President respectively
of Delta Groove Music, issued the following joint statement: "Sean
Costello was a genius. He was destined to go down in music history
as a blues legend. His musical legacy will live on through his music
forever. We at Delta Groove Music and all his fans everywhere are
devastated by the untimely news of his death. Our thoughts and prayers
are with his family, loved ones and friends and to all of his many
fans around the world. He will not be forgotten."
Sean Costello
Sean Costello 1979 - 2008