Albums Of The Week: Emanuel Casablanca | Strung Out On Thrills
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: Emanuel Casablanca is an outlaw bluesman, a Brooklynite with a brave, modern style and a work ethic like none other. He doesn't just want to keep the blues alive; he wants it to thrive. "Every roots-music genre has evolved," says Casablanca. "It is not enough to just keep something alive; we should want it to thrive and to do so we have to think differently and get proactive about it."
Emanuel Casablanca - Strung Out On Thrills. Coverart
His sophomore album Strung Out On Thrills, produced by Casablanca and Paul Howells, is solely blues and blues-rock based that truly owns the sound of minor blues. Several of his peers are featured on this album, including Elliot Sharp and Blues Music Award nominee Joanna Connor.
With Strung Out On Thrills, two feature films and a 2024 Art Basel Miami show underway, Casablanca is clearly an artist who possesses the ability, ingenuity, and the passion to succeed. Over the course of his career, he has worked with an array of A-list performers, including bassist and producer Bill Laswell; drummer Daxx Nielsen of Cheap Trick; vocalist Bernard Fowler, a touring member of The Rolling Stones; bassist Doug Wimbish of the Grammy-winning band Living Colour; guitar slingers such as Eric Gales, Paul Gilbert and blues greats including Albert Castiglia, Kat Riggins, and Grammy winner Jimmy Carpenter.
Emanuel Casablanca. Courtesy
Casablanca credits his artistic nature to his mother, who was an arts advocate and educator in his formative years. Although at the time he didn't appreciate the gifts she was instilling in him, he has always stated that he wouldn't have the creative insight he has without her.
"My mother was a music teacher, as well as the choir director at our church," he states. "Since my youth, she had me in painting classes, acting classes and other stuff I didn't necessarily appreciate. My siblings and I all had to play an instrument. My sisters sang in a vocal group when I was a child. My first instrument was a violin that I was given when I was four years old. But I hated it, so I broke it after smashing it repeatedly."
As for his own intents, Emanuel states his case succinctly. "I feel a burning passion when it comes to making music," he declares. "I've felt that way as far back as I can remember. My ears are attuned to musical sounds and an absolute love of lyricism. What's more, I'm inspired by so many musicians, different genres, poets, and performers. However, the message I want to convey in my music is more about emotion than anything else. I don't overthink it. I just let the feelings take charge and wherever those sentiments lead, that's the place my playing needs to be."
Casablanca released his debut album, Blood On My Hands, in August 2022. It was an eloquent and expressive set of songs - each offering different sides of his persona and bringing his ideas and intents to the surface. "I made it a point with that album to try to explore the essence of an imperfect past," Emanuel insists. "There are things that I've done that I've tried to repent for, and in exorcising those demons, I've made an attempt to come clean and reveal my true self, despite all the flaws and imperfections."
