Joe Castro

At one time a topflight soloist and accompanist in textbook bop fashion, Joe Castro eventually departed jazz world for more profitable territory of show biz and Las Vegas. He began playing professionally at 15 in his Pittsburg, California hometown. Castro formed his own trio upon completing his army service in 1947, working on both the West Coast and in Hawaii. During the '50s he backed vocalists Anita O'Day and June Christy before joining Teddy Edwards' band in 1959. Castro recorded and performed with Edwards and also made his own recordings as a leader before becoming music director for Tony Martin from 1961 to 1963. Since that time, he has been busy accompanying vocalists and playing in Las Vegas pit bands, only rarely returning to straight ahead jazz world.