Smokestack Lightnin' Home Page -- The Blues Profile Page

D.C. & Co. is the brain child of songwriter, band leader, Dave Costarella. A late bloomer in the music business, he spent 8 years humming his originals to local musicians, in hopes of their help in turning the songs of his head into a tangible form. In 1992 Dave was 28 when guitarist Marshall Jones finally took him under his wing, and showed him the basics of the keyboard and uncorked a seemingly endless flow of original music that had been bottled up and building pressure for years.

In the early 90’s Dave debuted on the stages of Lancaster, PA with “D.C. & The Marshall Jones Band” and quickly realized that his original material stood strong beside the popular cover tunes of their sets.

In 1994 D.C. put together the first version of “The Lancaster Heat” (a combination of the areas top musicians) to record their first album “Somethin’s Definitely Goin’On”.

His varied blues styles, his philosophy of freedom within structure and his knack for gathering talented players who play, as he puts it “from the tips of their toes on up” brought wide acceptance to their debut album… .” It’s bluesy but it’s not blues. It’s rockin’ but it’s not rock. It’s jazzy but it’s not Jazz, I like it! It plays good and it listens real easy, D.C.’s got a sound all his own.” ….Ready Teddy (host of the Ready Teddy Show WWOZ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Station) said about this CD.

It wasn’t until 1997, with the success of their second release D.C. & Co.’s “Somethin’s Happenin’” that the band started performing live on a regular basis, in clubs and festivals throughout the N.E. States including monthly gigs at N.Y.C.’s “Chicago B.L.U.E.S.” Club, and being a frequent guest on “WBAI’s Gutbucket Blues” radio show” “Somethin’s Happenin’” received rave reviews in International press and air play on over 70 radio stations through out the nation, while continuously appearing on CMJ’s top 30 charts.

D.C. has performed, recorded and shared the stages with countless numbers of great musicians including, “Room Full Of Blues”, Tino Gonzales, Kenny Neil, Tinsley Ellis, Chris Beard, Robin Work and Frank DiNunzio.

D.C. and (his ever growing company of great musicians), continue to record and perform their wild roller coaster mix of high energy horn powered Rockin Blues, Swing, Funk, and Jazz. Their 2003 release, on Cold Wind Records, “Ain’t That Somethin’” is already receiving radio play in 7 countries and 26 States in the U.S