▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁where ▁his ▁tri o ▁successfully ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁city ' s ▁top ▁jazz ▁clubs — Bas in ▁Street , ▁The ▁Em bers , ▁The ▁H ick ory ▁House ▁and ▁Bird land . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁crit ically ▁la ud ed ▁by ▁the ▁lik es ▁of ▁Leonard ▁Fe ather ▁who ▁described ▁his ▁style ▁as ▁" assert ively ▁swing ing ," ▁and ▁Dave ▁Br ube ck , ▁who ▁had ▁known ▁Castro ▁since ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁as ▁" an ▁extremely ▁tal ented ▁individual , ▁a ▁fine ▁music ian , ▁an ▁excellent ▁pian ist ▁and ▁a ▁taste ful ▁perform er ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁to ▁be ▁associated ▁almost ▁exclus ively ▁with ▁Ted dy ▁Edwards , ▁Billy ▁H igg ins ▁and ▁L ero y ▁V inn eg ar . ▁ ▁" The ▁group ▁has ▁been ▁very ▁important ▁to ▁me ," ▁Castro ▁says . ▁" I ▁had ▁been ▁working ▁so ▁long ▁with ▁piano ▁tri os , ▁I ▁had ▁to ▁learn ▁how ▁to ▁play ▁less ▁and ▁say ▁more . ▁ ▁Actually ▁I ▁have ▁more ▁freedom ▁in ▁this ▁group ▁without ▁having ▁to ▁carry ▁the ▁load ." ▁ ▁Castro ▁recorded ▁and ▁performed ▁extens ively ▁with ▁The ▁Ted dy ▁Edwards ▁Quart et ▁while ▁also ▁making ▁two ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁record ings ▁as ▁a ▁leader ▁for ▁Atlantic ▁Records . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁album , ▁entitled ▁M ood ▁Jazz ▁( At l antic ▁ 1 2 6 4 ) ▁was ▁recorded ▁on ▁November ▁ 1