Paul Oscher
Down In The Delta
Blues Fidelity (2005) BF1001
14 tracks, 51 minutes. Recommended. The name Paul Oscher should require little in the way of introductions for the seasoned blues listeners reading this, but for those unfamiliar with his background, Oscher's career stretches back to the 1960s when he became the first full-time caucasian bandmember in the ranks of the acclaimed Muddy Waters outfit. Over the years Paul has continued playing (save for a period in the 1980s when he quit the business) and has developed into a multi-instrumentalist of amazing power and capability. Recent recording projects have included his Electro-Fi release "Alone With The Blues," Johnny Dyer and Mark Hummel's "Rolling Fork Revisted," Hubert Sumlin's "About Them Shoes," and "That Represent Man" from the Mannish Boys, plus others. Much like his Electro-Fi set, the soon-to-be-released Down In The Delta features Oscher's talents as a vocalist as well as his remarkable guitar, harmonica, piano, and melodica playing, and for good measure, he gets support on a handful of tracks from pianist Dave Maxwell, bassists Calvin Jones, Mudcat Ward, or Ronnie James Weber, plus drumming assistance from Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Richard Innes, and Levon Helm. Oscher has retained the influences of Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Johnny Young and a cast of others, turned them into his own brilliant style, and here he delivers a rich blend of approaches from the lowdown Blues Before Sunrise with Paul's uncanny organ-sounding melodica, his Spann-infused piano on Blues And Trouble with grunting vocals, or his raspy rack-harp and guitar on standouts 32 - 20 Blues, I'm Goin' Away Baby, Sugar Mama, and Driftin' Blues. The true sleeper on the disc is the original So Lonesome where Paul's voice and throaty chromatic harmonica are pushed to stunning depths with Ward's rumbling bass and Helm's juke-joint drum work. While over-production and gimmicks have become accepted staples of the music industry, Paul Oscher will sit comfortably by with a few friends, and hopefully watch the world speed along as he continues making soulful, heartfelt blues records that stand as testaments to his deeply-rooted background. Set for a mid-July release, advance copies are now available. Simply wonderful stuff.
Paul Oscher
© 2005 by Craig Ruskey
Down In The Delta
Blues Fidelity (2005) BF1001
14 tracks, 51 minutes. Recommended. The name Paul Oscher should require little in the way of introductions for the seasoned blues listeners reading this, but for those unfamiliar with his background, Oscher's career stretches back to the 1960s when he became the first full-time caucasian bandmember in the ranks of the acclaimed Muddy Waters outfit. Over the years Paul has continued playing (save for a period in the 1980s when he quit the business) and has developed into a multi-instrumentalist of amazing power and capability. Recent recording projects have included his Electro-Fi release "Alone With The Blues," Johnny Dyer and Mark Hummel's "Rolling Fork Revisted," Hubert Sumlin's "About Them Shoes," and "That Represent Man" from the Mannish Boys, plus others. Much like his Electro-Fi set, the soon-to-be-released Down In The Delta features Oscher's talents as a vocalist as well as his remarkable guitar, harmonica, piano, and melodica playing, and for good measure, he gets support on a handful of tracks from pianist Dave Maxwell, bassists Calvin Jones, Mudcat Ward, or Ronnie James Weber, plus drumming assistance from Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Richard Innes, and Levon Helm. Oscher has retained the influences of Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Johnny Young and a cast of others, turned them into his own brilliant style, and here he delivers a rich blend of approaches from the lowdown Blues Before Sunrise with Paul's uncanny organ-sounding melodica, his Spann-infused piano on Blues And Trouble with grunting vocals, or his raspy rack-harp and guitar on standouts 32 - 20 Blues, I'm Goin' Away Baby, Sugar Mama, and Driftin' Blues. The true sleeper on the disc is the original So Lonesome where Paul's voice and throaty chromatic harmonica are pushed to stunning depths with Ward's rumbling bass and Helm's juke-joint drum work. While over-production and gimmicks have become accepted staples of the music industry, Paul Oscher will sit comfortably by with a few friends, and hopefully watch the world speed along as he continues making soulful, heartfelt blues records that stand as testaments to his deeply-rooted background. Set for a mid-July release, advance copies are now available. Simply wonderful stuff.
Paul Oscher
© 2005 by Craig Ruskey
