 [Larger view] | Paul Oscher - Alone With the Blues
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| Majestic Harmonica | |
| I first saw Paul Oscher play harmonica with Muddy Waters at the Gaslite cafe in New York's Greenwich Village, back in 1971. I remember the crowd going wild after every solo. He had a tone so deep, we went back two nights in a row. Last night, I was reading Living Blues magazine and there it was - an ad for "Alone With The Blues" by Paul Oscher on Electro-Fi. I quickly ordered the cd ... and what a joy it is. Opening up with "Walkin'", a mid-tempo instrumental, the chromatic harmonica sounds like a complete horn section. The vocals have a beautiful, down home feel. You don't get the overblowing of notes and histrionic vocals of many of his contemporaries. Oscher leaves space, going for the "less is more" approach. Dig the lonesome sound of "Standing At The Crossroads". At times, "Alone With The Blues" sounds as if he's backed by a full band. But it's only Mr. Oscher, alone, with echoes of Big Walter, Cotton - intertwined with Oscher's own original style. Pay attention to the standout slide-and-vocal on "Blues and Trouble" that is just riveting. Paul Oscher is a multi-instrumentalist who brings a gut-bucket-in-the-alley sound to every song on this CD. Harp players will find so many different positions utilizied by Oscher - and won't be disappointed. So get this CD, turn down the lights, and dig: because this is THE REAL DEAL. | |
| Paul Oscher "alone with the blues" | |
| This is a fine cd from former Muddy Waters band member. It covers a wide range of blues styles and showcases Oscher as blues singer,songwriter and multi- instrumentalist on the harmonica ,guitar,piano and melodica, Oscher plays the melodica through a leslie speaker and it sounds like a hammond organ. The whole cd is deep,deep blues of the kind that you dont hear enough of theses days. Oscher learned his lessons well. One of the best real blues cds I've heard in a long time. |
