Customer Reviews

Deep Blues of Paul Oscher

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is unbelievably good. I say this as someone who has been collecting blues records, listening to blues performers, and hosting blues radio programs for over 25 years. The blues on this album are indeed DEEP as well as entertaining. Oscher is barely known outside a very small circle, but that is no measure of his skill, talent, or total mastery of the blues genre.

I was turned onto this record from the excellent Muddy Waters biography "Can't Be Satisfied" (there is a great DVD documentary out now too). Paul played with Muddy and clearly learned a lot. This album sounds so organic (you almost ARE there), and it features the great ensemble playing of the best Chicago blues bands. In fact it wouldn't be hard to picture Muddy himself playing these songs. That is ultimately the down side to this album. Paul Oscher is a great talent and sings well (many think white people can't sing the blues) but at times his vocal inflections recall his old boss. At those times you just wish it was Muddy singing, and know that it would be just that much better. This is only 4 stars, because Muddy was the best and he's 5. This is not in print but you can find it at half.com and other sites as well no doubt. It is well worth picking up and sounds vintage, classic, and performed with the care and craft you'd expect from someone who learned from Muddy himself. Paul Oscher deserves a bigger name in his own right. Hopefully releases like this will help him make it.

The songs here are clever and original, without losing their blues flavor, and Oscher's vocals sell the tunes well enough..but he's a -harp player- folks, and these samples don't have much of that... so if you already like what you hear, it will only get better, and if you were looking for more fire, it's there on the full version.

This album is unbelievably good. I say this as someone who has been collecting blues records, listening to blues performers, and hosting blues radio programs for over 25 years. The blues on this album are indeed DEEP as well as entertaining. Oscher is barely known outside a very small circle, but that is no measure of his skill, talent, or total mastery of the blues genre.