Biography

"COOL CAT" is NUMBER ONE on the LIVING BLUES CHARTS for December 2018!

DJs: Download "Sad Sad Christmas" for some lowdown Christmas blues!

Contact:
pauloscher.com@gmail.com

International Booking
PAT MORGAN
Blue Mountain Artists - patm@bmatours.com

North American Booking - pobluesbooking@gmail.com

Licensing Inquiries
BATES MEYER, INC.
(909) 547.0504 - nancy@batesmeyer.com

“Full of sheer blues genius and class at every turn. This is a release that mirrors this exceptional man’s own talent and legacy to full effect.” - Elmore Magazine

“His recordings are always exceptional but “Cool Cat” is the most comprehensive display of Oscher’s enormously varied talents.” - Making A Scene

“There isn't much low-down blues like this left in the world.” - The Morton Report

“Paul Oscher plays the blues I feel.” - Muddy Waters

ABOUT PAUL OSCHER
There is a documentary about Paul Oscher here.

Paul Oscher is a blues legend. A blues singer and multi-instrumentalist (harmonica, guitar and piano), who while still in his teens, became the first Caucasian member of the great Muddy Waters Blues Band (1967-1971).

Paul lived in Muddy’s house on Chicago’s South Side and shared the basement with blues piano player Otis Spann. Paul played the Chitlin’ Circuit and recorded with Muddy for the legendary Chess Records Company. He traveled the world with Muddy.

Besides Muddy, he has performed and/or recorded with T-Bone Walker, Otis Spann, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy,Johnny Young, Johnny CopeIand, Big Joe Turner, Louisiana Red, Big Mama Thornton, Victoria Spivey and many others.

As Muddy Waters harp player, Paul Oscher inspired a whole generation of blues players including Rick Estrin, Jerry Portnoy, Paul Delay, and William Clark. Paul is the real deal, he learned his blues from the masters. He plays only the real, unadulterated, down-in-the–alley, gutbucket blues. He is not a retro player. He just plays the blues the way he learned them… lowdown and lonesome and has been doing so for the last fifty years.

Paul was featured playing harmonica, guitar and singing on Hubert Sumlin's Grammy Nominated Album, "About Them Shoes," along with Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and Levon Helm.

In 2006 he collaborated with Mos Def and recorded the song "Bed Stuy Parade and Funeral March" on Mos Def's album "New Danger." He recorded with Keb Mo' in 2008 on the soundtrack of the film about the Blues, "Who Do You Love," and also he recorded on Keb Mo's "Suitcase Album.” Paul has won two Handy Blues Music Awards and has 9 Blues Music Award nominations. His previous recording, “Bet On The Blues,” was nominated for three Blues Music Awards. Paul has also appeared in many documentaries and books about the blues and is now in the process of writing his own book about his life in the blues.

Paul can be booked in a quartet, quintet or sextet format.

ABOUT THE RECORDING "COOL CAT"
"Cool Cat" is pure Paul Oscher, with beautiful old style blues timing and great stories that plant exotic pictures in your mind. On every track the instruments talk to one another, each one giving you a piece of the story. Paul sings a line, answers it with a powerful lick, and the band responds in kind. The playing is direct and forceful – nothing is tentative. And it’s all infused with Paul’s strong personality and distinctive view of the world.

You’ll laugh and nod in agreement as Miss Lavelle White tells the story of the “Dirty Dealin’ Mama” . You’ll shake your head in despair at “Poor Man Blues”. You’ll see whole films in your head while listening to “Mississippi” and “Ain’t That A Man”. “Money Makin’ Woman” will take you to New Orleans and “Hide Out Baby” will bring you to the south side of Chicago. Even “On The Edge”, Paul’s venture into jazz territory, is steeped in blues feeling. The cunning and seductive charm of “Work That Stuff” evokes memories of Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller).

Then there is the unforgettable title track “Cool Cat”, with its evocative prologue, where Paul in his own words tells a story about a Wino and his cat named Cool Cat. Cool Cat was tied to the wino’s waist and they were walking down the street in front of Muddy Waters house. The wino starts playing this beautiful melody on a white plastic recorder and all the kids in the area follow him, dancing and clapping. This is how the song “Cool Cat” came to be. Paul includes two versions of “Cool Cat” on the CD - a short swinging jazz one and a longer very danceable R&B style one which is used to wrap up the recording. Paul’s piano playing during “Cool Cat” conjures up the spirit of the Wino playing his plastic recorder, as the chorus sings “He’s a Cool Cat” to the sound of dancing children following the piper towards the horizon.

This is the stuff that has made the blues so timeless and compelling, and Paul Oscher delivers it with no punches pulled.