Paul Oscher Cool Cat

Paul Oscher
Cool Cat
Blues Fidelity

In his liner notes to "Cool Cat," Paul Oscher notes his long friendship with the late James Cotton including unexpectedly moving three doors down from him when Oscher moved to Austin from Los Angeles in 2012. After mainly doing out of town gigs, he tells how he started playing with his neck rack, guitar, and mic at a BBQ place, but after several months the property the place was on was sold to a developer. Then he started playing at another club, and after trying his solo gig, he started playing with a five-piece band that included Mike Keller on guitar, Corey Keller on drums, Sarah Brown on bass, and Tommy Robinson on sax. They are heard behind Oscher, except for Corey Keller, on this new release. Others heard include bassist Johnny Ace, drummer Russell Lee, guitarist Mike Schermer, Tomas Ramirez on tenor sax, Russell Lee and Lavelle White on vocals, Kid Andersen on bass and June Core on drums.

Oscher is mostly heard playing piano but also heard on guitar and harmonica in addition to his singing and contributed an intriguing set of originals except for a cover of "Rollin' and Tumblin'" credited to Muddy Waters. It is a well-played mixed set of performances opening with a bit of New Orleans flavor, "Money Makin' Woman," where he displays his piano chops and ability as a singer. "Blues and Trouble" is a strong, slow blues that displays the influence of Otis Spann on his piano (and vocal) with Mike Schermer contributing solid guitar fills, while "Hide Out Baby," is a rocking shuffle with him playing guitar and neck rack harmonica with interplay between his guitar and that of Schermer and then a strong harmonica solo. "Work That Stuff" finds his harmonica in a Sonny Boy Williamson II mode with a spare, effective backing.

He does a monologue (some amusing storytelling) that is a prologue to the title track that leads into a jazz quartet performance of the title track with saxophonist Ramirez standing out on a diverting performance. This group is also present for the brief "On the Edge," where Ramirez again stands out. Russell Lee recites Oscher's poem "Mississippi Poem," before Lee's spoken vocal "Ain't That a Man," Oscher's tribute to James Cotton backed by Oscher's guitar and Keller's bass line. Lee also sings strongly on "Poor Man Blues." Miss Lavelle White is featured on "Dirty Dealin' Mama," set to a "Hootchie Kootchie Man" groove, authoritatively belting out the lyric.

A more extended, R&B rendition of the title track showcases Robinson's gritty sax closes an entertaining recording by a very cool blues cat.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the January-February 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 382). Here is Paul on slide guitar performing Muddy Waters' "Honey Bee."

Marcia Ball Shine Bright

Marcia Ball

Shine Bright
Alligator Records

It's been a 50 year run for Marcia Ball performing her mix of Gulf Coast blues and rhythm music and this is her seventh album for Alligator to go along 8 similar albums for Capitol, Antone's and Rounder. With her mix of a rollicking piano in the vein of Professor Longhair and Fats Domino and soulful singing influenced by the great Irma Thomas, she has been thrilling blues and roots audiences as a touring performer for nearly forty years. This latest recording was produced by Steve Berlin who adds baritone sax to many tracks with others heard here including guitarist Mike Schermer, organist Red Young, bassist Lee Allen Zeno and guitarist and accordionist Roddie Romero. Of course, Ball herself is at the center with her soul-laced singing and New Orleans-rooted boogie piano, as well as contributed nine originals to go with three interpretations of songs from other sources.

As to be expected there are plenty of hot grooves, rocking piano and searing guitar starting off with the title track and her fervent message of hope in these times and then followed by the second line funk of Ernie K-Doe's "I Got to Find Somebody" to love her right. Her piano captures on this the spirit of Allen Toussaint (who this album is dedicated to along with Fats Domino and Buckwheat Zydeco) and Eric Bernhardt's tenor sax solo is firming in the classic New Orleans tradition. There is more Crescent City fun on an original she wrote with Shelly King and Tim Cook, "When the Mardi Gras Is Over."

Gary Nicholson co-wrote, "They Don't Make 'Em Like That," with its complaint that the music of today doesn't hold up or is as lasting as the blues and country of yesteryear. Bernhardt shining. Mike Schermer co-wrote "Life of the Party," with its calypso groove along with Enrique Chi's fiery trumpet, followed by her heartfelt blues singing on Ray Charles' "What Would I Do." "Once in a Lifetime" is a soulful original where she advises the guys if it is really true love, make sure you treat her fine. Schermer takes a tightly constructed short solo. Then there is her heartfelt hope that we all come together on "World Full of Love," with just her piano, Young's organ and Schermer's acoustic guitar providing the effective, austere backing.

A boisterous zydeco-inspired rendition of Jesse Winchester's "Take a Little Louisiana," with Romero channeling Buckwheat Zydeco on accordion, is the finale of this Ball recording. This superb recording is full of first-rate material and splendidly sung and played music, that one has come to expect from Marcia Ball.

I received my review copy from Alligator Records. Here is a live studio session to promote "Shine Bright."

Andy Santana And The West Coast Playboys Watch Your Step!

Andy Santana is a triple threat as a singer, guitarist and harmonica player (and he is also a songwriter) whose name will be most familiar to those of the West Coast, but some may have seen his name as a sideman to some albums or perhaps have his independently produced recordings. Anyway his profile will rise greatly with the release of "Watch Your Step!" by Andy Santana And The West Coast Playboys on Delta Groove. The West Coast Playboys include Kid Andersen (who co-produced this with Andy), Anthony Paule, Mike Schermer, Bob Welsh, Rusty Zinn (who penned the liner notes), Lorenzo Farrell and June Core.

While there are a few Santana originals sprinkled in, most of this are taken of covers of songs that have not been cooked and burned to death (no "Sweet Home Chicago" type numbers). Santana is a wonderful singer that sings with a natural, relaxed soulfulness akin to such Gulf Coast legends as Tommy McClain, Warren Storm, Freddy Fender and Doug Sahm. And he brings a distinctive attack to the guitar (Rusty Zinn likens him to the love child of Wild Jimmy Spruill and Johnny Guitar Watson) and his harp playing is terrific.

What a range of material too from the opening swamp rocker by Carol Fran "Knock Knock"; a tasty cover of Bobby Parker's title tune that is modeled on Parker's original recording. It showcases Santana's crisp, biting guitar, and is ably sung (although he is not on Parker's level); "Playgirl," one of two Smiley Lewis songs here, on which he takes both guitar and harp solos (his harp playing suggests some of Papa Lightfoot's recordings); the rollicking "You May Not Know: with a smokin' groove and a performance (with backing vocals) suggestive of Clyde McPhatter and the Drifter's "What Ya Gonna Do"; a song co-written with Rick Estrin, "No Double Talk," with Kid Andersen adding greasy fafisa organ and shattering Ike Turner-styled guitar; and a terrific instrumental, "Greaseland" (named after Andersen's studio) which showcases several of the guitarists. The rest of the performances on "Watch Your Step!" are similarly impressive making for an impressive recording.

I received my copy from Delta Groove. Here is Delta Groove's video promoting this recording.