May 13, 2016 7:00 PM Doors Open: 6:30 PM Tickets
Paul Oscher -blues singer, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist (harmonica, guitar, piano, bass harp and melodica) was the first white musician to become a member of the great Muddy Waters blues band (1967- 71). He was Muddy’s harp player and recorded with Muddy for the legendary Chess label. Paul lived in Muddy’s house on Chicago’s Southside and shared the basement with the great Otis Spann. His 2006 “Down in the Delta” cd won two (WC Handy) Blues Music Awards for “Acoustic Album of the Year” and “Acoustic Artist of the Year.” Paul’s Album Alone with the Blues on the Electro-Fi label was nominated for four W.C. Handy awards. Paul has just released new album “Bet on the Blues” which features Paul in solo, trio and ensemble settings. This album was recorded live and in the studio and contains performances from his acclaimed solo show “Alone with the Blues” which has garnered rave reviews from critics, fans, and promoters. “Bet on the Blues has just been nominated for 2011 Blues Music Awards in three categories Acoustic Album of the Year, Acoustic Artist of the year and Instrumentalist – harmonica. Paul Oscher’s been playing those low down blues for over four decades. Besides Muddy, Paul has performed and/or recorded with a who’s who in the world of blues including John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Big Mama Thornton, Otis Spann, Buddy Guy, Big Joe Turner, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jimmy Rogers, Hubert Sumlin, Johnny Young, Johnny Copeland, Keb Mo, Mos Def, Victoria Spivey, Louisiana Red, Levon Helm, the list goes on. In 2000, Paul Oscher moved to L.A. with his wife, playwright and novelist, Suzan-Lori Parks (the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer prize in the drama category, for her play Topdog/Underdog. Urged on by his wife, Paul is also trying his hand at writing down his experiences in the blues. Excerpts from his almost finished book “Alone with the Blues” have already been published in the companion book to the PBS series Martin Scorcese Presents the Blues. Paul Oscher has lived such a rich and adventurous life, yet he is humbled by those experiences. “I always try to thank the high power. The real gift of talent is not the ability to be able to play, it is the gift of the love you have for the music. That’s what takes you over the hurdles.
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