Search - Paul Geremia :: Devils Music

Excellent performance, Great recording!

06/21/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have the good fortune to be from Paul's hometown, so I've had the pleasure of seeing him perform many times. Although I'm inclined to take His Blues Excellency somewhat for granted, "The Devil's Music" blew me away on several levels. I bought the CD from Paul at a local club in Newport, RI. (It's cheaper at Amazon, though). The gig performance was especially good. So, when I got home I decided not to play the CD since the live sounds were still dancing in my head. After looking at the jewel case for awhile, I thought I'd pop it in for a quick listen. At the first cut, "Lost Mind", I started looking around the room to see if Geremia had followed me home and was sitting there in my living room with his 20's vintage Stella 12-string. (I even checked the kitchen and the bathroom - nobody there.) I looked at the liner notes and read that there were no over-dubs. Everything was "live in the studio". "The recording was done on high speed analog tape..." I was amazed at the true quality of the guitar, harmonica, and vocal sounds. It sure felt like the man was right there. I think Paul's on to something in recording technique. Geremia's guitar playing is beyond description, so I won't try. His rock-steady voice just keeps getting better. The textures and overtones of his voice conjured up visions of vocalists like Mose Allison, Fed Neil, and Tim Hardin - each appearing briefly through Paul's rich delivery. I'm sure there are many other influences I didn't pick up on. But it's typical of Geremia's work that it's a living embodiment of all that came before him but, with the unique contributions of his own special skills. In that way, he's kind of a blues time machine.The album presentation is excellent. Paul provides decent background notes on the covers and provides lyrics to his original stuff. The repetoir is very fine. He also explains the title of the CD. If you care at all about the blues, treat yourself to this excellent slice of "The Devil's Music"!"

A great pleasure awaits you.

08/21/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You may be a blues fan that has not yet discovered Paul Geremia. You may be a music fan that has not discovered Paul Geremia. Slick guitar, throaty vocals - betcha can't tell which songs are his and which are the classics he does so well. The Devil's Own is his best work so far. You won't be disappointed. GUARANTEE!"