This is Paul Oscher's rendition of Kenny Burrell’s great jazz classic Chitlin’s Con Carne which first appeared on his album Midnight Blue in the late fifties. If you don’t have that album get it (highly recommended). Chitlins Con Carne was among a group of instrumental songs played as warm up tunes by many of the Chicago Blues bands of the sixties, also in their instrumental repertoire were other great jazz blues standards like Moanin’ by Art Blakey, Chicken Shack and Work Song among others. Junior Wells first recorded Chitlin’s Con Carne on his great 60’s Delmark Album “Hoodoo Man Blues”and it has since been a standard among blues harmonica players. This session was very impromptu. Paul was recording at Kid Andersen’s house in San Jose Ca and his friends Rick Estrin and Sid Morris stopped by. This track was cut in one take, Paul Oscher used a bass harp, (a huge harmonica that looks something like a motor cycle muffler) Rick Estrin played Chromatic Harmonica, Kid Andersen Guitar, and Sid Morris the Piano. Kid , a real musical genius then overdubbed the upright bass and drum parts. All these musicians are steeped in the blues tradition, and have played the blues for many years. Paul first met Rick Estrin at a 1968 Janis Joplin concert at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco. At that time Paul was in Muddy Waters Blues Band and Muddy was opening the show for Janis. Rick was there to see Muddy. Rick Estrin is now touring with his own group. Rick Estrin and the Nightcats and features Kid Andersen on guitar. If they ever stop by your town don’t miss their show. Paul Oscher was the first ,in the Blues, to record a bass harmonica and more of that can be heard on his Alone with the Blues album on Electrofi,and an album titled Living Legends featuring Paul Oscher and Steve Guyger on the Blues Leaf label and Pauls new Blues Fidelity album “Bet on the Blues limited edition which features Paul in a stunning Bass Harp rendition of the jazz classic Round Midnight. Cover Photo Credit: Bengt Nyman