R.J. Mischo & Paris Slim 

Friday, November 10, 2017

Doors Open: 11:00am
Event Begins: 9:00pm

Venue Website: Catfish Lou's
Band Website: Franck Goldwasser

RJ MISCHO

RJ Mischo is an award-winning world-renowned Blues Singer, Harmonica player and Band Leader. He is the kind of entertainer that only 20 years of International touring experience can bring to the stage. RJ’s music is a combination of originals and obscure gems that create an exciting mix of Grooving Boogies, Bump & Grind Shuffles and Electric Chicago Blues. RJ is endorsed by Hohner Harmonicas and has 9 Globally Distributed CDs out to date. RJ can also be heard on 21 additional CDs as a guest or on compilations with Jimmie Vaughan, James Cotton, G. Love, James Harman, Kim Wilson, Candye Kane, John Mayall and others. 

RJs Harmonica playing is on Nationally Aired TV Commercials as well as documentaries on the Discovery Channel and Independent Movie Scores. He has contributed his Harmonica expertise to two published Harmonica instruction books and has conducted workshops at Music Schools in the US, Europe and Brazil.  In addition to fronting his own bands, RJ has been hired to in bands alongside Grammy Award Winning Pinetop Perkins, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Jimmy Thackery, Earl Cate, Junior Watson and more.  RJ Mischo & His Red Hot Blues Band has toured in 18 countries performing at top Showcase Night Clubs and on Major Festival Stages.

FRANCK GOLDWASSER

Guitarist Franck "Paris Slim" Goldwasser is no stranger to those who've been paying attention to the West Coast blues scene over the last three decades. Born in Paris, France in 1960, his initial blues inspiration came from Elmore James, B.B. King and T-Bone Walker LPs. After working his first professional gig at age 21 backing-up visiting U.S. bluesman Sonny Rhodes, the latter invited him to move to the San Francisco Bay Area to pursue his dream of becoming a blues artist. With the commitment of a true believer, Franck packed his bags and moved to the Bay Area within a year, whereupon he was immediately hired by Troyce Key (who gave him the stage name of Paris Slim) to play in the house band at Key's legendary Eli's Mile High Club in Oakland.

He eventually assumed leadership of the group while Key took a professional hiatus, and became deeply immersed in the area's then vibrant blues scene. He racked-up three years touring with Jimmy McCracklin, as well as positive reviews for appearances at most of the prominent local venues with a distinguished roster of blues talent including Big Mama Thornton, Lowell Fulson, Percy Mayfield and Charlie Musselwhite. Four years after his first single was issued in 1984 on San Francisco's Backtrack label, his CD debut "BLUES FOR ESTHER" appeared, a strong outing that featured noted Bay Area blues stalwarts Rick Estrin (Little Charlie and the Nightcats, Jim Pugh (Robert Cray band) and Earl "Good Rockin'" Brown, which received a nomination from the prestigious W.C. Handy Awards. Appearances at some of the West Coast's most notable festivals followed, including the San Francisco Blues Festival, The Oakland Arts Explosion and the Monterey Jazz and Blues Festival.

A follow-up album, "BLEEDIN' HEART", was co-produced with Joe Louis Walker, who guested along with Sonny Rhodes. Recording sessions for San Francisco's Mountain Top label followed, including the album "Be Careful What You Wish For" alongside harmonica legend Gary Smith; an ongoing list of other studio sessions and frequent European touring (most prolifically as part of the Fedora Records house band with among others Clay Hammond, Jimmy Dawkins and Homesick James) ensued. Relocating to Southern California in 1998, he became a fixture on the vibrant L.A. blues scene, and continued to absorb new influences and hone his art, while performing locally with West Coast blues luminaries Kim Wilson, Arthur Adams, Roy Gaines and Mitch Kashmar.

His 2003 album "BLUJU", produced by Randy Chortkoff, was Delta Groove Records' first release and has garnered acclaim as one of the most progressive blues releases in years while still remaining firmly rooted in the blues tradition. His association with Chortkoff led to a spot as guitarist and vocalist in the award-winning band The Mannish Boys, both in the studio and on the road.

From 2005 to 2011, Goldwasser made Portland, Oregon his home, performing regularly with Pacific Northwest favorites Lloyd Jones, Paul Delay and Curtis Salgado. Salgado's debut Alligator Records release "Soul Shot" featured Goldwasser on the track "Strung Out" and was awarded by the Blues Music Foundation as the year's best album in 2012, while the Mannish Boys received the awards for Best Traditional Blues Band and Best Traditional Blues Album the same year.

Goldwasser returned to Southern California in 2013 to resume his activities as an instructor and recording and touring artist, sometime joining forces with long-time associate harmonica player and singer R.J. Mischo on numerous performances. in 2017, Paris Slim teamed-up with fellow Delta Groove recording artist Big Pete for a European tour culminating in an appearance at the Moulin blues festival in the Netherlands.

Tickets Non Refundable