Paul deLay: He's Back!
"He proved he's back and better than ever,
that he is probably the most original and important performer in the West
Coast blues scene!"
- Portland Oregonian, January 23, 1995
"I gotta say it, man--for my money, deLay's the best harp player
in the world!"
- Hubert Sumlin , legendary guitarist with the late Howlin' Wolf
"deLay's a terrific chromatic player...and a really heartfelt
singer...but his songwriting is phenomenal. Absolutely some of the
best stuff I ever heard."
-Jerry Portnoy, harmonica player with Eric Clapton, as quoted in Blues
Revue July 1995
"Paul deLay is not just great--he's without a doubt the most
brilliant, creative and talented blues harmonica player on the planet."-Westcoast
Blues Review
"This guy's gotta be heard!" - Billy Gibbons,
of ZZ Top
"Paul deLay is great!" - B.B. King
Since rejoining the music scene in January 1995 after a three-year "writing
sabbatical," legendary harmonica ace Paul deLay has taken the Pacific
Northwest by storm, selling out major blues venues and headlining festivals
throughout the region. Reunited with his band -- a unit West Coast Blues
Review calls "easily the best of all the West Coast backup units"
-- deLay continues to prove why he ranks as one of the greatest blues harmonica
players, songwriters and vocalists alive.
Ocean of Tears,
a recording of material deLay penned during his 41-month retreat, is
scheduled for release on the East Coast's Evidence Music label in September
1996. Evidence in May 1996 released Take
It From The Turnaround, a compilation from deLay's critically
acclaimed Paulzilla
and The Other One
recordings on Portland's Criminal Records label.
To order autographed copies of these
recordings, or any of the earlier Paul deLay Band recordings, to find us
at upcoming gigs, peruse reviews of the band,
or read up on the band's history, check out the rest of our site!
For booking, ordering and other information, contact:
BackgroundIn two decades touring the West Coast blues circuit, opening on larger
stages for numerous national acts, and releasing a half-dozen acclaimed
recordings of its own, The Paul deLay Band became known throughout the Pacific
Northwest for its hard-hitting blues and R&B. The Portland-based group
earned a reputation that extends far beyond the region: band leader deLay
is ranked among the finest blues harmonica players alive, and his work on
the chromatic harp is considered by many to be unrivaled.
Following his much publicized drug bust in January 1990, deLay spent nearly
two years awaiting trial-playing, singing and writing like there was no
tomorrow. During that period, he produced The
Other One (1991) and Paulzilla
(1992), his finest recordings to that point, and ones that established him
as a formidable songwriter as well as a harmonica virtuoso. deLay began
serving a 41-month sentence at the Federal Penitentiary in Sheridan, Oregon
on May 15, 1992. (For a thorough, finely written account of Paul deLay's
rise, fall, drug bust and recovery, see "Paul
deLay: Groovin' In Limbo," the cover story in Blues Access
Fall 1991).
Upon his release in January 1995, deLay was rejoined by the core of his
band---Louis Pain on Hammond organ, Chicago-born Peter Dammann on guitar,
and Dan Fincher on tenor sax---with new members John Mazzocco on bass (formerly
with John Lee Hooker and Curtis Salgado), and Mike Klobas on drums (formerly
with Lloyd Jones Struggle). Since its debut in January '95, this ensemble
has drawn raves for its seamless arrangements and fiery musicianship.
Major Appearances Awards
RecordingsThe Paul deLay Band's six recordings on the independent Criminal Records
label have been charted on blues radio playlists in the U.S. as well as
Europe. The band's album sales in Europe continue to earn deLay new fans
in Holland, England, Germany and Italy. A "The Best Of Paul deLay"
compact disc, You're Fired! was released on the British Red
Lightning label in May 1990. The Norwegian Blue Wolf label licensed and
released The Other One in
1992. Paulzilla, released
in May 1992, featured ten deLay originals and received both the Cascade
Blues Association Muddy Award and Portland Music Association Crystal Award
for Album of the Year. Ocean of Tears,
a new recording of deLay originals, is due for release on the independent
Evidence Records label in September 1996. Evidence released Take It From The Turnaround,
a compilation of material from Paulzilla
and The Other One ,
in May 1996.
For booking, ordering and other information, contact:
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