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Franck L. Goldwasser—Who Needs This Mess!!??—Crosscut
Records CCD 11114

Paris born, Franck L. Goldwasser became a blues fan in his youth,
gaining the performing name “Paris Slim”. until being discovered
by Sugar Blue and Sonny Rhodes, who brought him back with
them to the West Coast. After making the area his home in the
eighties, he began working with many musicians in the Bay Area.

Franck wrote, or co-wrote fourteen of the numbers here, recorded
between 2009-2010 and 2019-2021; the live number was
recorded in 2014 at the Portland Waterfront Festival.

The opener, ‘Don’t Give Up On Me, Baby’, is a chunky shuffle with
brash rocking guitar and a jaded vocal while ‘I Don’t Want Your Love, I Just Want Your Lovin,’
is more of an amiable shuffle. The bouncing instrumental ‘Skwurley’, has R.J. Mischo on
Chromatic Harmonica. ‘What Am I To Do’, is a lively combination of acoustic guitar and
harmonica.

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‘Disküm Baab Uleh Shun’, is a delightful walking instrumental with splendid elements of blues,
surf, and psychedelic rock guitar. ‘Sobby Doggy Boogy’, is a bopping lap steel led reggae
influenced piece.

‘Had A Dream Last Night’, is a down-home view on Mr Trump, as is ‘Paris Woman’, about a lost
love. ‘Who Needs This Mess!!??’, is a walking blues with Sugaray Rayford on vocals and Charlie
Musselwhite on harmonica. While, ‘Monkey Junk’ is simply, mind tripping.

‘If I Could Holler’, is a rolling blues, with Franck on guitar and harmonica. ‘Dumb & Dangerous’,
is really ‘Rollin’ and Tumblin’’, with Franck playing an enticing Dobro.

‘Sweet Cream’, is a sweetly inviting hill country blues. While the delicate but, brief finger picked
country instrumental ‘Raggmazazz’, contains a lovely country feel. ‘Bleedin’ Heart’, is live,
lowdown, dirty and raw searing blues.

Recommended!
Brian Harman

Mark Cameron Band—Nasty Business—Blue Heart Records
BHR048

Minnesota resident Mark Cameron’s latest release and debut for
Blue Heart Records comprises of ten new original numbers. The
band are; Mark; guitar & vocals, Rick Miller; harmonica, Scott
Lundberg and Nick Salisbury; bass, Dan Schroeder; drums and
Sheri Cameron; saxophone, percussion & vocals.

The slightly apologetic, opener ‘Sorry’, satisfyingly cuts the air,
with a dark slide guitar and raw drawling harmonica. Whilst,
‘Nasty Business’, delivers a restrained, rolling funk feel with
added, raw harmonica.

The foreboding bass and harmonica on ‘What’s For Supper’, introduce a sad, melancholic tale
of marital infidelity. As does the slowburning, saxophone and harmonica on ‘That’s A Fact’,
which delivers a haunting atmosphere of desolation. The bright and cheery horns on the soul
infused ‘Language Of The Blues’, put a deserved smile on your face.