FRANK GOLDWASSER "BLUJU" Source: WVKR - fm 91.3 Vassar College Date: 2007 Writer: Nicholas de Leeuw

In a reverse of the usual Blues story, Mr. Goldwasser was actually born in Paris, learned to appreciate the blues in Europe, and then came over to the States (California, actually) to make a living as a full-time musician. This album was originally recorded in 1999, but stayed pretty obscure (well, I never heard of it, anyway). It features an amazing cast of supporting sidemen and guest stars, the cream of the West Coast crop, chipping in for one of their own. Three Sisters (11) gives a little oral and aural history of the Oakland scene he dropped into. There are lots of instrumentals (5, 9, 13, 15), all good, including a remake of Phillip Walker's Playing in the Park (9). I'm not sure if Mr. Walker himself is one of the guitarists on that cut (the album notes are ambiguous) but with Kirk Fletcher and Alex Shultz, there is no shortage of guitar talent. Petit a Petit (12) is in French, which is very cool. My favorite song in English is I'm a Love You (7).