Transplanted Scottish singer-songwriter Paul Joses has been making music from his adopted home base near Paderborn, Germany, for more than a quarter-century. His latest release is a collection of folk songs that showcase pretty instrumentals and heartfelt vocals. He has teamed up with German and Scottish friends to create a unique acoustic folk sound.

The record starts out beautifully with Joses on acoustic guitar and with a slide guitar punctuating the melancholy; "Hello" is a plea for communication, for explanation of a phone call after a long silence. On "Right on Time," Joses' Scottish brogue comes through, adding a Celtic feel to the song.

A standout among the 13 tracks on this record is "Rosie (You Don't Have to Cry)," a sweet song of love. Joses' voice is soft but clear and expressive -- there is a lot of feeling in the 10 original songs on this record. Guitarist Dagobert Bohm penned the other three tracks, the instrumentals "Wings," featuring acoustic guitar and a haunting low whistle, "Ozella" and "Mist on the Moor."

The record continues with "Should Have Known Then," an ode to lost love and lost passion -- a tale of the moment when a lover realizes that the love is gone from his lover's eyes.

Paul Joses is well worth a listen -- there is an appealing international feel to his music that isn't easy to find. Gold on a Muddy River is a collection of gentle folk songs featuring talented instrumental by Joses and a number of guest musicians, including multi-instrumentalist Jens Kommnick, Carsten Mentzel (keyboards, bass) and Stephen Kiessling (guitar). The cover photo is of a calm river, golden with the setting sun. That image of tranquility is what Gold in a Muddy River creates.

[ by Rachel Jagt ]
Rambles: 26 October 2002