Listen to Paul Barry on the "Talkin' Blues" Podcast
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Listen to Paul Barry on the "Harmonica Happy Hour Podcast"
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Listen to Paul Barry on the "Harmonica Happy Hour Podcast"
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2024 Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame inductee!
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Live from Lake Harriet Bandshell
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About Paul Barry:
Twin Cities based harmonica player and author, Paul Barry, has been playing professionally since the early 1980’s. In 1983, he met harmonica master William Clarke and became a protégé of the late, legendary bluesman, having lived with him and his family in L.A. in 1985. In the 80’s and 90’s Barry played in two of the Twin Cities top blues bands, Bobby Johnson and the Crowns and Dave McRae and the Blues Exchange. During this time period, Barry and his band also frequently served as a back-up band to famed bluesman guitarist and vocalist, Otis "Big Smokey" Smothers from Chicago. Barry is active in promoting blues in the Twin Cities area that dates back to the late 1970's. Over the years, he has brought to Twin Cities blues fans such iconic musicians as: Big Walter Horton, Sunnyland Slim, Eddie Taylor, HUbert Sumlin, William Clarke, Sugar Ray Norcia, Anson Funderburgh, Billy Flynn, Mitch Kashmar, Tad Robinson, Johnny Burgin, and many others. Barry currently hosts an annual New Year's Eve blues celebration, Rockin' The Blues with nationally known blues artists. Early in 2016 Barry released an album’s worth of material from 1992 where he backed the great former Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf sideman, Otis “Big Smokey” Smothers. This was Smothers last studio recording. The album "That’s Alright" was a wonderful surprise to the blues world and received high marks from blues critics and fans. Barry subsequently released two albums under his own name :"Talk Is Cheap" in 2016 and "Blow Your Cool" in 2018. Both albums received high praise from critics and fans. "Blow Your Cool" was selected as Best Album of 2018 by the Minnesota Blues Society. In 2023, as a tribute to his mentor, William Clarke, Barry released the highly anticipated and critically acclaimed biography "Blowin' Like Hell, The William Clarke Story". The 2-1/2 year project, brought to light Clarke's struggles which were marked with adversity and many challenges. Clarke persevered through determination and hard work to become one of the greatest blues harmonica players of all time, as Barry chronicles in this riveting story. Barry's book was inducted into the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame in 2024. The Paul Barry Blues Band, based in Minneapolis/St. Paul, specializes in Chicago and West Coast jump blues. and plays in local clubs and festivals in and around the metro area and state of Minnesota. |
Reviews:
“With 'Blow Your Cool' Paul Barry positions himself definitively between the better blues harpists we know. Barry proves how pure blues can still be… “ Rootstime Belgium "Real blues is out there as evidenced by this fine recording. Sometimes you just have to search it out." Blues Blast Magazine, July 2018 "#1 New Blues CD for the week of June 2, 2018 Smokestack Lightnin" WUCF 89.9 FM Orlando,FL "Excellent Minnesota based band that plays true to the sound. Paul Barry is an excellent harp player who shows his love for WILLIAM CLARKE"- Bluebeat Records "Top Ten (#9) Album of 2018". Blues Junction "Paul Barry is an absolute bear on harmonica. What he does best, he does with the caliber of the best in the field. The Paul Barry Blues Band knows Talk is Cheap, but hot harmonica speaks louder than words!" - Blues Blast Magazine "I taught Paul many things on the harmonica and he has become a fine player in his own right"- William Clarke |
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