In every town, there are a few musicians who, instead of lunging for the elusive brass ring, have instead stayed home and contented themselves with the opportunities at home. There they await discovery by the outside world, and the history of the blues is full of such delightful finds - Mance Lipscomb comes to mind, as does Houstonian Sam “Lightning” Hopkins. Hopkins’ hometown is today full of such musicians, many of whom have re-releases out on Edsel records. A sterling example of this process is bandleader, songwriter, arranger, guitarist, and singer extraordinaire Oscar Perry. ~ Demon Music Group

These tracks contained herein date from 1973-77, and Perry recalls that a plethora of musicians played on them. Unfortunately they were so numerous that Perry today can not recall who played on what, and we were unable at the time of this writing to obtain studio documentation from Crazy Cajun.

Perry, who had not heard these tracks for quite some time, is today quite pleased with them, saying of them that “they’re right where I’m at today”. From the opening line of “Keeps Hanging On”, it is readily apparent that anywhere Perry is at is not a bad place to be. Like Mel Torme, Perry has a voice that can be described as a “Velvet Fog”.
Ironically, it’s a shame Perry’s voice is so luxurious, for at times I found myself listening more to the way it sounded rather than what it sung. Perry composed all of these tunes, and on “Can’t Mend A Broken Heart”, we have some of his best work both musically and from a lyrical standpoint. This song, incidentally, was a runaway hit regionally in 1974, going on to top the charts in the state of Louisiana. Perry remembers booking a gig in the little town of New Iberia, unaware of the songs smash-hit status. On arrival, a limousine whisked Perry from the Baton Rouge airport to his hotel, where a red carpet was unfurled and a mob of admirers awaited. “If I’d have known that tune was so big over there, I would have tripled my fee,” Perry allows today with a rueful chuckle. more...