After moving from his native France to Oakland in ’83, Franck Goldwasser haunted blues clubs, quickly earning the nickname “Paris Slim.” The list of blues luminaries and lesser-knowns he played with is too lengthy to enumerate here, but he became a regular at Eli’s Mile High club, leader of the house band at Larry Blake’s, and member of the Mannish Boys. To say he earned his stripes is an understatement.

He sets the guitar bar super-high on the opening “Don’t Give Up On Me, Baby,” one of 14 songs he penned or collaborated on, in addition to an impassioned take on Elmore James’ “Bleedin’ Heart.”

Lending support in spots are heavyweights Jim Pugh, Kirk Fletcher, Sugaray Rayford, and Charlie Musselwhite. The instrumental “Disküm Baåb Uleh Shun” is a Goldwasser/Fletcher tonefest, while Slim provides lap steel on “Sobby Doggy Boogy,” likely inspired by his mentor Sonny Rhodes. Yet a solo fingerpicking “Raggmazazz” finds him paying homage to Chet Atkins.

“Sweet Cream” flirts with fresh cream, as it were, as well as Mississippi Hill Country blues, while Ralph Carter’s funky bass underpins Goldwasser’s lowdown bottleneck on “Skwurley.”

If this isn’t consummate blues guitar, it’s damn close.

This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2023 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.