Konrad Wert, aka Possessed By Paul James, is a musical iconoclast. As Brian @ Nine Bullets blog (re: PPJ playing The Deep Blues Festival '08) so aptly puts it:
"Watching him was more like watching a person give birth to music than it was watching a person play music".
Live, Possesed By Paul James is an experience like no other. Raw, challenging, literate, thoughtful and free. This recording, while somewhat more controlled than his live show, is no less powerful and just as thoughtful. The intensity of the live performance still shines through bright and clear but slightly more refined. Drawing from the deep well of American roots music, PPJ takes the immediacy, vigor, and grit of old timey country music, melds it with the soul of early gospel and blues, and channels it all thru the power of punk rock. Feed The Family (Hillgrass/Bluebilly Records) is already at the top of many Best Of lists (mine included) and deservedly so. At once unique and original sounding and, at the same time, familiar and inviting, Possessed By Paul James' new release is a powerful document that grows with each listen. In performance, live and otherwise, Konrad lays his heart and soul out on the stage and sings, kicks, howls, grunts, grinds and wails the dirt off 'em until they stand clean, shining, and glowing and on fire. It's real, raw, and wholly honest music played as if it might be the last time. And for me that's what it's all about. If you are not prepared to die for the song then get yr ass off that stage and don't play it. I'm sure Konrad/Possessed By Paul James would agree.
Possessed By Paul James @ MySpace // web // Facebook //
Hillgrass Blue/Bluebilly Records @ MySpace // Facebook // Blog
BUY Feed The Family // Direct from PBPJ // iTunes // DL via Amazon
BUY The Folksinger DVD/CD
Possessed By Paul James also appears, along with Scott H Biram, Wayne Hancock, Bob Log III, Jawbone, William Elliot Whitmore, Rev. Peyton, and others, on the terrific Independent Music Award winning dbl album Hiram and Huddie: A tribute to the music of Hank Williams and Leadbelly (Hillgrass/Bluebilly Records) // Buy @ Amazon DL or CD // iTunes Vol 1 Vol 2
Get to know the the force that is Possessed By Paul James:
Konrad's music is featured in the upcoming film HiGHWATER:
Konrad previously starred, along with Scott H Biram, and Tom VandenAvond, Reverend Deadeye, Ghostwriter, and others in the powerful and gorgeous film The Folk Singer: