Five years after discovering the power of the Blues, Paul jammed with and was hired on the spot by none other than JOHN LEE HOOKER himself.
He stayed with John's COAST TO COAST BLUES BAND, which included two of Chicago's finest and most in demand sidemen of the era, LUTHER TUCKER and GENO SKAGGS.
During Paul's tenure with the band, he recorded three albums with JOHN LEE; "Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive", "Born In Mississippi Raised In Tennessee" and the live offering, "Kabuki-Wuki".
Through his association with JOHN LEE, PAUL's guitar style matured quickly.
While building his road-tested steelbelted vocabulary of Blues licks, PAUL was also afforded rare and unique pleasure of meeting and jamming with the legends and near legends that populate the Blues Universe.
While JOHN LEE and MUDDY WATERS reminisced on the occasion of MUDDY's 54th birthday, PAUL was thrilled to experience the rare pleasure of playing slide guitar with MUDDY's early 70's road band which included MUDDY's legendary piano man, PINETOP PERKINS.
PAUL's grasp of and appreciation for the incredible intimate experience of soul to soul communication, possible through the Blues, was immeasurably heightened by meeting and playing music with such Blues luminaries as JIMMY REED, CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE, VAN MORRISON, ELVIN BISHOP, L.C.
Good Rockin'" ROBINSON, JOHNNY WINTERS and ROBERT CRAY.
PAUL's inimitable Blues and Rock interpretations, as well as his original compositions and arrangements were tapped by THE TUBES to open for The Band at gigs in San Francisco, Marin, Oakland and Santa Cruz.
PAUL's accoustical prowness was acknowledged when he opened for JAMES BROWN at the Circle Star Theatre in San Carlos, and, for the well known STEPHEN STILLS of "Crosby, Stills & Nash", in Santa Rosa.
PAUL was recently on tour in Europe, recording his second album, featured in "Guitar Player Magazine" as a participant in the JBL sponsored festival in Amsterdam, with the band, "Liquid Fire", and worked the club circuit in Hamburg, Germany.
Blues Master Paul Wood, is back in his hometown of Oakland, California kicking off the Blue Monday Sessions at Oakland's glamorous new Nightclub, The Uptown...(check his website for dates).
Formerly based in Memphis, Wood is the sole surviving member of John Lee Hooker's original "Coast To Coast Blues Band" and has been playing the Blues for over three decades; from recording and touring in the 70's with legend Hooker, to performing around the globe with his band and most recently celebrating the success of his first two solo recordings. His unique sound is defined by soulful vocals and blues-soaked guitar.
As part of Wood's tour, here is a quote from the well known D.J., Jackie Gisclar, "jabeaux" of Bluedog Entertainment Productions:
This years July 4th will be one for all to remember as the "The Whiskey Store Tour" comes to the grounds of the Grande River Vineyards Winery (Grand Junction, Colorado)...Jimmy Thackery and Tab Benoit team up and it's Red, White and Blue Boogie Woogie...What a great place to check out the fireworks over the valley...but really, the main show will be on the grounds of the Winery...This puts both bands together, two drummers, Ken of Jimmy's band plays Keyboard...and check this out, PAUL WOOD and the Bridgeburners will open the show for Jimmy and Tab.
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