Album Notes

PJ O'Brien is an acclaimed, award winning blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He was inspired to take up the guitar at age 17 after a surprising encounter with Buddy Guy, and in December 2004 he won 'Best Blues Artist' at the MusicOz awards which recognise outstanding independent musicians. Based in Sydney, he recently released his debut solo album, Blues People, on Black Market Music Australia. PJ's debut release is a raw, energetic blues album which embraces the sound of his influences including Buddy Guy, Lucky Peterson, Albert King, Albert Collins and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Paul Jefferson O'Brien was born in the English town of Rugby but raised from an early age in the coastal town of Perth, Western Australia. By the age of 17, Rock 'n' Roll and Blues music had already become an obsession but it was a chance encounter with one of the world's most electrifying Blues artists in the 1990s that sparked the transition from music fan to musician. He recalls:

"I'd heard Buddy Guy was going to be playing at the Shenton Park Hotel, which was practically next to my house. I was too young to get in so I headed round to the back of the band room because I knew there was a window that overlooked the stage. When the band kicked off, I used a wooden pallet as a ladder and watched the whole show through a tiny crack in the curtain. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing! The room was so packed there were people standing on the side of the stage. There was condensation dripping from the ceiling, and steam literally coming off the band.

I saw Buddy disappear off stage and seconds later the back door flies open and there he is doing his walk around the venue thing. He was standing there staring at me, grinning from ear to ear and playing his ass off. It was totally surreal. I remember wanting to say hello but not wanting to disturb him mid solo! I can still remember the blissful look on his face. It was then I decided I wanted to play Blues guitar. I'm sure Buddy wouldn't even remember that show but I'll never forget it."

O'Brien had taught himself guitar and was playing live less than a year after that epochal event. He found the legendary Perth Blues Club, led by the irrepressible Rick Steele, where he honed his skills and saw the likes of Dave Hole play their explosive electric blues. During the 1990s he played guitar in local acts before fronting Paul O'Brien and Thundershuffle. Shortly after being awarded the 'West Australian Blues Song of the Year,' O'Brien moved to Sydney and from there toured Australia, playing venues and festivals from Melbourne to Cairns, with regular trips back to the West Coast. Their album, Blues from the Soul, was released in 1999 by Full Moon Records.

In 2002, Paul embarked on a solo career. His song 'West Coast Highway' was included in Black Market Music's compilation of young Australian blues artists, Young Rider Blues, in 2004. To date, Paul has supported and played with notable artists such as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Matt Taylor and Phil Manning. He has played multiple times at the Blues at Bridgetown Festival, the Narooma Blues Festival and the Australian Blues Music Festival, and countless other venues around Australia.