'Bishop of the Blues' spreads his strings to Bordentown

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'Bishop of the Blues' spreads his strings to Bordentown
Friday, April 17, 2009
BY LISA RICH
NJ.com

I f you're familiar with Trenton and good music, you've probably heard of Paul Plumeri.

Call him "Bishop of the Blues" or more simply, "blues man," but don't call him a stranger to good music.

Plumeri, who once worked as a city housing inspector in Trenton, has been playing the blues in clubs throughout Philadelphia, Trenton and within the 100-mile radii around each of the two cities, since middle school in the 1960s.

He first played guitar at age 7 and has spent a lifetime perfecting the craft of blues and making even the most played-out-songs his own.

Tonight, Plumeri (pronounced plum-er-rye) will showcase his talents in a two-set show during the Living Room Concert Series at the Record Collector in Bordentown.

On his website, Plumeri -- the son of longtime Trenton politician Sam Plumeri -- talks about getting experience, and support, early on in life.

"When we were kids, we would play any place they would listen, from my parents' living room ... to church things, to battles-of-the-bands and backyard parties," he wrote.

"I played with a drummer back then who was like 4 feet tall and very flashy, and his father was the type of guy who had him playing in bars," Plumeri said. "As a seventh grader, I found myself going into dark Philadelphia clubs opening for bands like The Cyrkle."

Over the last decade or so, you could say Plumeri has "spread his strings," garnering publicity in cities like Seattle and scoring shows in major hotels across Atlantic City, all while staying true to his roots and playing festivals in Trenton and the surrounding areas.

Sure, he takes from influences such as B.B. King and T-Bone Walker, incorporating their crowd-pleasing lyrics into his shows. But, he adds his own creative arrangements and vocal stylings that give even the most clichéd blues covers a whole new sound -- the Plumeri sound.

And what's even more interesting is the rawness of his music. There aren't any overconfident riffs or traffic jams of notes and lyrics. He's simple -- and he's great that way.

It's sort of like those people who don't talk much, but when they do open their mouths, it matters and everyone pays closer attention.

That's Paul Plumeri.

He doesn't hit you all at once with words and sounds. No, he comes at you slow, simple, and with a gust of power that keeps you entertained and eager for more.

That's sort of intentional, as Plumeri has often said his style developed because he's never been a "note for note copier."

At the Record Collector, you can expect his deep bluesy voice and electric guitar to be on hand for two sets of real, meaningful, music.

What else is happening:

Doug E. Fresh isn't around Trenton often.

So when the man referred to as the "human beat box" comes to the city, it's not a show you want to pass up.

The 42-year-old Barbados native is a rapper, record producer and most notably, human beat boxer.

Yes. That's right. Human beat boxer.

Using nothing but his own mouth, gums (teeth and tongue?), Fresh creates special effects and imitation drums to create a truly unique performance.

Tonight, Fresh and his crew are taking stage at The Phoenix in Trenton from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m.

Officially known as Douglas E. Davis, the man better known as Fresh has produced a number of albums (14 singles, four full albums, to be exact) and is featured on the Ghostbusters II soundtrack.

Sharing just a few of his credentials since the 1980s, Fresh has collaborated with music legend Prince, the EZ Rollers and Beastie Boys. He also recorded the current theme used by the New York Knicks.

So yeah, he's been around.

When you see him perform, the good-natured Fresh is indeed a show-stopper. In fact, it may take you a few minutes to figure out what exactly he's doing to make those sounds -- if you figure it out at all.