KarismaKatz: Reviews

DJ Gosper
Hot Flush Blues
Not only is she a convincing songwriter, but Canberra’s DJ Gosper is a remarkably talented singer and blues harp player. A professional musician since 1995 who has appeared at various Australian blues and folk festivals, Gosper marks her solo recording debut with Hot Flush blues. Many of its songs were written during a time of recovery from a life-threatening illness, while others reflect meaningful life experiences. Walking a fine line between traditional blues, swing, jazz and funky rock, Gosper’s backing quintet displays a high level of musicianship at every turn, whether performing original work, JJ Cale’s ‘Money Talks’ and ‘The Sensitive Kind’ or jazzy material like ‘Baby Won’t You Please Come Home’. Accompanying Gosper’s haunting vocal on his own composition ‘Looking For Somebody’, guitarist Christo Carlsen evokes the moody blues of Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green. As the CD title suggests, Gosper’s blues is a platform where she connects with her audience, lightheartedly baring her soul without any pretentiousness.

KarismaKatz
Spirit On The Rise
"A great album with 14 original tracks that traverse different styles, genres, rhythms and grooves. The Lyrics and music combine to paint a picture of places, events and people. Lead vocals and blue harp by D.J Gosper. The sizzling guitar work and vocal by christo carlsen."

 
"... meaningful and heartfelt. Both performers have a real ‘feel’ for their music which raises this CD above the ordinary."

"Beautiful music indeed. DJ’s blues harp playing is one of the main features of the whole CD as it is coupled with Christo’s excellent guitar work. They create a wonderful sound together. These two fine musicians have combined to create a memorable CD which any fan of the blues would like to have in their collection."

Ross Mortimer writes about  Spirit On The Rise

DJ Gosper, harp/vocals/songwriting and Christo Carlsen, guitars, have produced a very interesting album that is going to be hard for anyone to pigeon hole (so I won’t try!!) ... Both are highly regarded for their blues playing in the Canberra scene and not although standard blues this album certainly covers the blues’ most important ingredient, feel. 14 original tracks covering over an hour of material traverses through style’s, genres, rhythms, grooves even sparseness! Lyrics and music combine to paint a picture of places, events and people with travel through the mystic, even some free association? These are songs about real things, born from experience, both true and imagined, love, pain, joy, sex, cars, family, mortality, spirit, drugs and psychology to name but a few. When it does all this it doesn’t need to be pigeon holed as it will mean so many things to so many people.

Karismakatz were simply superb ... And I say this in all seriousness, get out and see them play. You will not be disappointed. One of the best voices i have ever heard coupled with some excellent guitar work and sensational blues harp ... Christo is brilliant on the guitar (I’d love to be the guy who supplies his strings — I could retire to the Bahamas) ... the Karismakatz absolutely bluesed the place to not so much a standstill as a heaving morass of clapping and cheering and even a bit of sing-a-long ... totally blown away by DJ’s sublime singing and her amazing blues harp ... whatever you do, you absolutely must see DJ and the Karismakatz

Since her return to the stage, breast cancer survivor, DJ Gosper, performs with a passion that knows no tomorrow.