[Bob Branstetter]

I feel very fortunate to be one of Paul's many friends. I first remember hearing about him while I was touring with singer Marilyn Maye in 1964. We were working at a supper club in Denver when the great singer Johnny Desmond came into the club to see Marilyn and sat in for a set. While talking with Johnny after the set, he mentioned that he had heard about a Sunday afternoon jam session at a club called the Robin's Nest on top of Lookout Mountain where a lot of the best Denver jazz players would hang out. I went up to the club the following Sunday and the first thing I noticed was a bass hanging on a rope from the ceiling in the center of the room. When I asked about the bass, I was told that it was there mainly for the use of a young phenom bassist who was a friend of the (baritone sax player) owner of the club. Every one there kept raving about how great this phenom played. Someone told me that this young bass player was out on the road, but that Ray Brown had heard him play recently and was very impressed.

I didn't actually meet Paul until several years later when my wife Marcia and I were vacationing in Colorado. Paul was working a duo in a club with guitarist Dale Brunning. That was the first time in my life that I heard a bassist who was clearly the dominant player in a very good group. I remember well how melodic and flowing his solos were. (I can only dream of playing like Paul does - seemingly without effort.) After that, it became almost an annual event for us to go to Denver just to hear Paul play. Paul and I have been good friends for many years now, but he remains one of my all time favorite bassists and I'm looking forward to hearing him play again in the future. I think that it is truly unfortunate that he has not received more of the recognition he deserves by the public and the jazz community.