Ellis Paul (born Paul Plissey; January 14, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter and
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk horror
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Fo ...
musician. Born in Presque Isle,
Aroostook County, Maine
Aroostook County ( ; ) is the northernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Maine. It is located along the Canada–United States border. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 67,105. The county ...
, Paul is a key figure in what has become known as the
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
school of songwriting, a literate, provocative, and urbanely romantic
folk-pop
Folk-pop is a broad Music genre#Subtypes, musical fusion genre that includes contemporary folk songs with pop music, pop arrangements, and pop songs with intimate, acoustic music, acoustic-based folk music, folk arrangements. Folk-pop has been ...
style that helped ignite the folk revival of the 1990s. His pop music songs have appeared in movies and on television, bridging the gap between the modern folk sound and the
populist
Populism is a contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the " common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establis ...
traditions of
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer, songwriter, and composer widely considered to be one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American Left, A ...
and
Pete Seeger
Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...
.
[EllisPaul.com. ]
Ellis Paul biography.
Retrieved January 10, 2007.
Paul grew up in a small Maine town. He attended
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
on a track scholarship, majoring in English. Injured during his junior year, Paul began playing guitar to help fill his free time and soon began writing songs. After graduating college Paul played at
open mic
An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, often taking place at night (an open mic night), in which audience members may perform on ...
nights in the Boston area while working with inner-city school children. He won a Boston Acoustic Underground songwriter competition and gained national exposure on a
Windham Hill Records
Windham Hill Records was an independent record label that specialized in instrumental acoustic music. It was founded by guitarist William Ackerman and Anne Robinson (née McGilvray) in 1976 and was popular in the 1980s and 1990s.
The label was ...
compilation which helped him choose music as a career.
[Wood, Arthur]
"Maine native Paul now a national name in Folk music".
''FolkWax E-zine''. Retrieved February 17, 2007. (Free with registration.)
Paul had released 19 albums by the end of 2014 and received 14
Boston Music Awards
Founded in 1987, the Boston Music Awards are a set of music awards given annually that showcase talent in the Boston, Massachusetts, area.
Past shows have featured such notable talent as Aerosmith, Paula Cole, Esperanza Spalding, Boston (band), ...
, considered the pinnacle of contemporary acoustic music success by some.
[Hughes, Troy]
A Conversation with Ellis Paul
for Writer's Write, June 2000. Retrieved January 13, 2007. He has published a book of original lyrics, poems, and drawings and released a DVD that includes a live performance, guitar instruction, and a road-trip documentary. In 2014, his children's CD ''Hero in You'' was published as a book by Albert Whitman & Company. Paul plays almost 200 live shows a year.
[Healy, Benjamin]
''Boston College Magazine'', Summer, 2004, p. 3–4. Retrieved February 10, 2007.
Early life
Ellis Paul was born in
Fort Kent, Maine
Fort Kent ( French: ''Fort-Kent'') is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States, situated at the confluence of the Fish River and the Saint John River, on the border with New Brunswick, Canada. The population was 4,067 in the 2020 cens ...
, a small, rural potato-farming town near the Canada–US border. Paul's family had strong connections to the potato industry – his father, Ed Plissey, was Executive Director of the Maine Potato Commission and his grandfather owned a potato farm. Schools in the area closed for three weeks each year so that school children could help with the potato harvest. Paul spent many hours working on his grandfather's farm.
[Wood, Arthur. Ellis Paul. ''Kerrville Kronikle'', No. 21. 1996.] Paul's mother, the former Marilyn Bonney of
Buckfield, Maine, is a
University of Maine
The University of Maine (UMaine) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine, United States. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universitie ...
graduate and was an
extension agent
Agricultural extension is the application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education. The field of 'extension' now encompasses a wider range of communication and learning activities organized for ru ...
for northern Aroostook County. She and her husband often worked together on special projects for the service. In the 1960s, Mrs. Plissey produced her own television show "The Aroostook Homemaker" which aired every third week on
Presque Isle television station
WAGM-TV.
While attending high school in
Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle ( ) is the commercial center and largest city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,797 at the 2020 Census. The city is home to the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College, ...
, Paul listened to
Top-40 radio and participated in
track. He played trumpet in the school's stage band where he was introduced to the
big band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
music of
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though ...
and
Maynard Ferguson
Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...
. He excelled in track, becoming the Maine State champion in
five-kilometer distance running, a feat that garnered several scholarship offers, including an offer from Boston College. Having graduated high school with the class of 1983, Paul relocated to
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, leaving small-town rural life behind. In an interview with Daniel Gewertz of the ''
Boston Herald
The ''Boston Herald'' is an American conservative daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarde ...
'' Paul stated, "It wasn't until I went to Boston College on a track scholarship that I first heard folk."
[Gewertz, Daniel. Passim hosts balladeer. ''The Boston Herald'', Friday, February 19, 1993.] Paul was particularly moved when he heard
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
singing "
The House of the Rising Sun
"The House of the Rising Sun" is an American traditional folk music, folk song, sometimes called "Rising Sun Blues". It tells of a person's life gone wrong in the city of New Orleans. Many versions also urge a sibling or parents and children t ...
". It was then that he began to take folk music seriously.
[Stambler, Irwin and Stambler, Lyndon. ''Folk and Blues: The Encyclopedia.'' St. Martin's Press, 2001. .]
Paul was inducted into the Presque Isle High School Athletic Hall of Fame (under his birth name, Paul Plissey) on January 11, 2013.
[Clark, Ernie]
Presque Isle High School hall of fame to induct 4.
''Bangor Daily News'', September 25, 2012.
Career
Early career: 1987–1990
Paul majored in English at Boston College where he continued to participate in track. His best time in the 10,000 meters (30:18:50) remains the fourth best men's outdoor record in Boston College history. When a knee injury in his junior year sidelined him from athletics, Paul picked up an acoustic guitar to pass the time. He taught himself to play guitar with the help of a ''Hits of the 70s'' songbook, and began to write songs.
Boston radio included a classic hits station that played the music of Bob Dylan,
Joni Mitchell
Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
,
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
and
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...
; artists who were mostly unfamiliar to Paul. Within a few years they became major influences. Having a career in music was the furthest thing from Paul's mind at that point, but as his playing and writing improved it became a bigger focus in his life. In an interview with ''FolkWax'' journalist Arthur Wood, Paul stated:
"I started playing and learned a few songs by other writers to begin with. I started writing originals within a few months. My songs were pretty horrendous to begin with. They kept getting better and better. When I graduated, I started playing at open mics in bars in Boston. Eventually discovered that there were folk clubs where people were actually listening, and not drinking and carousing while you played. I got involved in that circuit. I think that's why I've become so lyric conscious — because of those listening rooms, where you really have to rely on words in those situations."
The open mic circuit in the Boston area included The
Nameless Coffeehouse in
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
,
Westborough
Westborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,567 at the 2020 census, in over 7,000 households. Incorporated in 1717, the town is governed under the New England open town meeting system, headed ...
's
Old Vienna Kaffeehaus and the
Naked City Coffeehouse in
Allston
Allston is an officially recognized neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part, Allston is ...
. Paul became a regular face at those clubs along with other young folk musicians such as
Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin (born Shawna Lee Colvin, January 10, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 1997 Grammy Award-winning song "Sunny Came Home".
Early life
Colvin was born Shawna Lee Colvin in Vermillion, South Dakota, and ...
,
Patty Griffin
Patricia Jean Griffin (born March 16, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.Griffin, Patricia She is a vocalist and plays guitar and piano. She is known for her stripped-down songwriting style in the folk music genre. Her songs ...
,
Dar Williams
Dorothy Snowden "Dar" Williams (born April 19, 1967) is an American pop folk singer-songwriter from Mount Kisco, New York. Hendrik Hertzberg of ''The New Yorker'' has described Williams as "one of America's very best singer-songwriters."
She ...
and
Vance Gilbert. In 1989 he won the Nameless Coffeehouse's New Songwriter Award. Paul played Cambridge's
Club Passim, a venue that would become his "home" venue, for the first time when he opened for
John Gorka
John Gorka (born July 27, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. In 1991, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine called him "the preeminent male singer-songwriter of what has been dubbed the New Folk Movement."
Personal life
Gorka was raised in the Colon ...
in October 1989. Less than four years later he performed his first shows at Passim as a headliner. The three consecutive nights of shows took place on February 19–21, 1993.
It was at the Old Vienna that Paul met Jon Svetkey, Brian Doser and Jim Infantino, all struggling young local musicians. In 1989 the four young men formed a collective called "End Construction" and in 1990 released a compilation of songs titled ''Resume Speed: New Artist Compilation'' on the End Construction Productions label. The four songwriters each performed four of his own original songs on the CD release. The ''Resume Speed'' liner notes stated that End Construction Productions was a small independent production, promotion and recording company run by songwriters and musicians "hellbent on getting the good music out there." In the interview with Wood, Paul stated that the four songwriters started doing group shows together and collaborated on each other's material. Although he goes on to say that the collaboration "was a good thing" and that the four musicians learned a lot from each other, eventually the foursome "burned out on the competitiveness".
The collaboration lasted three years.
Following his graduation from Boston College in 1987, Paul worked a day-job at the COMPASS school as a teacher and social worker with inner city school children performing at open mics three or four nights a week. It was not until the fall of 1992 that he quit his day-job to pursue music as a full-time career. During this period Paul met his manager, Ralph Jaccodine, and together they founded Black Wolf Records. In 1989 the label released Paul's first two albums of original material: ''Am I Home'' and ''Urban Folksongs'' and Paul began touring outside the Boston area. Although originally released on cassette, the two albums were re-released on CD in 2001.
Rising success: 1990–2000
Winning the Boston Acoustic Underground Award in 1991 resulted in Paul playing to the largest crowd of his career to that point – 300. He continued to play in and around the New England area. Around this time, Windham Hill Records, which had previously released the ''
Legacy
Legacy or Legacies may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Comics
* " Batman: Legacy", a 1996 Batman storyline
* '' DC Universe: Legacies'', a comic book series from DC Comics
* ''Legacy'', a 1999 quarterly series from Antarctic Press
* ''Legacy ...
'' songwriter compilation, put a call out to the music industry asking for songwriter submissions to be considered for the follow-up ''
Legacy II'' compilation. After the Old Vienna Kaffeehaus sent one of Paul's tapes to Windham Hill, Paul's "Ashes to Dust" from ''Urban Folksongs'' was chosen to be on the compilation. In the interview with Wood, Paul stated that he felt very excited to be on the Windham Hill release because it served as a calling card that every DJ and folk promoter in the country would recognize.
''Legacy II'' was released in 1992 and included songs performed by
Patty Larkin,
Patty Griffin
Patricia Jean Griffin (born March 16, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.Griffin, Patricia She is a vocalist and plays guitar and piano. She is known for her stripped-down songwriting style in the folk music genre. Her songs ...
,
Greg Brown,
Cheryl Wheeler and several others. ''Legacy II'' was Paul's first national exposure.
After Paul opened for
Bill Morrissey several times, Morrissey became one of Paul's earliest mentors. Morrissey introduced Paul to the traditional songwriting of Woody Guthrie and
Mississippi John Hurt
John Smith Hurt (March 8, 1893 – November 2, 1966), known as Mississippi John Hurt, was an American country blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
Biography Early years
John Hurt was born in Teoc,Cohen, Lawrence (1996). Liner notes to ''Av ...
, as well as songwriters of the 60s, such as
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, composer, conductor and orchestrator. He is known for his non-rhotic Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early America ...
. In a 2001 interview with Scott Alarik, Morrissey said that Paul jumped into listening to traditional songwriters "bigtime" and as a result is a much better writer and performer.
Paul asked Morrissey to produce his first album ''Say Something'', which was released in 1993 on Black Wolf records. Fiddler
Johnny Cunningham and guitarist Duke Levine, both friends of Morrissey's, can be heard on the recording along with the background vocals of Patty Griffin. Scott Alarik wrote: "As his lovely, demanding and brilliant debut album ''Say Something'' attests, there is a precocious credibility and emotional truth to his real-life ballads."
Levine would co-produce Paul's follow-up release ''Stories'', which was released on Black Wolf in 1994 and re-released on Rounder Records the following year. It was also in 1994 that Paul was first invited to play the
Kerrville Folk Festival, winning the Kerrville New Folk award.
[Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Finalist History](_blank)
brought to you by Happenstance and Doug Coppock. Retrieved February 8, 2007.
Paul became a follower of the music of Woody Guthrie during the early 1990s. In a 1998 ''Boston Globe'' article, Paul refers to a tattoo of Woody Guthrie on his right shoulder saying that Woody's image was the only thing he could put on his body that would be "like a badge of who he was."
[Alarik, Scott. Boston's "soul" man Ellis Paul crafts a trademark singer-songwriter sound. ''Boston Globe'', December 4, 1998.] Paul's tattoo of Woody Guthrie resulted in a chance meeting with Nora Guthrie, Woody Guthrie's daughter, at a
Folk Alliance Conference when Nora asked to see Paul's tattoo. That chance meeting resulted in Paul being invited to perform at a Woody Guthrie tribute show at the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
in Cleveland, Ohio. The 10-day celebration, held in September 1996, included other notable musicians such as
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
,
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, author and political activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic th ...
,
The Indigo Girls and
Ani DiFranco
Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums.
DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influenc ...
. DiFranco's record label,
Righteous Babe, released a compilation of the event, ''Til We Outnumber 'Em'', in 2000.
Jerry Marotta
Jerome David Marotta (born February 6, 1956) is an American drummer who resides in Woodstock, New York. He is the younger brother of Rick Marotta; Rick is also a drummer and composer.
Career
Marotta was a member of the bands Arthur, Hurley & ...
, a drummer who had worked with
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
, produced Paul's third CD release ''A Carnival of Voices'' which was released on Rounder in 1996. Marotta brought in bassist
Tony Levin
Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer specializing in electric bass guitars, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (19 ...
, guitarist Bill Dillon, and once again Duke Levine. Paul stated that ''A Carnival of Voices'' comprised character sketches of different people in different towns tied to "the carnival mentality of traveling."
''A Carnival of Voices'' hit No. 3 on The CMJ New Music Report Triple chart and
World Cafe voted it the No. 1 album of the year.
By 1997 Paul's mailing list passed 7,000 names as his fan-base continued to grow.
As Paul's reputation and popularity grew, he was asked to return to folk venues and festivals around the country including the
Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, the
Kerrville Folk Festival and the
Newport Folk Festival
The Newport Folk Festival is an annual American folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the Newport Jazz Festival. The festival was founded by music promoter and Jazz Festival founder Geor ...
. The number of shows he performed annually increased to more than 200. Although Paul performed mostly self-penned songs, he would often include a Woody Guthrie song into his set. Woody's "Hard Travelin'" was always a crowd pleaser, especially in Oklahoma, Woody's birthplace. In July 1998, the 1st
Woody Guthrie Folk Festival
The Woody Guthrie Folk Festival is held annually in mid-July to commemorate the life and music of Woody Guthrie. The festival is held on the weekend closest to July 14 – the date of Guthrie's birth – in Guthrie's hometown of Okemah, Oklahoma ...
was held in Woody's hometown of
Okemah, Oklahoma. Not only did Paul headline the festival along with Billy Bragg, but the city of Okemah made him an
honorary citizen. Paul stated that when he made the pilgrimage to Okemah he felt that he was walking in Woody's footsteps and that the experience was "like going to the
mount". Paul's sixth CD, ''Translucent Soul'', was released later that year in October. Again produced by Jerry Marotta, the title track is a song about his relationship with good friend Vance Gilbert and tackles the issue of racism.
At the end of the decade, Paul was invited to perform at Club Passim's 40th anniversary show. The event took place on January 16, 1999, at the
Sanders Theater in Cambridge. The four-hour sold-out concert also included Patty Larkin,
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...
,
The Nields, and others. Joan Anderman, covering the event for the ''Boston Globe'', reported that Paul's "thinking-person's poetry" at the Sanders theater was "embellished with the bite of an electric guitarist and the earthy cool of a percussionist", and that his set was "a model of modern organic grace".
2000–2003
Paul released his first live recording, simply titled ''Live'', on March 14, 2000. The double-disk included recordings from several shows, as well as previously unreleased studio tracks. Highlights of the year 2000 included Paul singing the National Anthem at
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...
, and having his song "The World Ain't Slowing Down" chosen for the theme song in the
Farrelly brothers movie ''
Me, Myself and Irene'' starring
Jim Carrey
James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. Known primarily for his energetic slapstick performances, he has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for BAFTA Awards and ...
and
Renée Zellweger
Renée Kathleen Zellweger ( ; born April 25, 1969) is an American actress. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Renée Zellweger, various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four ...
. Both events took place on the same June weekend. In November 2001, Paul was again successful in having a song in a movie when "Sweet Mistakes" was featured in ''
Shallow Hal
''Shallow Hal'' is a 2001 American romantic comedy film directed by the Farrelly brothers, Farrelly Brothers. The film stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black, with Jason Alexander, Joe Viterelli, and Susan Ward in supporting roles. Filming took pla ...
'' starring
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow ( ; born September 27, 1972) is an American actress and businesswoman. The daughter of filmmaker Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner, she established herself as a leading lady appearing in mainly mid-budget and perio ...
and
Jack Black
Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for roles in family and comedy films, in addition to his voice work in animated films. His awards include a Children's and Family Emmy ...
. Paul released his 8th CD, ''Sweet Mistakes'', a collection of audience-favorites not yet recorded, on November 15, 2001. In January 2002, Paul was named the ''FolkWax'' Artist of the Year for 2001.
Paul often recites original poetry for his audiences. Some of those poems can be found in ''Notes from the Road'', a collection of Paul's original poems, lyrics, and journal entries published by Black Wolf Press in May 2002. In her review for ''Performing Songwriter'', Abby White said, "The book has an intimate, conversational tone, and Paul's childlike drawings, song lyrics and poetry provide commercial breaks to his personal journal entries and vivid recollections of significant events he encounters while touring". As the 21st century began Paul recited his "Millennium Poem", regularly at shows.
In 2002 Paul became friends with Nora Guthrie. Nora Guthrie is executive director of the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives in New York City where hundreds of Woody Guthrie's handwritten lyrics – many without music – are housed. She invited Paul to visit the Archives and choose one set of lyrics to put to song. Referring to the huge undertaking of finding songwriters to write music for hundreds of her father's lyrics, Nora Guthrie stated that there was a "job description" that her father left behind that "Ellis took on". Paul chose "God's Promise", lyrics that Woody had adapted in 1955 from "What God Hath Promised", a hymn of the day and recorded it for his 2002 release ''Speed of Trees''. Paul said that visiting the Woody Guthrie Archives was like going through a time capsule of his biggest hero and that the posthumous collaboration with Woody Guthrie was one of the "coolest things" he'd ever done. The
November 6, 2002 episode of the TV series ''
Ed'' featured Paul's "If You Break Down".
Paul's connection to Woody Guthrie continued into 2003 when he was invited to perform in the Ribbon of Highway, Endless Skyway tribute show to honor Woody Guthrie. The ensemble show, which was the brainchild of Texas singer-songwriter
Jimmy Lafave, toured around the country and included a rotating cast of singer-songwriters individually performing Guthrie's songs. Interspersed between songs were Guthrie's philosophical writings read by a narrator. In addition to LaFave and Paul, members of the rotating cast included
Slaid Cleaves,
Eliza Gilkyson
Eliza Gilkyson (born August 24, 1950, Hollywood, California) is an American folk musician based in Taos, New Mexico.Gilkyson moved her base from Austin, Texas, to Taos in 2020. Gilkyson is a two-time Grammy Award nominee, receiving a nomination ...
,
Joel Rafael, husband-wife duo
Sarah Lee Guthrie (Woody Guthrie's granddaughter) and
Johnny Irion,
Michael Fracasso, and
The Burns Sisters. Oklahoma songwriter Bob Childers, sometimes called "the Dylan of the Dust,"
[Propaganda Media Group, Inc]
Ribbon of Highway – Endless Skyway: Concert in the Spirit of Woody Guthrie
. Retrieved February 6, 2007. served as narrator.
[Ribbon of Highway website](_blank)
Retrieved January 25, 2007. When word spread about the tour, performers began contacting LaFave whose only prerequisite was to have an inspirational connection to Guthrie. Each artist chose the Guthrie songs that he or she would perform as part of the tribute. One of the songs Gilkyson chose was "Pastures of Plenty", while Cleaves chose "This Morning I Am Born Again" – a song he wrote using Guthrie's lyrics. One of the songs Paul chose was a song he wrote using Guthrie's lyrics – "God's Promise". LaFave said, "It works because all the performers are Guthrie enthusiasts in some form".
[Martinez, Rebeka]
Tribute to Woody Guthrie Tour makes a stop in Conroe Feb. 16
, ''The Courier'', (Conroe, Texas.), February 7, 2003. Retrieved February 7, 2007. The Ribbon of Highway tour kicked off on February 5, 2003, at the
Ryman Auditorium
Ryman Auditorium (originally Union Gospel Tabernacle and renamed Grand Ole Opry House for a period) is a historic 2,362-seat live-performance venue and museum located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in the downtown core of Nashville, Tennesse ...
in Nashville. The abbreviated show was a featured segment of "Nashville Sings Woody", yet another tribute concert to commemorate the music of Woody Guthrie held during the Folk Alliance Conference. The cast of "Nashville Sings Woody", a benefit for the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives, also included
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk music, folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing protest song, songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his fa ...
,
Marty Stuart
John Marty Stuart (born September 30, 1958) is an American country music, country and bluegrass music singer, songwriter, and musician. Active since 1968, Stuart initially toured with Lester Flatt, and then in Johnny Cash's road band before be ...
,
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She often appeared on the PBS music program ''Austin City Limits'', starting in 1985 during season 10. In 1990, Griffith appeared on th ...
,
Guy Clark
Guy Charles Clark (November 6, 1941 – May 17, 2016) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter and luthier. He released more than 20 albums, and his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Townes Van Zandt, Jerry Jeff ...
,
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott (born Elliott Charles Adnopoz; August 1, 1931) is an American folk singer, songwriter and story teller.
Life and career
Elliott was born in 1931 in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Florence (Rieger) and Abraham Adno ...
,
Janis Ian
Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink; April 7, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter who was most commercially successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her signature songs are the 1966/67 hit "Society's Child, Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" an ...
, and others.
[15th Annual Folk Alliance Conference: Nashville Sings Woody](_blank)
. Retrieved February 6, 2007.
Paul's ''3000 Miles'' DVD was released in February 2003. Divided into four segments, the DVD begins with a live show recorded on October 3, 2001, at Boston's Somerville Theater – a show that was the final date of a six-week tour with
Susan Werner. The second segment is a 39-minute road movie filmed in 1995 by Matt Linde, an independent filmmaker who accompanied Paul on a cross-country tour. Individual vignettes chronicle shows, conversations and events in Paul's daily life as a traveling musician. A third segment shows Paul demonstrating the
open tunings he uses in many of his songs, while the final segment is a discussion of songwriting with fellow songwriters Christopher Williams and Vance Gilbert. In her review for ''
Dirty Linen'', Annette C. Eshleman said, "In just under three hours, viewers are able to watch as Paul evolves from a young, inexperienced folk singer wearing a backwards baseball cap to the highly respected, confident, seasoned performer that he is today".
2004–2009
On May 1, 2004, Paul was the recipient of the 2nd annual Boston College Arts Council Alumni Award for Artistic Achievement. The award was presented as part of the sixth annual Boston College Arts Festival. His appearances at the festival also included an "Inside the BC Studio" interview with music writer Scott Alarik, a master class on songwriting, and a concert. In 2004 Paul was also awarded his 13th Boston Music Award in the category of Outstanding Singer-Songwriter. At the time Paul was writing what he called "country tunes" when he teamed up with an Irish musician, producer, and studio expert named Flynn. This resulted in ''American Jukebox Fables'', released April 5, 2005, a recording produced by Flynn that surprised some fans by melding folk, pop and
electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
. Paul said that his collaboration with Flynn formed a partnership where he brought banjos and accordions and Flynn brought a laptop and keyboard. Although Paul knew that the end result would fall outside the comfort zone of some fans who expected another acoustic folk album, experimenting with Flynn's musical chemistry set injected excitement and fun into the recording project.
Since approximately 1995 (no one seems to know for certain), Paul has annually played Club Passim over New Year's, performing two shows on December 30 and two shows on New Year's Eve. In early 2006 Black Wolf Records released ''Live at Club Passim'', a recording compiled from Paul's 2005 New Year's Eve shows. In May 2006, Paul toured Europe and England playing to sold-out shows in Paris, France;
Twickenham
Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...
, England;
Cheltenham
Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...
, England and
Wasserburg, Germany. The tour also included two BBC radio interviews and a radio interview in Paris. Paul was included on the Woody Guthrie Coalition's DVD ''Woody Sez: a Tribute to Woody Guthrie'' released in 2006. The tribute show, recorded July 13, 2005, at the Crystal Theater in
Okemah, Oklahoma, included Paul performing a duet with The Burns Sisters on "God's Promise". Also released in 2006 was Paul's "best of" album, released as ''Ellis Paul Essentials'', on October 10. The two-disk retrospective of Paul's 15-year career contained some songs that were absolutes and others that were included based on polls held on his website and
discussion board. In his ''Folkwax'' review of Ellis Paul ''Essentials'', Arthur Wood stated: "If you've never visited "musically" with Mr. Ellis Paul, ''Essentials'' is a stunning place to start." In his review for ''The Washington Post'', Mike Joyce said "
''Essentials'', a career-spanning double CD from veteran singer-songwriter Ellis Paul, has a few newly produced,
John Jennings-helmed tracks of previously recorded tunes that help set this compilation apart from most retrospectives." In her review for
Sing Out!
''Sing Out!'' was a quarterly journal of folk music and folk songs that was published from May 1950 through spring 2014. It was originally based in New York City, with a national circulation of approximately 10,000 by 1960.
Background
''Sing O ...
, Kari Estren said "Paul's ''Essentials'' is just that and a must for your folk collection."
In January 2008, Paul released a children's and family record entitled ''The Dragonfly Races''. Inspired after the birth of his second daughter, Paul said that he wanted to teach his children about the world through the use of music. The songs are meant to be enjoyed by both children and adults, and Paul said "I wanted my kids to hear music with social commentary and some fantasy involved." Scott Alarik said "Paul sings movingly about what really worries new parents, and turns lazy dragonflies, gentle monsters, and resilient roses into useful metaphors for world peace, the power of faith, and the delights of a sleepy day." In April 2008 the Parents' Choice Foundation awarded ''The Dragonfly Races'' a Silver Medallion. The
Parents' Choice Award
The Parents' Choice Award was an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It was considered a "prest ...
s program honors the best material for children in these categories: books, toys, music and storytelling, magazines, software, videogames, television and websites.
In 2009, country musician
Jack Ingram chose to record a song written by Paul. According to
CMT, Paul's "The World Ain't Slowing Down", may be the song that takes Ingram to the "next level". Ingram says "It'll be fun for me to expose people to a fantastic song from an artist who's had a 20-year career of being a very successful folk artist."
2010–2014
Paul's sixteenth CD, ''The Day After Everything Changed'', was released on January 12, 2010.
[Garcia, Stephani]
What Would Ellis Do? Now-local songwriter finds pockets.
''The Hook'', (Charlottesville, Virginia), January 9, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2010.[Gewertz, Daniel]
‘Everything’ could change for Ellis Paul.
''Boston Herald'', December 29, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2010. Rather than work with a record label, Paul invited fans to help finance the recording by offering donors various premiums determined by the level of donation.
[Sculley, Alan]
Fans give Ellis Paul launching pad to redefine himself.
''The Morning Call'', January 2, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2010. Although Paul wasn't sure what to expect when the United States economy collapsed, the fan-funding initiative resulted in more than $100,000 being collected – more, according to Paul, – than any label had ever spent on him.
[Perry, Jonathan]
Letting loose, with a little help from his fans.
''Boston Globe'', January 8, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2010. Recorded in Nashville with a guest appearance by
Kristian Bush
Kristian Merrill Bush (born March 14, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Bush is one half of the country music duo Sugarland with Jennifer Nettles, and was a member of the folk rock duo Billy Pilgrim (band), Billy Pi ...
that includes a duet on the track, "Paper Dolls", Paul says the fan support inspired him to make "the best record I could".
One reviewer wrote: "This is such a tuneful, beautifully drawn set of songs played and sung with authority that it reminds you how much we need storytellers back in pop music—storytellers with empathy, fine eyes and an understanding that even though we live in a soulless, indifferent world our music doesn't have to reflect our culture."
[Capobianco, Ken]
Ellis Paul’s Graceful, Eloquent New Record.
CapeCodOnline.com. January 12, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2010. In her review for the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange, Roberta Schwartz said that the CD is "a masterwork filled with the best music and lyrics of his career."
[Schwartz, Roberta]
. ''Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange'', 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
Five concerts commemorating Paul's 20th anniversary in the music business took place at Boston's Club Passim the weekend of July 9–10, 2010. Paul performed his eight solo albums in chronological order over four shows. In addition, he also performed a children's concert.
[Debruyn, Jeff]
Ellis Paul's 20th Anniversary Weekend.
Upcoming Events and Things to Do on Yahoo.com. Retrieved July 13, 2010. The Mayor of Boston, Thomas M. Menino, proclaimed July 9, 2010, as Ellis Paul Day in the City of Boston.
[Scott for Nimbit]
Ellis Paul Day in Boston.
Nimbit website. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
WUMB
WUMB-FM (91.9 FM broadcasting, FM) in Boston, Massachusetts, is the radio station of the University of Massachusetts Boston. It broadcasts a mix of Americana (music), Americana, blues, American folk music, roots, and Folk music, folk hosted by ...
announced that its listeners voted ''The Day After Everything Changed'' one of the Top 10 CDs of 2010.
Paul's second children's album, ''The Hero in You'', was released on January 1, 2012.
[Douglas, Stephen]
Ellis Paul to play adult and kid shows at Caffe Lena's
. ''The Saratogian'', January 4, 2012. The songs on the album are all written about persons who Paul considers to be American heroes including
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...
,
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...
,
Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia Totto O'Keeffe (November 15, 1887 March 6, 1986) was an American Modernism, modernist painter and drafter, draftswoman whose career spanned seven decades and whose work remained largely independent of major art movements. Called the "M ...
, and
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an American civil rights activist. She is best known for her refusal to move from her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus, in defiance of Jim Crow laws, which sparke ...
. The album is Paul's attempt to teach children about some of America's most famous heroes. "I was a big fan of
Schoolhouse Rock in the 70s. There was always a really great charm about the music. The main reason I can still remember the
Preamble of the Constitution is because of those little songs", Paul said.
The illustrations in the accompanying lyrics booklet were all created by Paul.
[Schwartz, Roberta]
FAME review of The Hero in You
. ''Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange'', 2012.
In a review for the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange, Roberta Schwartz said that ''The Hero in You'' contains some of the best melodies and most moving lyrics of Paul's career. She goes on to cite "
Chief Joseph
''Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt'' (or ''hinmatóowyalahtq̓it'' in Americanist orthography; March 3, 1840 – September 21, 1904), popularly known as Chief Joseph, Young Joseph, or Joseph the Younger, was a leader of the wal-lam-wat-kain (Wallowa) ...
" as an example – a song that incorporates one of the most famous quotes in
Native American history: "I will fight no more forever".
''The Hero in You'' received a Gold Medal from the Parents' Choice Foundation.
Paul's first Christmas album, ''City of Silver Dreams'', was released on December 1, 2012. Produced by Flynn, the album consists of nine original songs – several co-written with Kristian Bush – and one cover song, the classic "Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas" written by
Hugh Martin
Hugh Martin (August 11, 1914 – March 11, 2011) was an American musical theater and film composer, arranger, vocal coach, and playwright. He was best known for his score for the 1944 MGM musical '' Meet Me in St. Louis'', in which Judy Garla ...
and
Ralph Blane
Ralph Blane (July 26, 1914 – November 13, 1995) was an American composer, lyricist, and performer.
Life and career
Blane was born Ralph Uriah Hunsecker in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He attended Tulsa Central High School. He studied singing wit ...
. In her review for ''No Depression'', Holley Dey wrote: "It's a collection with multifaceted personality, offering both melodic romanticism and a folk styled humor that twinkles with good natured fun."
[Dey, Holley]
CD Review – Ellis Paul "City of Silver Dreams".
''No Depression'', December 4, 2012.
On July 12, 2014, Paul was one of four performers inducted into the Maine Music Awards Hall of Fame. The awards ceremony took place in the Portland (Maine) Civic Center. Paul performed along with other members of the inaugural class which included
Don McLean
Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Known as the "American Troubadour" or "King of the Trail", he is best known for his 1971 hit "American Pie (song), American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minut ...
,
Howie Day
Howard Kern Day (born January 15, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter. Beginning his career as a solo artist in the late 1990s, Day became known for his extensive touring and in-concert use of sampler (musical instrument), samplers and effect ...
, and
David Mallett.
Paul's 19th and second fan-funded album, ''Chasing Beauty'', was released on September 9, 2014. The 14-track CD was produced by
Kristian Bush
Kristian Merrill Bush (born March 14, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Bush is one half of the country music duo Sugarland with Jennifer Nettles, and was a member of the folk rock duo Billy Pilgrim (band), Billy Pi ...
(Sugarland) and Brandon Bush
(Train) and recorded primarily in Decatur, Georgia. Paul is supported by Kristian Bush (acoustic/electric guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass), Brandon Bush (keyboards), Sugarland's Travis McNabb (drums), Gray Griggs (bass), Megan Lovell (lap steel), Tim Smith (bass), Ben Torres (trombone), Michael Snell (trumpet) and Brandyn Taylor (baritone sax).
Rebecca Loebe and
Red Molly make guest appearances.
2015–present
Paul was invited to present the keynote address at the 2015 NERFA (Northeast Regional Folk Alliance) conference held Nov. 12–15, 2015 at the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, New York. The 26-minute address presented on November 13, 2015, was later published on his website and on YouTube.
In late 2015, an announcement was made that Paul's song "Nelly Bly" from the album ''Hero in You'' would appear in the movie
10 Days in a Madhouse being released in the fall of 2015.
In April 2019 Ellis Paul announced that his new album ''The Storyteller's Suitcase'' would be released May 31, 2019, and released the first video from the album, for "I Ain't No Jesus." ''The Storyteller's Suitcase'' was named Album of the Year at the 2019 NERFA (Northeast Regional Folk Alliance) Conference held in Stamford, CT. Nov. 7–10, 2019.
In early 2020, the International Acoustic Music Awards (IAMA) announced that Paul's "I Ain't No Jesus" from ''The Storyteller's Suitcase'' was named Best Folk/Americana/Roots song as well as Overall Grand Prize Winner at the 16th Annual Awards.
Collaborations
In 2000 Paul contributed backing vocals to
Dave Nachmanoff's "A Certain Distance".
In September 2003 Paul released ''Side of the Road'', a duo album recorded with good friend Vance Gilbert. The two songwriters, who have often shared the stage, each chose four cover songs to record – individual favorites – plus one song of their own. Although the album did not start out as a "9/11" project, the inclusion of
Mark Erelli's "The Only Way" set a theme. A review in ''
No Depression'' magazine said this about Paul and Gilbert's choice of songs:
"Thematically they're mostly about individuals — indeed, an entire planet — in desperate need of healing. To that end, Paul's original tune "Citizen of the World" is a wonderful balm, as he and Gilbert trade lyrics about the crossed bloodlines, attitudes and experiences that make us all brothers and sisters. Their version of Van Morrison's "Comfort You" works magic of a similar sort."
Sugarland's first holiday album, ''
Gold and Green'' released on October 13, 2009 includes "City of Silver Dreams" and "Little Wood Guitar", co-written by Paul and
Kristian Bush
Kristian Merrill Bush (born March 14, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Bush is one half of the country music duo Sugarland with Jennifer Nettles, and was a member of the folk rock duo Billy Pilgrim (band), Billy Pi ...
.
[Bjorke, Matt]
Sugarland – Gold and Green.
Roughtstock.com. October 12, 2009. Retrieved October 14, 2009. In his review of the album, Matt Bjorke wrote, "City of Silver Dreams" could actually find itself a seminal holiday song like Joni Mitchell's
"River" as it tells a wonderfully soft and melodic story of New York City and the beauty of a new romance within the context of Christmas."
Songwriting
"Boston-style" songwriting refers to the introspective and literate breed of singer-songwriter so prevalent in the modern folk music landscape.
According to Paul, Boston-style songwriting grew out of Boston's thriving folk scene with its dense collection of colleges, college radio stations and listening rooms. Boston radio includes the University of Massachusetts'
WUMB
WUMB-FM (91.9 FM broadcasting, FM) in Boston, Massachusetts, is the radio station of the University of Massachusetts Boston. It broadcasts a mix of Americana (music), Americana, blues, American folk music, roots, and Folk music, folk hosted by ...
, the country's foremost radio station for folk and acoustic music 24-hours a day. Paul said the Boston songwriters tend to be more thoughtful and soft because in an intimate listening room, "all you've got is you and your words." Boston-style songwriting tends to be more about lyric than
melody
A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of Pitch (music), pitch and rhythm, while more figurativel ...
, is intimate and thoughtful but also relevant, often addressing
social issues
A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...
. Boston-style songwriting does not only refer to Boston musicians, but includes national artists such as Shawn Colvin, John Gorka, Susan Werner, Bill Morrissey, and Dar Williams.
In an interview with Paul Freeman for the ''East Bay Daily News'', Paul commented on how he hopes audience members relate to his songs, "Each song is supposed to be like a little three-dimensional world. I'm hoping to invite them in, have them make out the details and the reasons for being there, and apply them to their own lives. But I'm also hoping to entertain them."
After graduating from Boston College, Paul worked as a case worker at an inner city school in the
Jamaica Plain
Jamaica Plain is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Settled by Puritans seeking farmland to the south, it was originally part of Roxbury, Massachusetts, Roxbury. The community seceded from Roxbur ...
section of Boston, working with children with behavioral problems and also worked as a social worker in Boston with clients who were drug dealers, rapists, and other kinds of criminal offenders. His work experiences opened his eyes to see the world in a broader, more open-minded way and provided material for the songs he was beginning to write. Early in his career Paul promised himself that he would always write about the things he knew well.
In her review of ''Ellis Paul Live'' for the Folk and Music Exchange, Roberta Schwartz said, "His finely honed songs tell stories filled with images that sparkle like jewels. His is a poet's heart, and a romantic's soul. He is an optimist who believes in people and possibilities."
[Schwartz, Roberta]
FAME review of Ellis Paul Live
. ''Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange'', 2000. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
In her 1993 review of Paul's ''Say Something'', Debbie Catalano wrote, "Ellis Paul draws a picture with his words then draws you into the world he's painting." Like a
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...
painting, Paul's songs are replete with crucial details and careful observations that tell a story with a minimum or words. In a 2002 article, dissected a verse from Paul's "Conversation with a Ghost" from ''Say Something''. "Instead of bluntly saying, "I ran into an old flame in
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
", Paul writes around it, avoiding the clichés, painting the picture, showing us everything—the motives, the setting, the serendipity—except what we expect."
When teaching songwriting classes, Paul often introduces aspiring songwriters to his "six-step program to effective songwriting" which is based on the premise that songwriters should show and not tell. Paul teaches this six-step method to develop a character in a song:
# Choose a name for the person.
# List five items in the person's bedroom.
# List five things the person would see if he or she looked in a mirror.
# Choose two colors that bring the person to mind.
# Choose one non-human metaphor describing the person.
# Write one line of dialogue that conveys the way the person speaks.
The most important advice he gives aspiring songwriters is to write what you know or what you've experienced. "Use reality as the springboard to whatever you're writing about", Paul said.
Paul also says that being a successful songwriter is like being a journalist who writes about what he sees and knows, the times people are living in and the things people are facing today. "The journalist looks out the window and writes about what is really happening." "I make sure it's real. I don't want to fictionalize about things I haven't witnessed." Paul states that over the years he's learned the value of simplicity in writing. He's learned that he can say more when he writes more simply and direct. "It's almost as if you can be complex and intricate by adopting a shorter, less complicated structure." "I'm not doing rocket science – I'm a storyteller", he said. "I hope to inspire people to think and feel and to walk out with more than they came in with."
When asked to describe the difference between writing songs for children and song for adults, Paul said: "The difference between writing a kids' song and an adult song is that in the kids' songs you tend to use primary colors and the words are brighter and the tempos are always upbeat. There's a nuance to the adult songs that is different. It's still the story telling, but its different shades and angles. You read between the lines more."
Paul continues playing close to 200 dates annually on the folk circuit. His songs have appeared on more than 50
compilation CD
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
s, and he has made nearly 40 guest appearances on the albums of artists including
Lori McKenna
Lorraine McKenna ( Giroux; born December 22, 1968) is an American folk, Americana, and country music singer-songwriter. In 2016, she was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and won Best Country Song for co-writing the hit singl ...
,
David Wilcox and Mark Erelli. When asked if he would rather play the 19,600-seat Fleet Theater or the 900-seat Somerville Theater – both in Boston, Paul replied, "I prefer to keep it intimate. That way people can see the whites of your eyes. I'd love to write a hit song and have it on the radio like "American Pie" or something, but I'm just gonna do what I do and take what I can and run with it, because it's a hard business to have even what I have. So I don't have
pie-in-the-sky Springsteen-esque hopes. I just want to write great songs."
In a review for the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange, Roberta Schwartz said, "Ellis Paul is one of the best singer/songwriters of his generation. And for many of us he is the face of contemporary folk music—few are as smart, as literate and as poetic as Paul. He has spun his story songs for nearly twenty years now, and has eleven studio recordings (with an additional two early recordings on cassette—now available on CD) to his credit. I cannot think of another artist on the acoustic music scene who is better-loved by fans, or more respected by his contemporaries."
[Schwartz, Roberta]
FAME review of Ellis Paul Essentials
. ''Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange'', 2006. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
Children's books
On September 1, 2014, Paul's children's CD ''Hero in You'' was published as a book by Albert Whitman & Company. Illustrated by Angela Padron, the book of American biographies includes a copy of the CD with exclusive introductory tracks by Paul. The accompanying CD allows young readers to listen to each song while discovering additional facts about Paul's heroes on each page.
Paul's second children's book was published – again by Albert Whitman & Company – in October 2015. Based on his Christmas poem ''The Night the Lights Went Out on Christmas'', the book, illustrated by Scott Brundage, is the whimsical yet heartwarming story of a neighborhood where families trying to outdo one another with Christmas lights and decorations use so much electrical power that the neighborhood is thrown into darkness. The poem originally appeared on Paul's ''City of Silver Dreams'' Christmas CD and is included as a downloadable mp3 file with the book.
Sports honor
In September 2012,
Presque Isle High School announced that Paul would be one of four high school graduates inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame at the third annual ceremony on January 11, 2013. During his high school career, Paul – a member of the class of 1983 – starred in
cross-country and
track. He won a cross-country state championship as a senior as well as three Eastern Maine titles and a 5,000-meter state crown in track. He also finished second in the 15–16 age division of the 1981 AAU national cross-country championships and later during his career placed seventh in the 17–18 age group at the
AAU Junior Olympic national championships.
Coinciding with the Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony were two performances to benefit the Wintergreen Arts Center, one at The Whole Potato Cafe and Commons and one at the
University of Maine at Presque Isle
The University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMaine Presque Isle or UMPI) is a public college in Presque Isle, Maine. It is part of the University of Maine System and one of two University of Maine System schools in Aroostook County, Maine, Aroostoo ...
's Wieden Auditorium.
University of Maine honor
On May 17, 2014, Paul was the commencement address speaker at the
University of Maine at Presque Isle's 105th commencement. Paul was also awarded an honorary
Doctor of Humane Letters degree during the commencement ceremony. At the conclusion of his commencement address, Paul performed his composition "Rise Up, Presque Isle" which has been adopted as the school's new Alma Mater.
[Rice, Rachel, editor. University hosts 105th Commencemen]
''Image: University of Maine at Presque Isle'', Issue 2014.4, June 2014.
Discography
:
Awards
References
Further reading/listening
Books
* 2003 – Kerouac, Jack.
Doctor Sax, ''Doctor Sax and the Great World Snake'', Mint Publishers, . (Screenplay recorded on two audio CDs with Ellis Paul as the voice of Lousy.)
* 2003 – Alarik, Scott. ''
Deep Community: Adventures in the Modern Folk Underground'', Boston: Black Wolf Press, . (Prominently features Ellis Paul.)
* 2002 – Paul, Ellis. ''Notes From the Road'', Boston: Black Wolf Press, . (Paul's self-illustrated book of lyrics, poems and journal entries.)
* 2002 – Kubica, Chris and Hochman, Will. ''Letters to J.D. Salinger'', University of Wisconsin Press, . (Includes an entry written by Ellis Paul.)
* 2001 – Stambler, Irwin. ''Folk & Blues: The Encyclopedia: The Premier Encyclopedia Of American Roots Music'', Thomas Dunne Books, . (Includes an entry for Ellis Paul.)
Magazines
(See the Ellis Paul Archives for a more comprehensive listing.)
* 2006 – Perricone, Mike
gallery: ellis paul. Did Galileo Pray?''Symmetry: Dimensions of Particle Physics'', Jun/Jul 2006, p. 28–9. Retrieved February 10, 2007.
* 2005 — Soroff, Jonathan. Soroff on Ellis Paul. ''Improper Bostonian'', Apr 6–19, 2005, p. 16.
* 2002 — Rutz, Kathy. New Release Spotlight: Ellis Paul. ''Performing Songwriter'', Dec 2002, p. 26.
* 2000 — Weider, Tamara. Ellis Paul: On the road again. ''Improper Bostonian'', June 14, 2000, p. 18–22.
* 1996 — Fagan, Neil. Artist spotlight: Ellis Paul. ''Performing Songwriter'', Jan/Feb 1996, p. 30–1.
Miscellany
* 2011 — Never Not Funny: The Jimmy Pardo Podcast Video of Ellis Paul appearing on ''Never Not Funny'' hosted by Jimmy Pardo. February 2, 2011.
* 2007 — Studio Concert Series: Ellis Paul. Video interview/performance recorded at Blue Rock Studios in Wimberley, Texas.
May 10, 2007.
* 2004 — "Inside the BC Studio: A Conversation with Ellis Paul". Video interview at Boston College with Scott Alarik as part of the Boston College Arts Council Alumni Award weekend festivities. April 30, 2004.
* 1999 — Ellis Paul on The Millennium Stage of the Kennedy Center Video performance in Washington, D.C.. June 22, 1999.
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul, Ellis
1965 births
Living people
People from Fort Kent, Maine
American folk musicians
American folk singers
American male singer-songwriters
Boston College Eagles men's track and field athletes
Fast Folk artists
Rounder Records artists
Singers from Maine
Songwriters from Maine
American male long-distance runners
20th-century American sportsmen