![]() He was born in the dead of winter in the small town of Fort Kent, Maine, a place nestled right up next to the Canadian border. Likewise, his geographical origins also couldn’t have been further from the world at large. If there’s one grace left to cling to, it’s the grace of nature’s beauty, sealed off by the surrounding mountains and fields. Nevertheless, it’s still a haven for traditional values and for people as real and authentic as the soil they once tilled. Not surprisingly, the name translates to “almost an island.” Presque Isle shares a vanishing tradition with many small towns these days, where family farms are giving way to industrialization and giant corporations, and earning a livelihood from the land is no longer the simple option it once was. where he lives, but rather Presque Isle, Maine, a tiny enclave surrounded by three rivers. Still, it’s somewhat ironic that Paul gravitated towards this bigger world of intent and expression given that the place Paul considers his hometown these days isn’t New York or Nashville, or Boston or Austin or Charlottesville, VA. And I’m gonna write and play until I’m gone.” There isn’t a town in the country where I won’t find a friend. “I’ve been doing 200 shows a year for over twenty years. “I’ve got a car with over 475,000 miles on it, and it's my third road vehicle, ” Paul declares. In reality, these stories are a continuation of tales Paul has told for more than a quarter century, over the expanse of nineteen albums, numerous critical kudos (15 Boston Music Awards alone), inclusion in several movie soundtracks, and stages he’s headlined both near and far. A real-life barnstorming pilot takes the spotlight in “Jimmie Angel’s Flying Circus,” while iconic Boston blue-collar musician Dennis Brennan takes the focus in “Waiting on a Break.” Even the Empire State Building and the Boston Red Sox get their due, via “Empire State” and “UK Girl (Boston Calling),” respectively. “Plastic Soldier” offers homage to a wounded soldier returning from Afghanistan. ![]() “Kick Out the Lights (Johnny Cash)” pays tribute to that fearless American icon name-checked in its title. These are the scenarios that emerge from Ellis Paul’s new album, Chasing Beauty, a set of songs which detail, in typical Paul fashion, stories of people and places that reflect larger truths about us all. The sharing of love., intimate, passionate and enduring. Descriptions of those things that are both near and dear. Though some may refer to him as a folk singer, he is more, for lack of a better word, a singular storyteller, a musician whose words reach out from inside and yet also express the feelings, thoughts and sensibilities that most people can relate to in one way or another, regardless of age or upbringing. Yet few others, for whatever genius they may possess, can relate their own history to the history experienced by those who find that common bond, be it in a coming of age, living through the same realities or sharing similar experiences.Įllis Paul is one of those gifted singer/songwriters. Woody Guthrie comes to mind, and so does Bob Dylan. It’s a rare artist who can do both, telling their own story through songs that also encapsulate the essence of people and places who have helped define their era overall. Some artists document their lives through their music. Paul remains an artist with his eye on the future and an interest in discovering the transformative potential in his music. Despite his success and sense of history, Mr.
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