Paul Curreri

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Paul Curreri
Background information
Birth name	Paul Curreri
Born	1976
Origin	Seattle, Washington,
Genre(s)	Folk, Blues
Occupation(s)	Vocalist, Guitarist, Musician
Years active	2000 - Present
Label(s)	City Salvage Records
Associated acts	Matt Curreri, Devon Sproule, Kelly Joe Phelps,

Paul Curreri is an American musician and songwriter, born in Seattle, WA, in 1976. He currently resides in Charlottesville, VA. He is renowned for his inspired songs, bright voice, and talented fingerstyle playing.

[edit] Musical career

Described by WTJU's Aer Stephen as "A ruffled gypsy gutter cowboy, a true life adventurer, a bright new voice", Paul Curreri's inspired songs and performances earned him the attention of a wider circle. He has also been compared to Marton Sexton for his reputation for inspired live performances and more elusive success in the studio.

Raised in Richmond, Virginia, Paul now makes his home in Charlottesville with songwriter / guitarist Devon Sproule (the two were married in May of 2005). He grew up playing music but ended up enrolling at Rhode Island School of Design to pursue painting and film. While Curreri credits his experiences at art school with developing his ability to observe and record the visual world, soon his true passion began to rise to the surface. By the time Paul graduated from RISD, he'd composed over 200 songs on guitar and piano. Turning down a job at MTV he set to work carving out a life as a musician.

Following a spot at New York's Knitting Factory in 2001, Curreri received several tour invites from Kelly Joe Phelps. Over the next four years, the two would play over 100 concerts together.

In April of 2002, independent Brooklyn-based label City Salvage Records released Curreri's first album, From Long Gones to Hawkmoth. The record emerged as what some deemed the greatest debut record in memory, while others were left pining for the barer, stripped down sound of two semi-legendary demos, entitled simply A and B, with contain early versions of well-known songs like "Bees" as well as unreleased ballads.

In June 2003, City Salvage Records released Curreri's sophomore effort, Songs for Devon Sproule. Recorded by Kelly Joe Phelps (In the same studio he had recorded his own Roll Away The Stone and Shine Eyed Mister Zen albums) over the space of just two evenings, Songs for Devon Sproule captures Curreri at his best.

The album found Curreri accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, and the resulting sound is similar to his inspired and inspriring concert performances. However, Phelps did play guitar on "Beneath A Crozet Trestle Bridge."

According to Curreri, most of the tracks were recorded in one take. Commenting on "Fishbowl," Curreri recounts how he'd written it in Kelly's attic the night before recording it. "I was having a bit of trouble come recording, with this and that… doohickies, details and tempo. Well, Kelly Joe disappears in the back of the studio, and then comes skipping on back with a big wooden plank slung over his shoulder. He leans it against the wall, all grunting, and says to me, 'Play like that. Play like a post, Paul.' It only took one more take."

The resulting effort was an album of primarily original material nourished by, but not slavish to, the country-blues and folk traditions which lie at the heart of Curreri's musical influence.

The Spirit Of The Staircase, Curreri's 2004 release saw the return of Jeff Romano, who produced and performed on 2002's From Long Gones To Hawkmoth. The album presents the music of Paul Curreri via a new variety of musical accompaniment.

The title of the record comes from a French expression l'esprit d'escalier, which means: Things you think to say after it's too late and you're on your way out the door.

2006 saw the release of Are You Going To Paul Curreri. Recorded in a single evening in late January, the recording finds Curreri in fantastic form, and backed by two of Charlottesville, Virginia’s most versatile musicians – Randall Pharr (bass), and Spencer Lathrop (drums).

Curreri's fifth album, The Velvet Rut, is due for release in April 2007. Rumors circulate that it is a decidedly darker record than many of Paul's others. Other details: it is supposedly quite ornate, quite a mass of sound surrounding his eloquent guitarwork. That said, Curreri has reported that he played all the accompanying instruments himself.