Ellis Paul

A critically acclaimed, award-winning singer/songwriter, Boston’s Ellis Paul takes a delightful musical detour with his latest release, Side of the Road, a collection of mostly cover songs recorded with his longtime friend and collaborator Vance Gilbert. Coming from two different musical places, Paul and Gilbert meet in the middle to create what the Boston Globe describes as “a canny blend of sleek melodicism and street-smart lyrics.” While some may have expected some kind of whiz-bang collaboration between these two stalwarts of Boston’s folk scene, Side of the Road has a distinctly subdued and peaceful vibe, reflecting the record’s creation in the wake of 9/11.  

“Around that time we both started thinking about community a lot more,” Paul says. “That wasn't a direct goal of this record, but a subtle thing that affected why we decided to do this now, and why we sang the songs we did.”

Through several solo releases and movie soundtracks, constant touring, and his recent success with “Notes From the Road,” his first book, Ellis Paul has been doing this his own way for a long time now, in the process developing into one of America’s most distinctive singer/songwriters. With Side of the Road, he can add ‘interpreter of great songs’ to his already impressive resume. www.ellispaul.com