PAUL MICHEL

I started playing my Dad's old mandolin when I was eight years old. A couple of years later I got a guitar. As a kid I listened to lots of early blues, Woody Guthrie, cowboy and ballad singers and folk revivalists. When I was 17 a friend bought me an old Sears & Roebuck fiddle at a flea market. That was pretty much the end of any chance of a normal life.

I was lucky to hear a lot of great old-time and bluegrass music in central Ohio. Among my biggest inspirations back then, live and via recordings, were Jeff and Rick Goehring, J.P. Fraley, Doc Roberts, the Skillet Lickers, Tommy Jarrell, Van Kidwell and John Hutchinson. In college I started listening to traditional Irish music as well. I got a fellowship from the T.J. Watson Foundation that allowed me to spend a year after graduation learning from older musicians in the west of Ireland, mostly County Clare. I was particularly influenced by Tommy Doolin, Mickaleen Conolon, Tony Linnane, Davey Spillane, Roger Burridge and Miko and Gussie Russell.

Shortly after my return I moved to Seattle, drawn by its vibrant traditional music community. I was introduced to Balkan music and spent a few years playing in a a couple of Croatian tamburica bands, mentored patiently by Peter Lippman, Glen Nielson, Johnny Morovic, Hank Bradely, Alan Swensson, Alma Plancich and Binki Spahi. I kept up with Irish and old time music too, and in the early 2000s began trying my hand at songwriting and solo performing. I teamed up with a wonderful local singer, Sally Rose, for a few years performing old-time country duets.

Most recently I've been playing mandolin a bluegrass band called Ryegrass with Jim Hanna, Lynn Oliver, John Burke and Chip Diemond. I've made and played on a bunch of CDs along the way--a solo CD and a CD with Sally Rose both are available from CD Baby (cdbaby.com) and Amazon.com. Earlier CDs with Ruze Dalmatinke and Vela Luka are harder to find but I could get you one if you're interested. I still play the fiddle a good bit, finding myself influenced mostly by traditional styles prevalent in Ohio and Kentucky in the mid-20th century.

Recently I've been trying out some new musical angles: the French diatonic accordion, the cello and Gypsy jazz mandolin. Must I say "stay tuned?"