The Folk Project – Ellis Paul with Burrie Jenkins
Ellis Paul is a songwriter, author, illustrator, and teacher. He has been a constant presence on the American folk circuit for over thirty years. In that time, he has released twenty-two albums of original music and performed over 5,000 shows. His songs have been featured in films like Me, Myself & Irene, Shallow Hal, and Hall Pass, and recorded by Grammy-winning country artists.
His stage performance is a combination of humor, improv, and poignant story songs, many of which describe people at a crossroads in their lives. He has performed on stages at the Newport Folk Festival, Carnegie Hall, and clubs and coffeehouses all over the world and has been awarded an Honorary Degree from the University of Maine and inducted into the Maine Music Hall of Fame. He has received numerous awards including fifteen Boston Music Awards and the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Award. His album released in 2019, “The Storyteller’s Suitcase”, was named NERFA Album of the Year and IAMA International Acoustic Artist of the Year. His most recent album, “55”, further deepens his reputation as one of folk music’s finest touring artists.
Opening will be Burrie Jenkins, a New England based guitarist and singer songwriter. Originally from the New York area, he now lives in Western Massachusetts. “I did go to a music school in Boston, but I forgot what I learned.” He was influenced by the music of the 60’s and 70’s and bands out of San Francisco such as Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead.
Burrie’s songs are rooted in the entire tapestry of the American lexicon. “I did spend some time looking at classical Indian Ragas as well as the music of J.S. Bach.. My dad loved Brazilian jazz and even Opera, we had every Beatles record in our house for sure.”