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Paul Asbell, simply one of the best guitar wizards around!
Sat. March 3rd , 2018 at 7:30 PM!
Paul Asbell brings blues, jazz and Americana with his intricate, deft fingers. From his early years, playing blues on Chicago’s South Side, to his present multi-faceted career based out of northern Vermont, Paul has earned an underground reputation as a true “musician’s musician”. He has played and recorded with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Otis Rush, Magic Sam, Earl Hooker, Lightnin’ Slim, Paul Butterfield, Sam Lay, Pops Staples, Donny Hathaway, and numerous others while in his hometown of Chicago, Ill.
Paul moved to Vermont in the heady “back-to-the-land” days of 1971, where he still lives. He soon started playing and recording with a head-spinningly diverse array of artists, including Big Mama Thornton, singer-songwriters Paul Siebel, Jim Ringer, Mary McCaslin, andRosalie Sorrells, jazz greats Jon Hendricks, Bobby McFerrin, Sonny Stitt, and Nick Brignola, and many others. In 1978, seeking an outlet for more personal musical visions, he formed Kilimanjaro (www.kilimanjarojazz.com).
In 1981, Paul and other members of Kilimanjaro joined forces with a legendary saxophonist and blues singer to form Big Joe Burrell and the Unknown Blues Band. Together, they performed at many festivals, including the Kool Jazz Festival, toured Russia, Holland, and Canada, and served as backup band for Marva Wright, Kenny Neal, W.C. Clark, and others. The UBB remained a Northeast regional favorite for over 20 years, until Big Joe’s passing in 2005.
Personal performance credits in recent years include David Bromberg, Betty Carter, Joshua Redman, James Carter, Kermit Ruffins, Michael Ray, the Sun Ra Arkestra, The Wild Magnolias, John Stowell, guitar wunderkind Julian Lage, Dave Grippo and former studentsTrey Anastasio and Nick Cassarino.
Paul has taught guitar for over 45 years. Private instruction remains a favored format, but he has also taught for several decades on a university level, including positions at Dartmouth College, St. Michaels College, and presently at Middlebury College and the University Of Vermont . More info on private instruction, workshops, and TAB transcriptions at reduced prices can be found on the Instruction page.
Recently, he created instructional videos for Peghead Nation, Dream Guitars, Guitar Player and Acoustic Guitar magazine, who said “Asbell’s musical personality comes out most fully when playing his own brand of American roots music… in live performance, Asbell reveals a deep appreciation of the history behind each tune, while giving them a fresh, updated touch.” More video footage of concerts and festival appearances can be found on YouTube .
Find out much more at w:ww.paulasbell.com
For more information call the Music Box at 802-586-7533.
You can always BYOB. Light refreshments by donation.