CD's are available at Pittsburgh area Barnes and Noble, Borders Books & Music, Dave's Music Mine, Paul's Compact Discs, The Inspiration Cafe - Washington.
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"The Ballad of Philo Paul" copyright 2008 TMB and acoustic songs music ASCAP.
Influences
The Rust Belt dying steel towns and coal patches of South Western Pennsylvania.
Trout fishing in the Allegheny Mountains.
My Grandparents work ethic.
People who fight for what the believe in. Those who don't sell out.
History. John Muir. Al Gore. Jesus Christ.
Thanks to Robert M. Paul, my distant cousin, for providing the Philo Paul image and so much historical information about Philo Paul and the 140th PA Volunteers.
Thanks to the Washington County Historical Society for use of the 1860's log house for my CD photo shoot.
Singer and songwriter T. Mitchell Bell pursues simplicity — the kind found in a blues harmonica line or a Hank Williams lyric.
But it took a long time to get back to simple – decades, in fact, for the small-town Southwestern Pennsylvania kid who fronted a bar band at 15 to become the artist who in 2009 released The Ballad of Philo Paul, a rootsy 11-song debut album.
Bell’s path might have seemed obvious. His earliest memories include watching his father’s band rehearse in the basement. But life got complicated fast: When Bell was 7, his father moved out, leaving his mother (whom Bell still calls his hero) to raise four kids on her own.
Music helped keep Bell going, but by the time he was 20 he’d sung “one too many K.C. and the Sunshine Band songs.” A stint in the Air National Guard followed, along with his first marriage and his first child. Work kept him moving around the country.
All along Bell kept writing and performing, mostly solo and acoustic, from Virginia coffeehouses to a Pittsburgh radio station and even a home recording studio in Seattle. His writing style changed: Lyrical cleverness gave way to influences from classic country to Gram Parsons and Steve Forbert. “It’s not about technical skills,” he says. “It’s about communicating a feeling to the audience, and the magic when that happens. It took me a long time to figure that out.”
Even in finding his voice, Bell struggled to get heard. Several times, busy raising a family, he considered letting his dream fade. Once, ironically, it was after chance (and MySpace) led him, in 2006, to Nashville-based producer Mitch Dane. But studio sessions were simply too expensive.
Yet Bell found a way, largely thanks to a simple question he credits to a nondenominational Christian church he joined in Kansas City: What is my purpose in life? “Music,” he realized, “has been part of my life, my entire life. That’s what really sparked that whole go-for-it with the CD. Doors opened up all of a sudden.”
The support of his wife, Sonja, helped. “Just do it,” she told him. “You don’t want to be looking back 20 years from now and saying, ‘I should have done that.’”
In 2007, Bell took a buyout at work; The Ballad of Philo Paul was recorded at Dane’s Sputnik Sound Studio, in June 2008. The musicians, assembled via MySpace and personal contacts, included upright-bassist and cellist Bryn Davies, who’s toured with Patti Griffin and Tony Rice. Also playing key roles were Joshua Vance Smith, who co-produced and engineered the sessions, and Vance Powell, who mastered the CD.
The sound on Ballad of Philo Paul ranges from spare acoustic settings to full-band arrangements. Bell credits the musicans with the album’s grounding in blues, bluegrass and old-time music. But the songs are deeply personal. The oldest is “Prodigal Son,” which he wrote 25 years ago. “Manna Momma” and “Father’s Face” -- the latter written just before the recording sessions -- round out a “family trilogy.” On tracks like “Sago Mine” and “Earth Disease,” Bell passionately addresses topical subjects.
The linchpin is the poignant title track, in which Bell tells the remarkable story of his own great-great-great grandfather. “Here’s this story about a farmer: 200-acre farm, nine kids, decided to enlist in the Civil War when he was 38 years old and fight as a private. That really intrigued me: Why did he do that?”
There’s even a song called “Simple.” “I want my life to be … simple,” Bell sings. These days, simplicity is easier for him. “I guess I kinda stopped caring what people think. It’s just, ‘This is it. This is me. This is what I write.’”
Mark Dignam has been bumping into Paul Luc and Ben Shannon a lot, at Treelady Studios, where they are all working, on their upcoming albums. They admire each others work so much, they decided to put together what promises to be, a mini singer/songwriter festival.. Watch for special guests and a very memorable night at The Rex Theater, 1602 East Carson Street. Pittsburgh, PA 15203. 8pm. $10.
Also I wanted to keep you in the loop with what is happening with me and my music, and to tell you that you can get tons of exclusive, limited edition Colin Rink merchandise, but only for a limited time, and the clock is ticking! We're talking about videoss, photos, bonus mp3's, set lists, and so much more.
Larry Keel and Natural Bridge Live this Thursday Nov 5th at The REX THEATER in Pittsburgh. Come on out and hear Larry tear down the house with his hard hitting bluegrass band NATURAL BRIDGE. 9pm showtime
Hi! I hope you are doing well. Please stop by and listen to two New Songs off Elizabeth’s upcoming 2010 album. Two singles off that album, "Have Faith" and "Someday" will be released on iTunes soon!! For updates, please Join Elizabeth’s Email list. And, add Elizabeth’s new Facebook music page: www.facebook.com/elizabethsouthmusic and new Twitter: www.twitter.com/elizabeth_south Thank you! Keep being awesome! Please leave a comment, let Elizabeth know what you think, and tell her how you’re doing!
How's it going? There is a free track available for you at the moment on our myspace page. Just click the FREE DOWNLOAD box at the top of the page and enter a valid email to download the tune. How cool is that!
Have a great week and thank you very much for being electronically connected to us as friends and fans.
The New Relics are asking are their fans to Vote!! Give The New Relics a vote to win the Land Shark Lager battle of the bands. The winner only gets a spread in Rolling Stone Magazine :) We appreciate your vote and yes you can vote everyday click to vote !
"Ticklin' The Strings" by Sweet Hollywaiians
Amazing Japanese hot string band playing 1920's, 30's, 40's style hawaiian, swing, calypso, blues, italian music and originals,featuring vintage instruments.3 songs with Robert Armstrong and Tony Marcus(from Robert Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders)
"The Sweet Hollywaiians have probably the best feel for this 20's music of any string band working today. They manage the rare feat of sounding relaxed even when their playing is hot, are top notch musicians with tasteful arrangements and a full, rich, warm sound.Plus, they have a nice gamut of tunes, from King Nawahi to Giovanni Vicari to Bobby Leecan. See them live, if you can, for an unforgettable experience. If you can't, buy their Cds!" ~ Terry Zwigoff