Good luck and great style

Paul Geremia has the right stuff to sing the blues

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(Thursday, Oct. 7) Serendipitous. Thatis how Paul Geremia would describe his journey into the world of folk and bluesmusic.

Inthe 1960s, many blues singers and folk artists were making a comeback. Theseartists that had recorded in the 1920s and 1930s were being rediscovered.During this time, Geremia lived in Rhode Island, not too far from the buddingscene. He had the chance to see many of these performers, such as MississippiJohn Hurt and Skip James.

“Therewas a lot of music happening, and I just got involved,” he said.

Geremiawas enrolled in agriculture college at the University of Rhode Island, buteventually decided that his passion for music was more important. He startedgoing to New York to play professionally, auditioning at coffee shops and othervenues. He met Patrick Sky, one of the first folk singer songwriters and acontemporary of Bob Dylan, at a show in Massachusetts. After the show, Sky wassick and asked Geremia to drive his car back to New York. In return, Geremiacould spend some time in the city, stay with Sky and become familiar with theclub scene in New York.

Geremia considers this to be his bigbreak. Sky suggested he record with Folkways Records. Soon enough, Geremia hada tape for Moses Ashe, a Folkways producer who had recorded artists like WoodyGuthrie and many other prominent jazz singers and folk players. Within a weekof giving Ashe his tape, Geremia was offered a recording contract.

ThroughSky, Geremia also met many of the most knowledgeable and talented people in theNew York music scene. Geremia started playing shows not only in New York, butin Boston and Cambridge as well. He did not have much money — or a car — so hetraveled by taking any public transportation he could, including hitchhiking.

“Thetimes were conducive to that kind of life more so than now,” said Geremia. “Youcould get from coast to coast for about a hundred bucks.”

Geremianow owns a car, but has never stopped travelling and performing. For over 40years now, he has been living solely off the fruits of his musical labors. Inthe process, he has formed a style very much his own. He believes his style isan amalgamation off all the people he has heard. He calls it a finger-picking stylethat is a combination of East Coast and Delta styles.

Geremiawill be coming to Lansing’s Elderly Instruments to teach a workshop on countryblues guitar styles on Tuesday, Oct. 12; the workshop will be preceded by afree in-store concert that starts at 4 p.m. He wants to provide participantswith a smattering of what went on in music in the 1960s.

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