With the seeming nonchalance of one who has nothing but time on his side, Paul Manousos has walked a quiet line for much of his career, one that some might say has left him a shadow figure on the current musical map, particularly on his home turf; the San Francisco Bay Area. But lack of hyperbole aside, Paul’s musical talents are rich and well-tested. From coast to coast, here and abroad, in darkened dens and smoke-ringed dives, through gilded former movie palaces and the slightly less ornate living rooms of friends and fans Paul has shown that above all, his voice is the main game. That voice, with its power and nuance that easily keeps company with such greats as Otis Redding, Mick Jagger, Elvis Costello and Roy Orbison yet stands so firmly on its own merits — huge, expressive, and unmistakably Paul’s own.
But don’t make the mistake of thinking that it is only the voice. Paul is also an accomplished crafter of songs that consistently strike gold with his listeners. He makes certain when he lets it all go, he lets it go with something to say. His are songs that will touch your heart, soothe your soul, feed your head and feel totally great when you sing them to yourself in the shower.
In the interest of galvanizing a little more of his grassroots, Paul is currently serving up two home turf gigs each month. Every third Thursday he hosts a ongoing singer/songwriter night at Speisekammer in Alameda and once a month until the end of the year he kicks it down with his backing band the East Bay Wrecking Crew at Beckett’s Irish Pub in Berkeley. So whether you like it nice and easy or in the immortal words of Tina Turner “nice and rough” if you live in the SF Bay Area you now have something new to put on your calendar
On wider fronts, a new album is in the mixing stage and is slated for a January 2010 release. More live dates further afield are to come. In the meantime, stop by www.paulmanousos.com and check out Paul’s Basement Tour . Here you can “join” Paul in his basement room as he revisits his vinyl collection, recording a song from a different artist each week. He’s having a blast, hopes you’ll enjoy it too and no, he isn’t under house arrest.
C’mon, c’mon
Tags: Paul Manousos
