Victoria Folk Music Society presents: The Paul Ruszel Trio

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Sunday, November 23rd, 2014
7:30 PM

The Victoria Folk Music Society presents The Paul Ruszel Trio on November 23.

About Paul Ruszel

Paul grew up in the music rich world of Toronto. By fifteen he was already writing songs: performing solo and with his brother in a countrified-folk duo. By twenty, he was singing and playing in T.O. pop band Blonde. After a brief stint in the Tar Sands, he went to Trent University, graduated, hit the road and in 1975, settled in the Cowichan Valley.
     
Paul is an accomplished singer-songwriter with hundreds of songs under his belt: acoustic blues, sea shanties, folk, bluegrass and gospel. He embraces the old-time storytelling tradition where his songs are as much poetry as they are music. Paul is a mainstay of The Islands Folk Festival, as a performer and MC extraordinaire, for the last 28 years.
    
Over the years, Paul has opened for such great Canadian folk icons as Willie P. Bennett, Stephen Fearing, Ian Tamblyn and Ken Hamm. He is also a founding member of The Original Seadog and Jane’s Way Celtic Band.
    
In 2011, Paul decided to pursue music as his retirement plan.  Since then he has won the Diversity Caravan Song Contest, the Duncan Centennial Song Contest and has twice been a finalist in The Islands Folkfest Song Contest. His song Little by Little is a popular fundraising tune for the What If? Foundation, a non-profit that feeds thousands in Haiti everyday. He is the recent recipient of a Cowichan Valley Arts Council grant to write a song for their Why I Love Canada Project. Paul was commissioned to write a memorial song for Tyeshia Jones, the young teen senselessly murdered in Duncan. He has also written a song featured in the Joseph Mair’s labour Memorial. Both these songs can be heard on U-Tube and in my music section. Paul has recently penned the song "If I Could Be Albertine I Would" for the play Albertine In Five Times by Michel Tremblay.

Although his CD “Love This Town” was originally released in August of 2012, Paul has since re-recorded the entire album. He believes it more truly represents what his live shows are all about. This re-release features Bryon Thompson on dobro, mandolin and vocals and Tom Horsfall on bass and vocals. These are the two musicians who make the live show so incredible and who inspired me to do the re-recording. Cameo appearances by Tad Ruszel on mandolin and guitar and Chris Herbst on dobro.
www.paulruszelmusic.com
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Our feature act will be preceded by what is arguably Victoria’s best weekly acoustic Open Stage session where musicians from fledglings to professionals can perform a 10 minute set for one of the most welcoming, attentive and participative audiences in town. Aspiring Open Stage performers can sign-up with the VFMS Host between 7:00 and 7:30pm to do a set but should get there early to improve their chances of getting on the evening’s line-up.