PAUL CURRERI: The Spirit of the Staircase

Paul Curreri

The Spirit of the Staircase

© 2004 Paul Curreri (800314885122)

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When a year's stereos suddenly blared more Duke than Reverend Gary, along came Curreri and his Virginia guitar's 3rd record, selected players loving and aching and banging beside him.

tracks

1 Beauty Fades
2 Drag Some Revelating
3 On the Fiddle
4 March Kitchen and What Was Said
5 Memory Makes All This
6 Middledrift's Lament
7 Something Comes
8 The Party at the House
9 Spirit of the Staircase
10 Charlie Bear
11 You Will Look at Me

notes

Paul Curreri, the twenty-eight-year-old guitarist and songwriter from Virginia, unveiled his third album, The Spirit Of The Staircase, on December 18th on City Salvage Records.

Curreri's previous effort, 2003's Songs For Devon Sproule (City Salvage Records) was produced by internationally renown singer/guitarist Kelly Joe Phelps to wide critical acclaim. Phelps, who offered the same Vancouver, WA home studio where he had recorded his own two solo Rykodisc albums Roll Away The Stone and Shine Eyed Mister Zen, presented Curreri accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. "The first time I saw him play I was just blown away," says Phelps. "Paul's songs were incredible, his guitar playing was amazing. . .undeniable stuff." The resulting effort was an album of primarily original material nourished by, but not slavish to, the country-blues and folk traditions which lie at the heart of Curreri's musical influence.

On The Spirit Of The Staircase Curreri teams up with frequent collaborator Jeff Romano, who produced and performed on Curreri's first record, 2002's From Long Gones To Hawkmoth (City Salvage Records). Romano, an esteemed musician and craftsman in his own right, began searching for a new variety of musical accompaniment to compliment Curreri's lone guitar. "We worked to create a new sonic space in which Paul's songs could exist," says Romano, "selecting an ensemble of local studio musicians who added spice to Paul's sauce."

In what may be Curreri's most eloquent musical statement to date, the level of pure sonic invention permeating The Spirit Of The Staircase echoes the level of craft, insight and risk for which the young musician, at the relative beginning of a career, has already been credited. "It's a rare find to catch a young guy who can play this well, have his own voice as a singer, and write songs that are as interesting as anything out there," says Vintage Guitar magazine.

With equal parts somber and playful, the songs on The Spirit Of The Staircase present Curreri grappling with his attempts to make sense of a life devoted to making music and living on the road. "I'd been touring a lot these past few years, finally making it to Europe and feeling some green slip away," says Curreri. "Music was paying the rent and life was good, but somewhere along the way, I'd forgotten where I put the old happiness and love for writing, the big treasure." The result was "Something Comes," a composition which features Curreri on electric guitar. The rolling, countrified brush and snare beat accompany both Curreri's heroic electric riffs and his trademark delta-influenced finger-style acoustic lead. "I remembered how Duke Ellington's "Azalea" makes me want to cry, and the joy of John Hartford and John Fahey reminded me that I still love and have faith in the barebones of what I do." In "Something Comes" Curreri sings, "Just when faith is bending/ so very heavy from the aching / something comes and wakes you like you used to wake / way back before you knew what waiting was."

Curreri describes many of the songs on The Spirit Of The Staircase as "an apology to myself for momentarily misplacing my faith that goodness and light will come in again, as it always has." Some songs approach this idea with a certain amount of desperate humor. In "Drag Some Revelating" Curreri sings, "Spending/ Counting chickens often necessitates the touching of your chickens. / Who wants some sick and dirty old bird?" The first startling, unexpected hit of the snare drum announces the welcomed presence of the wide assortment of instrumentation which brings the songs on The Spirit Of The Staircase to life.

In "Middledrift's Lament" Curreri again finds humor in feeling washed up, accompanying himself on git-banjo with a drum and upright bass rhythm section hot on the heels of his ragtime beat. "Find my shoes and amble home / And buy me a weight set. / Lift something up, then put it back down. / I won't bother no one," Curreri sings, following a bridge which spills psychodelic wails from an array of instruments including bass harmonica, calliope, talking violin, tuba and trombone before the band falls back into the song's original line-up.

Other songs, like "Beauty Fades," the album's first track, exist "smack in the middle of the big empty," Curreri laughs. "That piece is about being beaten, quitting the search for the old spark, and asking folks close by to go on without you." Curreri, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar in what is the album's most melancholy composition, sings, "Beauty fades / and so mine has done. / Here's another spent book of matches / in the setting sun."

Curreri titled his third album The Spirit Of The Staircase after a French expression l'esprit d'escalier, which means: Things you think to say after it's too late and you're on your way out the door. "Ridiculous, but that's how I'd been feeling," says Curreri, "like I was on my way to burning out, that I'd wasted all of my youthful juice booking rental cars instead of watching the mountain change colors outside my window, not to mention actually walking toward the mountain."

Raised in Richmond, Virginia, Paul now makes his home in Charlottesville. He grew up playing music but ended up enrolling at Rhode Island School of Design to pursue painting and film. While Curreri credits his experiences at art school with developing his ability to observe and record the visual world, soon his true passion began to rise to the surface. By the time Paul graduated from RISD, he'd composed over 200 songs on guitar and piano. Turning down a job at MTV he set to work carving out a life as a musician. His acclaimed debut for City Salvage Records, From Long Gones To Hawkmoth, was released in 2002. A triumphant follow-up, Songs For Devon Sproule is a driving album full of rainy day elegance and late night wit.

The Spirit Of The Staircase finds the artist shouldering into new lyrical and musical terrain. "It was a natural and cleansing progression to bring in other players," Curreri says, "to give my ear some place to say, 'I need a minute. Can I leave my guitar here? I'm going for a walk.' This record is what I meant to say, and how I wanted to say it."

reviews

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  • The spirit of the staircase
    author: Harry Beale-Collins

    I was in Virginia recently visiting a friend and Paul Curreri was recommended as a good listen. I was not disappointed, the album is fabulous.

  • beautiful.
    author: alaina

    Spirit of the Staircase is delicious. Both in form and content, Mr. Curreri's music is beautiful. I can't wait for my next paycheck.

  • CD Baby Rocks
    author: jason

    Paul Curreri is amazing! CD Baby rocks! Thanks for helping make this man's music excess able . Keep the good work up!!

  • Paul's guitar is maturing, lyrics more playful and subtle than ever
    author: D. Nolan

    Though Paul claims he and Kelly Joe Phelps don't discuss guitar technique, Paul has seen this guitar master probably more often than anyone has, as he's opened some 120 shows for Kelly Joe. It's done wonders for him. Paul's guitar work grows here with leaps and bounds, and the interwoven stories, playful, esoteric, down home, they bite you in the a*s and you get more out of them with each listen. Paul Curreri is on fire. See him live if you can...

  • Better than ever... and that's saying something.
    author: Cal Reese

    This is really an exquisite body of music. Paul's guitarwork and poetry continue to radiate beyond comparison, but even more, this record showcases an especially remarkable recording effort. He and the producer Jeff Romano seem to have kept their eyes on the prize. The accompaniment is fantastic and tasteful, like an extension of Paul's solo work... one feels as though they're in the same space as these players. I really think Paul's music is getting more and more bold, and more and more successful. I really love it.

  • Paul is one of the most gifted artists of his time
    author: Robyn

    Paul is truly one of the most talented and gifted artists of his time. I have so much faith that soon the world will come to know this too

  • He's Back! Yippee!
    author: Myrtle Ruth

    The Spirit of the Staircase: YES! Loved Long Gones so much I wept with joy. Songs for Devon Sproule reignited musical joy in me. And Spirit? Paul proves to us that he is a real musician's musician. He's got heart, and he's got talent, and I ain't sure how he makes his guitar sing like that, but gosh it can pull me out of a blue-funk better than a pint of Guinness. Do NOT miss this one.

  • Almost dangerously gifted
    author: Allen M

    Spirit of the Staircase is nothing short of brilliant. It's perfect. It amazes me that Paul Curreri is capable of performing so masterfully alone and at the same time able to create this beautiful and tasteful mult-instrument recording. Cheers to the producer, Jeff Romano, because there is not a single criticizable moment on this gorgeous album. Curreri leaves me shaking my head. He's almost dangerously gifted, and I don't utter such compliments often.

  • It's just right
    author: Gene Hopstetter, Jr.

    Every now and then, if you're lucky, you find a record so effortless, so satisfying, and so right, that you wonder why there aren't more of them. This record comes as easily as a cool glass of water on a summer's day. The sound is top-notch, and I'll be danged if it doesn't sound like it was recorded in the morning, just as the sunlight began peeping through the kitchen window, as Paul and the band sat around the breakfast table, picked up their instruments, and just played. This record is like a conversation with old friends. Thank you, Paul Curreri, for your honest music.

  • i'm lucky to have heard it..
    author: daniel

    thank you Mr Curreri

  • Beautiful, but also badass
    author: Kenan

    Saw Mr. Curreri in Chester last night... that's in England, of course! A brillaint performance, entirely moving and exciting, thrilling guitar work and hysterical stories between songs. Thank my lucky stars that I purchased this record. The soundscape this CD offers, the amazing accompaniment and smart decisions, somehow equal his live performance, which is sadly rare these days. Mr. Curreri is a badass across the board, but still absolutely beautiful and touching. My girlfriend teared up in the middle of his belting. I simply do not understand why this young man isn't incredibly famous. One day. Until then, however, I hope he can somehow manage to continue making music so touching and honest, and still so badass.

  • The Spirit in my Stereo (sorry for the lame pun)...
    author: Jay of the Northland

    An album that shows depth, growth and perhaps new directions or a bit of stretching out. Maybe the folk/blues purists didn't want him to veer, others may have wished he would've expiramented more right after hawkmoth. I'm truly content with whatever Paul throws our way musically or lyrically. Next to artists like Regina Spektor and a small handful of others, he's tops in this land. The Spirit of the Staircase is well worth the small supportive cost. His value and impact as an artist is beyond comprehension. Dig in and see for yourself.

  • Endlessly enjoyable
    author: Jakob G.

    What an exquisite achievement by a fascinating musician. With every record Paul has gone deeper and deeper into his instrument and songs, and the group assembled here kept up amazingly, even somehow made Paul's searching qualities more exciting. Though literally every song on here completes a necessary portion of this album's landscape, On the Fiddle and Memory Makes All This are my two favorites... to me they best exemplify the open "feel" and "space" of this CD. There is so much room to walk around in here and so many paths one's ear can take when listening. With poetry, occasional humor, great instrumentation, and choice guitarwork, this is Paul's best cd to date, which really says something.

  • neat
    author: Mike

    i like the addition of the other instruments on this record. they fill out the sound in some sections and really make it kick in others. i'm glad paul wasn't afraid to break the mold of the folkie guitarist and add some drums. very nice.

  • I'm in love with this record
    author: Nat

    Wow. Paul Curreri really lives within these songs. The Spirit Of The Staircase is my favorite yet of his three ass kicking records. I know it sounds silly, but when I listen to this music, even if it's only in the background, it makes me feel stronger and more in touch with the universe. Paul is only in his late twenties, but his guitar playing and writing have reached a level of maturity and depth that most performers don't achieve in a lifetime. I can't wait to see where this ride goes.

  • A bresh of fresh air!
    author: Hammers

    This album is excellent, very different to his last in feel i would say. Not as intimate, perhaps? Very cool singing and guitar playing and hooks that sink in so you dont even notice until you are in the shops and realise that youre singing "I love you Charlie...BEAR!".

  • Remarkable music that sounds effortless!
    author: Rachel

    Though Mr. Curreri occasionally sounds somewhat emotionally sad on this recording, the beauty of the songs and performances pulls me back in again and again. It's hard to believe Paul's ability to play and record them in a manner that sounds so effortless, because this music's craftwork is remarkable and taut. Drag Some Revelating, Something Comes, March Kitchen And What Was Said. This record is always grooving, and like the work of many of our hailed legends, the songs move me. I too agree: Spirit of the Staircase is the most exciting Cd I've heard in a long time.

  • don't stop here
    author: Marcia Barkus

    Another winner with "Spirit of the Staircase", but your ears will never forgive you if you don't also buy "From Long Gones to Hawkmoth" & "Songs for Devon Sproule".

  • Excellent Cd from a nearly peerless performer
    author: Jacob Portman

    Paul has really stolen the show with this new record. I've been listening to it for two weeks straight, and I continue to find sensational details in the songwriting, guitar playing, and rare production of the album. So great.

  • Amazing
    author: Ross Bellenoit

    It's all been said in the previously written reviews. I saw this man open up for Kelly Joe Phelps in Philly and was incredibly impressed. Upon digesting this album for about a week, I must agree that it's one of the most original sounding records made in today's singer-songwriter circuit. The whole record has an incredibly relaxed, and live feeling to it, which is exactly what these songs deserve. And the songs themselves are amazing, my particular favorites being "Something Comes" and "Memory Makes All This", which has an amazingly subtle, but uplifting chorus. Wonderful. I will continue to follow this man's music as long as he is alive...

  • So incredible it makes me dizzy
    author: Courtney Chase

    Sensational! Marvelous! Paul Curreri's new record is important! As a nearly rabid fan of this man's gifts, I feel almost dizzy calling this record his best, but it is. It's so difficult to narrow in on specifics regarding its subtle genius. "Singer-songwriter" records have a sound these days. This record is so gorgeously original -- but still hugely an arrow to the heart. Somebody earlier wrote about Duke Ellington. It is like Duke Ellington! And maybe it's even cooler, more raw, more forward in its sly ambition toward roots, melody, and emotion. It's jazz, and it's blues (like much of his last record), it's folk, it's none of these. I don't have any problem saying that Paul Curreri is the single most talented performer and writer on the "folk" circuit.

  • the best CD of 2004
    author: braneout

    Paul's blend of hopped-up blend of country blues, jazz, and fingerstyle is redefining what I know of as "American" music. There is no-one out there who is doing things like this...lyrics sang softly or story-told, shouting or scat and with flawless polyrhythmic solo acoustic guitar accompaniment (in person) or small band (on record). I don't know how they crammed Bukka White, Dave van Ronk and Duke Ellington into this little white guy from Virginia, but I'm sure glad for the results. This is one of those albums that remind me why I love music, and burns so fiercely original that I break out in grins just listening to it. The highest possible recommendation.

  • it's getting better all the time!
    author: PAris pAl

    Paul, you're getting mature! Songs seem more written, with bold yet simple orchestrations. When I heard Charlie Bear, it reminded me of Led Zepellin's House of the Holy! Which is the only LedZep record I like, actually! But this is no rock and roll album! Yet another collection of beautiful songs by a sesnsitive songwriter with a unique voice who is an incredible picker. By the way, there is a new discussion group about Mr Curreri at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PaulCurreri Herve, pAris pAl

  • My favorite album of the year!
    author: Andrew Walker

    The Spirit of the Staircase is Paul Curreri's highest achievement so far, and that is really saying something. From his amazing guitar playing, to his lyrics that are of the highest order, to his vocals and vocal phrasing, this is a captivating album that somehow surpasses even his previous two unbelievable efforts. Nothing short of mind blowing, The Spirit of the Staircase is my favorite record that I've purchased all year.

  • Delightful
    author: Joe

    This is my first CD from Paul. He was recommended to me another great singer-songwriter, Jeffrey Foucault. I really like the music on this CD a lot. The songs have great melodies, the kind we don't hear much anymore. And I love the clean production, very pure, very straightforward. If you like the clips on CDBaby, buy this CD. You won't be disappointed.

  • beautiful clumsy sunlight
    author: Sky Cooper

    Great album! Light and warm. Produced with a very natural aesthetic. Brings a smile on a cold winter morning : )

  • Unbelievable Talent
    author: Rick Staines

    This man keeps getting better. His debut cd was the kind of debut cd most people only dream of. I wondered where the hell this inspired dude came from! His second (produced by Kelly Joe Phelps!!!) solidified that Mr. Curreri was a guitar player that one should think twice about messing with, and that his melodic and lyrical brain was downright intimidating. Now we get The Spirit of the Staircase which I dare say is the best yet. Paul and producer Jeff Romano created arrangments that accentuate versus sugarcoat. It's so exciting to hear music this strong. This cd is so damn good that sometimes I feel exhausted after listening to it, just because my heart has been racing for 37 minutes straight... but I keep listening and keep listening!

  • This cd is as good as the live show
    author: Dale M.

    I went and saw Paul play in Dinktown, MN this past week. The performance was like a series of explosions.... he uses such dynamics in his playing. When he tore into his guitar, I couldn't remember when I'd seen anybody do it quite like that. Paul told all these hysterical stories between songs, and I continued to be shocked at the change that would come over him once the music began again. I thought fire was going to shoot out of his eyeballs. After the show, we talked for a while, and he couldn't have been kinder. I half-expected this cd not to live up to the live show I saw, but I was wrong. It hasn't left my cd player for days. His lyrics are brilliant and the arrangements on this record are totally awesome. I can see why the great players on this record wanted to take part. This work is fantastic.

  • Pure Genius!!!
    author: Danny M

    Paul Curreri is phenomenal. His lyrical phrasing is unparalleled, and is at once humorous and poignant. His harmonic sensibilities evoke the genius of Bill Evans. He also lets his roots in tradition show, with that old-time goodness that feels like home. Each listen reveals something new and interesting. Well done!!!

  • Outstanding!
    author: Jordan S.

    It's new stuff from Paul! Could it be anything less than perfect? The sample songs on CdBaby's awesome site should be enough for any music fan! Buy this Cd!!!

  • Brilliant again
    author: Charles Lennart

    A new Paul Curreri record is the best thing in the week over in France. His words and music speak so deeply and move me, and I listen when I go walking and forget everything. I listened to the new things on cdbaby and know he again has made something brilliant. Please come to France, Paul.

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