In his 50+ year professional career, Paul Asbell has played gigs and recorded with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Paul Butterfield, Magic Sam, Earl Hooker, David Bromberg, Sonny Stitt, Jon Hendricks, Bobby McFerrin, and many others.
His jazz-fusion group Kilimanjaro has released several award-winning recordings, and performed at jazz festivals worldwide, including Montreux, Montreal, Atlanta, and Roskilde, in Copenhagen. Their latest, Homecoming”, was picked by Jazziz magazine for their “Best of 2009” CD, along with tracks by Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Branford Marsalis, and other heavyweights. He was a founding member of The Unknown Blues Band, featuring Big Joe Burrell, which played in the Northeast for 25 years.
Paul’s three solo acoustic CDs, “Steel-String Americana”, “Roots and Branches”, and “From Adamant To Atchafalaya”, received rave reviews in Acoustic Guitar, Guitar Player, Vintage Guitar, Downbeat, Sing Out!, and Blues Revue for their fresh takes on blues and jazz standards, old-timey country tunes, and original pieces from the “american roots” tradition.
His latest recording, “Burmese Panther” features his original compositions in the mainstream jazz tradition, played by world-class players.
Paul has taught guitar for over 50 years, including positions at Dartmouth, Skidmore, and other colleges. He presently teaches at Middlebury College and the University of Vermont.