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Paul Keim is a singer/songwriter and guitarist walking his own way in the world. His songs paint emotional colors, always seeking ways to express the landscape of life. From the raw voice of Blind Willie Johnson to the sly ironies of Fats Waller, Paul has drawn inspiration from a variety of American roots music. Paul says - Born in Berkeley, California, Paul is a fifth generation Californian now settled in Ojai Ca. Several formative years were spent in 1960's Washington D.C. During those years, Paul would listen to a local soul station that late at night played the blues. It was then that Paul heard Howlin' Wolf's ' Smokestack Lightnin'. "I haven't been the same since." Paul's music is an intriguing mix that maintains a tradition of musical excellence carried on with confidence and sincerity. He pays homage to early influences such as Howlin' Wolf and Joni Mitchell, Leo Kottke and gospel slide guitarist Blind Willie Johnson. His songs are captivating, tapping into emotional undercurrents, creating images driven by melody and lyric. Listeners often cite similarities to Ry Cooder and Richard Thompson, still as Paul says - "As you grow as a musician, you realize that any musician with some sense of self has to play something that's real, something that's a part of them. The blues players think I play country, the rock players think I play blues, the country players think I play jazz, the jazz players think I play western swing and the folk players think I rock too much. Me - I love to play music how I hear it." Paul's songs are inhabited by scenes and individuals we've never met before, yet seem hauntingly familiar, touching hearts and minds with an honesty that makes listening a wonder filled experience.
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