ABOUT PAULA:

Paula Sinclair shares a common musical background with her contemporaries, but her approach to songs is unique. Yes, she performs original tunes and alt-country covers with exquisite talent. Yet when she braids music and poems into her own distinctive weave, Sinclair stands out as not only a remarkable singer/songwriter, but also as a rare and gifted musical interpreter of American poetry.

The love affair between Sinclair and poetry turned serious when she included a Langston Hughes’ poem/song “Lament Over Love” among her own originals on her critically acclaimed album Avalanchein 2006. She then made a bold move.

“After ‘Lament’ I realized that there was something mystical and soothing about giving music to poetry that nourished me in a vital way. I continued writing songs to any poem that struck me. By the time I’d finished AVALANCHE, I had completed seven new poem/songs. All the poems were, coincidentally, by Oregon poets.”

From her fertile creativity, Sinclair grew The Good Horse in 2007, a collection of ten stunning songs with lyrics contributed by preeminent Oregon poets William Stafford, Dorianne Laux and Joseph Millar, as well as emerging poets Jarold Ramsey and Debbie West.

Upon release of this CD, music critic Don Campbell of The Oregonian wrote, “For poets and songwriters, there is great power in the word. Portland singer-songwriter Paula Sinclair…has released a project that will thrill poets and listeners alike.”

As Sinclair now adds bookstores, libraries, and literary festivals to the more conventional music venues at which she performs, she is discovering another gift: the capacity to cross-pollinate music and poetry audiences. Her Stafford songs in particular have been embraced by his many admirers as well as by his son Kim and his widow, Dorothy – no small feat considering that the late William Stafford was once U.S. Library of Congress Poet Laureate and is revered as arguably the finest poet in Oregon’s rich literary history.

Energized by her achievement integrating Stafford’s poetry with her own musical stylings, Sinclair now has several new songs of his poetry ready to bring to her next poetry/music recording project, an all-Stafford CD. She will perform two of those songs, scored by conductor Allan Halbert, at a special concert with the 56-piece Starlight Symphony in Tigard, Oregon, on October 5, 2008.(See HOME page for this story.)

Recently Sinclair opened for national folk star and Signature Sounds recording artists Tracy Grammer and Jim Henry at The Bite of Oregon in Portland. She is currently recording an album of original songs with manager and collaborator Rob Barteletti, due to be released in March of 2009, with pre-release tracks available for airplay in the fall of 2008.(See HOME page for video documenting this story.)

“This is the album I’ve been waiting so long to create: my best original songs combined with a collaborating artist’s best work -- and a great Steve Earle cover, to boot!”

With players like Tony Furtado, Tim Ellis, Jean-Pierre Garau, Paul Brainard, Arthur Parker, and Drew Shoals supporting Sinclair’s soaring, rich vocals, all under the direction of producer Rob Stroup at 8-Ball Studio, this project has all the makings of a roots/country hit destined to launch Sinclair to broad popularity in radio markets regionally and across the country.

Sinclair’s music career began at age 14, playing around the Kentucky area in a country duo back when there were no TV sets in bars and people came to hear live music to accompany their conversations. One of fourteen siblings rich in creative talents, it’s no wonder Sinclair is a multi-faceted musical artist.

Demonstrating these considerable gifts in her performances and her albums, she rivets audiences with confident, fluid guitar-playing and vocals as brassy, sweet, and earthy as the soil on the Lexington, Kentucky farm where she grew up. A sultry alt country crooner, raw emotion spills out of her adeptly crafted original tunes with muscular power and tender grace.

After several years in the Southeast and Boston music scenes, Sinclair moved to Portland in 1998, where she initially did some solo work as well as fronted her own band, Paula Sinclair & Bloodhoney. These days Sinclair performs primarily as a solo act.

To book Paula Sinclair, contact Rob Barteletti at 503.477.4726 or at robbartmusic@comcast.net.