World on 3 - Paul Curreri

Sounds from around the world with Lopa Kothari. Plus a studio session with the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Paul Curreri from Charlottesville Virginia. A talented artist, he'd been to art school and written over 300 songs before he devoted his life to music. After a throat injury in 2008 and a forced break from performance, he's back for a 2010 tour. Raised in Richmond, Virginia, Paul now makes his home in Charlottesville with his wife the songwriter/guitarist Devon Sproule. Though he grew up playing music, he ended up enrolling at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) to pursue painting. Following a spot at New York's Knitting Factory in 2001, Curreri received several tour invitations from Kelly Joe Phelps. Over the next four years, the two would play over 100 concerts together. In April 2002, independent Brooklyn-based label City Salvage Records released Curreri's first album, From Long Gones to Hawkmoth. In June 2003, City Salvage Records released Curreri's second album, Songs for Devon Sproule dedicated to his future wife. Two albums followed and Curreri's fifth album, The Velvet Rut, was released in the UK on Tin Angel Records in June 2007. Curreri played all the accompanying instruments himself. In July 2008, Curreri suffered a major throat injury, which caused him to cancel the majority of his remaining concerts for the year. Reports from Charlottesville are that he can be seen riding his vintage Honda CB750 motorcycle through the countryside. In a recent interview, Curreri called the injury "a gift," saying, "I'm looking to expand my perspective. I'm looking to find what I didn't have time to find before. I'm looking to appreciate." 2010 has seen a return to touring for Paul.