Paul Willson was born in Charlottesville, Virginia and is currently based in Richmond, Virginia.
He has released five albums and three double-albums as a leader/primary composer and been a collaborator and/or member with several artists including Rumput, Matthew O’Donnell and the Blue Ridge Bards, Psalm Swarr, UTV Chamber, Compass Rose Orchestra, Stag Baron, Old Soul, Hannah Standiford, Max Wareham, Abakis, Poojaa Shah Talwar and others.
In 2011, he received a Bachelors degree in Jazz Guitar performance from VCU and in 2015 he received a Masters of Social Work degree from VCU. Paul became a licensed clinical social worker in 2018 and provides outpatient therapy to families and individuals; much of Paul’s work has been informed by work in the field of mental health and he believes that creating and using art to process, reflect and express life in all its shades and hues is absolutely essential.
Paul performs under his own name but occasionally plays the sideman role from time to time. His work has been reviewed in RVA Mag, RVA News and Style Magazine. Paul’s compositions cross into several genres. He sings, plays guitar, fiddle, tenor banjo, concertina, pennywhistle and bowed psaltery. Paul’s past recent releases include “Fruits of the Underworld”: an album dedicated to exploring conflict, grief and as well as several other difficult and often unwelcomed subjects; and “Occasions For Reflections”: an album of songs marking specific events or points in time