"PRESERVATION" Preview #7: Appearing with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band - MR. PAOLO NUTINI

February 16, 2010 - PRESERVATION: an album benefiting Preservation Hall & The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program hits the streets! (Best Mardi Gras Ever?) While we wait with baited breath, we share with you these previews of the 19 amazing tracks and special guests that make this latest offering from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band so very special. In this installment...

PAOLO NUTINI
by Stewart Mason
for Allmusic.com

In much the same way that José González hails from Sweden and not Spain, Paolo Nutini is not a smooth Italian pop star, but rather a soul-influenced adult alternative songwriter from Paisley, Scotland. Raised in a music-loving family, he grew up listening to a range of folk, opera, jazz, and his father's R&B favorites. Shortly after discovering homegrown folkies like John Martyn, the teenaged Nutini left school to focus on his own musical development, eventually moving from Paisley to London at age 16 and garnering attention via local gigs. He inked a deal with the British arm of Atlantic Records two years later, just several weeks after his 18th birthday.

Working with Coldplay and Badly Drawn Boy producer Ken Nelson, Nutini generated an impressive amount of buzz before his first single, "Last Request," was released in the early summer of 2006. He appeared at special Atlantic Records showcases at Carnegie Hall and the Montreux Jazz Festival, as well as showcase sets opening for the Rolling Stones and Paul Weller. Nutini's debut album, These Streets, was ultimately released in July 2006 alongside his second single, "Jenny Don't Be Hasty." The album fared quite well in the U.K., where it climbed to double-platinum status and sent four singles into the Top 40. Accordingly, an American release followed in January 2007.

For Paolo Nutini's second album, the songwriter took a more active role in the production, partnering with Ethan Johns but helming much of the material himself. The resulting record, Sunny Side Up, appeared in June 2009, featuring increased contributions from Nutini's backing band and a bright, sprightly disposition.

PHOTOS OF PAOLO NUTINI @ PRESERVATION HALL
BY MARY ASHLEY JOHNSON

THE SONG:
"Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea"
Paolo Nutini with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band
(Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler) S.A. Music, Bughouse Music

Paolo Nutini - vocals
Mark Braud - trumpet
Charlie Gabriel - clarinet
Lucien Barbarin - trombone
Carl LeBlanc - banjo
Rickie Monie - piano
Ben Jaffe - tuba
Walter Payton - string bass
Lil' Joe Lastie - drums
Paolo Nutini appears courtesy of Atlantic Records

AS PERFORMED BY LEE WILEY IN 1940:

OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR "PENCIL FULL OF LEAD" BY PAOLO NUTINI (CHEEKY!)

PAOLO NUTINI - OFFICIAL WEBSITE
PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND - OFFICIAL WEBSITE
LEARN MORE ABOUT "PRESERVATION" THE ALBUM