Album Notes

Paul Benoit has been playing music in the Seattle area and touring for almost twenty years. He's performed and recorded with numerous songwriters including Dan Bern, Reggie Garrett, and Laura Love. After studying music and literature at the University of Washington, Paul joined the band Crosseyed, an electric/acoustic roots rock group which released two albums and toured throughout the western U.S. with its popular, high energy shows. In 1997, Paul co-founded a band called Hanuman, a four piece all-acoustic instrumental ensemble. The eclectic nature of this new band, blending jazz, bluegrass, world music, and rock'n'roll with African beats, prompted Paul to experiment with new musical styles and instruments. He travelled throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, and India studying instruments such as the sitar and the Indian slide guitar. Hanuman released four albums, sold over 8,000 recordings and toured the U.S. playing at clubs, festivals, and theaters, up to 200 dates a year. In 2001, the band received Best Touring Band and Best album awards from Sounds of Seattle and was voted best new band by the Seattle Weekly readers. In 2004, various members reformed as The Hanuman Collective and recorded another CD.
In 2002, Paul recorded an eleven song solo CD whose title,"Dopamine", was inspired by the neurotransmitter of the same name. The album is a moody exploration of emotion, from love to loneliness, and draws on the style of Americana traditions such as folk, blues, country, and pop. Paul's songwriting and sound continues to evolve with the lush and complex arrangements of his forthcoming 2nd CD, "Combustible" to be released in 2005.