PORTLAND, Maine — After starting out in the vibrant Boston folk music scene of the 1980s and early '90s, Ellis Paul has made a living for three decades now as an especially talented singer and songwriter. It is, unsurprisingly, not just a job—it’s a passion, a way of life.
“I love music as much as anyone could imagine,” he said.
Late in 2020, Paul, who grew up in Presque Isle and played the trumpet in the high school band, began having trouble with his hands. It was a disturbing development for a guitarist who often performs solo, and what doctors found was not reassuring. He had Dupuytren’s contracture, a condition that causes one’s fingers to bend toward the palm.
“As a guitar player, it’s completely debilitating,” he said. “And I had it in both hands.”
When Paul was no longer able to play guitar with his left hand, he underwent surgery. It went well and enabled him to return to performing. Eventually he’ll have a similar operation on his right hand, but it may not bring an end to his challenges.
“This is a disease that even after surgery comes back half the time, and I expect it to because I have a pretty severe case of it,” he says. “So acceptance is the big thing. I’m just going to deal with it as it comes.”
Paul began working on his latest album, “55,” before having surgery, and the thought hung over him as he wrote and polished the songs that this might be the last record he’d ever do as a guitarist. Despite the difficulties along the way, he couldn’t be happier with the result.
“I’ve got this new record out,” he said simply, “and I think it’s my best.”