Ohio Arts Council Announces 2009 Ohio Heritage Fellowship Winner
by Jaclyn Reynolds
Mention ‘folk and traditional arts’ and few people would think of the early days of rock and roll, but the winner of the Ohio Heritage Fellowship for 2009 is a jazz musician who played on some of the greatest records ever made. A session drummer for King Records in Cincinnati, Philip N. Paul appeared on the original recordings of ‘Fever’ by Little Willie John and ‘The Twist’ by Hank Ballard, and Paul will receive the Ohio Heritage Fellowship in a special award ceremony at the Ohio State Fair on Saturday, August 1, 2009.
Ohio Heritage Fellowships are awarded to individuals and organizations whose work in the folk and traditional arts have had a significant impact on the people and communities of Ohio. The folk and traditional arts grow out of particular cultures and are recognized as the artistic expressions of ethnic, linguistic, occupational or regional groups. “Philip Paul is one of the major architects of American popular music in the second half of the 20th century,” says Larry Nager, music writer and historian from Nashville, Tennessee. “He has been a drummer for 70 of his 82 years and his influence cannot be overstated.” The award ceremony will be part of the Ohio Heritage Showcase, a new event for the Ohio State Fair sponsored by Cityfolk and the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Heritage Showcase will feature performances by Sones de Mexico, an internationally-recognized ensemble of Mexican folk musicians from Chicago, as well as the FYI Quintet, and Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers. The Ohio Heritage Showcase will begin at 4 p.m. on August 1, 2009 and the presentation of the Ohio Heritage Fellowship award is scheduled for 7 p.m. Born and raised in New York City, Philip N. Paul came to Cincinnati in 1951. During his 12 years at King Records, he played on more than 350 records. As the first large-scale independent record label after World War II, King pioneered the jump blues style that evolved into rhythm and blues. In the ‘60s, as King shifted to the harder-edged funk of the label’s biggest star, James Brown, the sound wasn’t suited to Philip Paul’s more swinging approach and he became a full time jazz drummer, touring nationally with Roy Meriweather and playing with local combos as part of what is now seen as a golden age for Cincinnati jazz. Philip Paul has also been a notable teacher of drums and drumming, his former students including many of the area’s better known players, among them the late Terry Moore. He remains a teacher, his students ranging from budding professionals to neighborhood kids and his own grandchildren. Philip Paul continues to perform in the Southwest Ohio area, playing a weekly stand with jazz pianist Billie Walker at the Cincinnatian. That group reunites him with the bass player with whom he frequently worked at King, Ed Conley. In 2006, Philip Paul was a featured performer at the grand opening of the Duke Energy Center, Cincinnati’s convention center. He continues to represent the King Records legacy, most recently at a 2008 panel discussion at the main branch of Cincinnati's public library, a daylong event attended by more than 500 people and at which he received the Key to the City. The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.[top]