Ellis Paul, What Was the First Album You Ever Bought?

“I think it was probably a Maynard Ferguson album because when I was in high school, I played trumpet. It probably had nothing to do with where I’m at now.

And I bought a few Billy Joel albums back in the early ’80s, but I never really dove into the singer-songwriter realm until I was about 20 years old and discovered Dylan, James Taylor, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.”

Singer-songwriter Ellis Paul steps into the spotlight at Columbia Greene Community College in Hudson at 7pm Saturday for the cornerstone concert of the fifth annual Hudson Valley Songfest & Music Expo. Andy Pratt opens the show. Admission is $20.