January 29, 2012: Paul's upcoming solo CD, Talking Guitar will be released on April 17. The album features Paul returning to his country blues roots with 13 wonderful songs played on acoustic and resonator guitars as only Paul Rishell can play them. Here's a sneak preview of "Big Road Blues" featuring Annie on harp, plus some favorite songs from earlier albums on our Reverbnation music player:

TO HELL AND BACK:, The intrepid blues duo recently returned from playing the Hell Blues Festival in Norway. Says Raines: "I didn't think I'd like Hell, but I met so many great musicians there." Also on the festival bill were Duke Robillard and his excellent band; Janiva Magness; Johnny Nicholas; Henry Gray and Andy Cornett; and Paul Jones and the Blues Band from the UK.After their return from Hell, the duo played a church service in downtown Boston. So the score is sitting at 1-1 so far.

PROFESSOR PAUL: The big news this fall is that Paul will be teaching at

Hello and greetings from the syncopated and ever-more multi-instrumental world of Paul Rishell & Annie Raines. We’re happy to be trading our layers of snow, salt and polar fleece for a fresh dusting of pollen. Those itchy eyes tell us it’s time to see the world, and we’re hitting the road again this month, for short jaunts to Bethlehem and Barto, PA, and gearing up for longer trips in early and late summer. But first, we’re making our official “Mojo Rodeo” debut this Saturday, May 7 at the Bull Run in Shirley, MA (click on "Read More" to read more...).

After 17 years and six albums, including the W.C. Handy award-winning Moving to the Country, Paul Rishell and Annie Raines have become the blues’ most dynamic duo. Their masterful performances have won them fans around the globe. Now for the first time, they beam their live show into your living room in the new DVD, A Night In Woodstock. Other musicians joining this talented twosome include brilliant keyboardist Bruce Katz and Lovin’ Spoonful founder/harmonica legend John Sebastian.

The concert, filmed at the now-defunct Joyous Lake in 2005, was released as an audio CD in 2008 and quickly shot to #1 on the Living Blues Radio Chart, remaining in the top ten for several months and earning two Blues Music Award nominations.

You hear gentle humor in Rishell’s heartfelt delivery of ballads like “It’ll Be Me” and the original “Blues On A Holiday,” but he takes a tough, no-holds-barred approach to both vocals and slide guitar on Johnny Winters' “Dallas.” Raines makes the notes dance out of her harmonica with rhythmic precision on Blind Boy Fuller’s “Custard Pie” and her original tour-de-force “Got to Fly.”   She goes head-to-head with Sebastian on the originals “Can’t Use It No More” and “Orange Dude Blues,” an intimate instrumental duet that showcases the mutual respect shared by two harmonica masters.  Throughout the show, Rishell's powerful voice is a beacon for Raines and the backing band of Chris Rival on guitar, Reed Butler on acoustic and electric bass, and Billy MacGillivray on drums.

The DVD video comes replete with bonus features, including extra songs, an interview, guitar instruction, liner notes and band bios. For hardcore DVD buffs, there’s an audio commentary track with Rishell, Raines and Sebastian doing a play-by-play peppered with anecdotes about blues history, famous encounters, trade secrets and the chaos unfolding behind the cameras.