V.E. Paul

Peg Leg Paul(V.E. Paul) may sound like an elderly black sharecropper come to central Pennsylvania to play the blues, but he’s not. He’s a 14-year-old Dallas, Pa.-based blues guitarist who has only been playing for two years.

Apparently, he’s squeezed those two years for all it’s worth. Peg Leg has performed at blues jams and with area musicians. Now he wants to make his mark in Williamsport.
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By DAVID THOMPSON - dthompson@sungazette.com - Williamsport Sun Gazette(3/17/08)

The solo-duo division winner, singer-guitarist Vito Edward Paul Sgroi — performing as Blind Peg Leg Paul — had the sound, the swagger and the shoes (snakeskin) of a seasoned blues musician. But what didn’t quite match up was the face.

Sgroi, who isn’t blind or have a prosthetic leg, is a 14-year-old 9th grader from Dallas, Pa., who has only been playing the blues for two years.

Sgroi said he decided to become a blues musician after seeing B.B. King in concert about two years ago.

According to Sgroi, he first began teaching himself the guitar, then hooked up with a teacher.

He studied blues legends such as Lightning Hopkins, Son House, Elmore James and Charlie Jordan.

Sgroi said he discovered the blues challenge on the association Web site. He believed he was good enough to compete so he submitted an application to the event’s audition coordinators Tom and Lori Butler.

A fledgling guitarist, Sgroi has even less experience as a singer, which may have surprised many in attendance.

“I just sing loud,” he said. “I’ve only really been singing five months. I just got bored one day and figured I’d try it out.”
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By DAVID THOMPSON — dthompson@sungazette.com

- Williamsport Sun Gazette (4/4/08)

V.E. Paul

V.E. Paul is a bona fide blues miracle. It was only months ago, when he won the solo-duo division of the Billtown Blues Challenge, that the 15-year-old blues guitar-playing phenom was none-other than Blind Peg Leg Paul.

Lo and behold, the little fella now has 20-20 vision and two healthy legs to walk with.

Actually, V.E., whose real name is Vito Edward Paul Sgroi (not your traditional blues nom de guerre), chose the name Blind Peg Leg Paul as a tongue-in-cheek tip of the hat to past blues legends like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Mississippi John Hurt.

Now, he needs no such embellishment. On the surface, he may look like your typical teenager, but there is no question the dude can play and sing the blues with the heart and soul of a Mississippi delta sharecropper.

Paul performed this year as a featured musician in the Billtown Blues Festival's Bill Brown Acoustic Blues Tent, where he gained the admiration of many of the festival's national acts, including Muddy Waters' former guitarist "Steady Rollin' " Bob Margolin.
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By DAVE THOMPSON — dthompson@sungazette.com - Williamsport Sun Gazette

Be forewarned that I am not normally even inclined to listen to the work of the young up and coming artists. What could they possibly know about the Blues? Well, don’t let the cherub-like face on the cover fool you…V.E. Paul comes across with all the grit and savvy of a man four times his age. I agree with Bob Margolin, who referred to the 15-year-old prodigy as “an old soul.” Paul blends technical excellence with heart and soul for an album that is nothing short of a masterpiece. Amazingly enough, I found the vocals strong and soulful as well…quite a feat for a player of that age. The influence of the Masters is clearly evident. Even the seven original tunes on the disc sound as if they could have been written in the 20s or 30s. These were the tunes that caught my ear. Anyone can do a decent cover of someone else’s tune…Good musicians can do incredible things given the proper tune, but to write songs with this much depth and understanding takes a rare performer indeed. V.E. Paul is just such a performer. If he continues along this particular path with the same level of intensity, he will, in time, take his seat among the masters. This young man has true potential. Congratulations on a job extremely well done. He enlists the backing of Wayne Sorbelli on guitar and Tom Martin on harp on “Susquehanna Stomp” and Martin’s harp work again on “South Main Street”. Otherwise, it’s all Paul. It’s a long hard road, full of distractions and pitfalls, but with dedication, hard work and a deep love for the music, V.E. Paul could go a long way. He’s certainly got the tools and know-how to do the job.
--Bill Wilson - Billtown Blue Notes

Paul Sgroi, 15 a.k.a. V.E. Paul. This phenomenon from Dallas, PA., has unbelievable chops for one so young. He took first place for individual performer at the 2008 Billtown Blues Challenge.

“I saw the movie ‘Ray,’ and I downloaded the songs from the Internet and learned to play them,” he says of his start in the blues. Then a family friend loaned him a Robert Johnson CD and another of old blues tunes recorded by the Smithsonian Institution, and he learned those songs in short order, too.

During his audition at Billtown, someone tripped over an electrical cord, plunging the stage into darkness and silencing his microphone and amplifier. Young Paul didn’t miss a beat. He kept right on playing until the power was restored seconds later. Not many performers could pull that off.

At the Billtown Blues Festival, Blind Peg Leg Paul, as he had billed himself, performed solo in the acoustic tent. During his performance, the great blues guitarist “Steady Rollin’” Bob Margolin and legendary drummer Big Joe Maher watched him intently. Later in the day, Margolin invited Paul to jam with him in the acoustic tent. Clearly delighted with the young man’s performance, Margolin traded him lick for lick.

“He’s the future of the blues,” crowed Margolin.

-- Wayne Laepple
- Inside Pennsylvania Magazine(12/2008)

http://www.visnat.com/entertainment/music/blueswax/feature.cfm?

So I was particularly glad that I had performed a solo sideshow in a tent earlier in the day, and had taken that as an opportunity to jam with Dennis and Big Joe, as well as Dave Gross, Gina Sicilia, Jason Ricci, and Paul Sgroi. Paul had played before my set, playing guitar and singing old school, deep Blues and displaying a natural talent and depth that one wouldn't expect to find in a 14-year-old. I have a cat older than Paul, but they're both old souls. It was a social and musical pleasure to play Blues with Paul. He can tell a story with his voice and guitar, entertain a crowd, and show us where he's been and where he's going.

Getting to know Paul, I find he has the same cynical sense of humor as most musicians I know, a frustration with online Blues police who miss the point of the music, and thankfully, a confidence in himself to develop his talent. Keep your eye out for Paul. - Blues Wax -- Bob Margolin 10.30.2008