Richard Shindell

Richard Shindell (born August 3, 1960) is an American folk singer, songwriter, and musician. Shindell grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and he lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with his wife, Lila Caimari, a university professor, and their children.

Shindell's songwriting often involves storytelling from a first-person point of view: an INS officer and illegal immigrant in "Fishing", a World War II soldier in "Sparrow's Point", a Confederate drummerboy in "Arrowhead", an Argentine grandmother in "Abuelita", and a power broker in "Confession". His other personas include a New York City cab driver in "Last Fare of the Day", a man on death row in "Ascent", an American Civil War widow in "Reunion Hill", and Mary Magdalene.

Shindell's career received a boost in 1997 when Joan Baez recorded three of his songs ("Fishing," "Reunion Hill" and "Money for Floods") for her album Gone from Danger and invited the aspiring singer-songwriter to join her 1997–98 tour.

Shindell collaborated with Dar Williams and Lucy Kaplansky to form the group Cry Cry Cry. On their eponymous 1998 album, Cry Cry Cry covered an eclectic mix of songwriters, from the well known (R.E.M.) to the lesser known (folk singer James Keelaghan). The trio toured in support of their album before resuming solo careers. Shindell and Kaplansky have often performed live together in the years since.

A recording of cover songs, South of Delia, was released on Shindell's website in March 2007. An album of original material, Not Far Now, appeared in 2009. 13 Songs You May Or May Not Have Heard Before, a compilation of reworked previous releases and some new material, followed in 2011.

Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky have reunited to collaborate on a new album of cover songs, Tomorrow You're Going, funded through Kickstarter, and released in March 2015 under the name Pine Hill Project.

Discography

Albums

• Sparrows Point (Shanachie, March 13, 1992)
• Blue Divide (Shanachie, September 26, 1994)
• Reunion Hill (Shanachie, August 19, 1997)
• Cry Cry Cry (Razor & Tie, October 1, 1998), with Dar Williams and Lucy Kaplansky
• Somewhere Near Paterson (Signature Sounds, February 8, 2000)
• Courier (Signature Sounds, February 12, 2002) [Compilation]
• Vuelta (Koch Records, August 24, 2004)
• South of Delia (Richard Shindell Music, May 10, 2007)
• Live at the Chandler Music Hall, Randolph, VT (2007) [Described as Archive Series #1, limited edition recording of a concert from November 11, 2006]
• Not Far Now (Signature Sounds, 2009)
• 13 Songs You May Or May Not Have Heard Before (Amalgamated Balladry, 2011) [Compilation]
• Tomorrow You're Going (2015), with Lucy Kaplansky (The Pine Hill Project)
• Careless (Amalgamated Balladry, September 9, 2016)

EPs

• Scenes from a Blue Divide (Shanachie, 1995)
• Spring (Signature Sounds 1256-2, 2000). Contains "Spring" (single edit), "Confession" (acoustic version), "Shades of Black, Shades of Blue" (Charles Lyonhart), and "Spring/Summer Reel" (album version)
• 3x2 Sampler (Signature Sounds, 2000). Contains "Beyond the Iron Gate" (alternate version), "Abuelita", and "Transit" (album versions). Also contains three songs by Peter Mulvey.
• The Sonora Sessions (Signature Sounds, 2001)
• Mariana's EP (Amalgamated Balladry, 2009)

Various artists compilations

• Main Stage Live: Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (Signature Sounds 1253, 1999). Contains live version of "Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore" (traditional arranged by R. Shindell).
• Wonderland: A Winter Solstice Celebration (Signature Sounds 1266, 2002). Contains "Before You Go".
• The Folk Next Door: A Collection of Connecticut Roots Music (WWUH 1992). Contains live version of "Home Team".