Paul majored in music at the University of Miami, then studied for eight years with Baltimore-based professor of Theory/Composition Asher Zlotnick.

In 1987 he made his recording debut on saxophonist Gary Thomas’s Seventh Quadrant (Enja), and in 1990 established a working relationship with the young organ legend Joey DeFrancesco, an association that lasted for many years, producing 18 recordings.

He has appeared on the Tonight Show, Good Morning America, the Today Show, and Entertainment Tonight, and has played with an impressive spectrum of musicians, including Joey DeFrancesco, Steve Gadd, Gary Bartz, Paul Bley, Charlie Byrd, Terri-Lyne Carrington, Herb Ellis, Geoffrey Keezer, Mike LeDonne, Joe Locke, Jack McDuff, James Moody, David “Fathead” Newman, Jim Snidero, Carol Sloane, Gary Thomas, Grady Tate, Stanley Turrentine, and Jeff “Tain” Watts, to name a few.

His two releases on Elephant Dreams Records “Brightness of Being” (ED4548) & “Invocation” (ED4550) remained on the USA Jazz Week charts for several months in 2007 and 2008 consecutively.

“Invocation” was voted onto Downbeat’s Top 100 releases of 2008 and received wide critical acclaim in the international press garnering 4 and 5 star reviews in Jazz Times Magazine among others.

In 2011 he garnered a Grammy nomination for co-production on Joey DeFrancesco’s Never Can Say Goodbye.

His international and national touring schedule included appearances with Joey DeFrancesco, Mike LeDonne, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Gary Bartz, and Shunzo Ohno, as well as many appearances with his own trio.

Paul also leads a dual life as an educator, with a long career teaching jazz at Columbia University, Peabody Conservatory, and Queens College, as well as the Litchfield, Skidmore, Prague and Bobby Durham summer jazz workshops.

He recently began teaching duties at Prince Claus Conservatory in the Netherlands.