Think "countertenor" and certain images come to mind: white gloves, brass balustrades and all the dusty conventions of classical refinement. Ryland Angel knows all about it, having sung on many of the world's great concert stages. But there's another side to Ryland: busking in the Paris metro, riding a Greyhound bus across the Texas plains, trading quips with Paul McCartney at Abbey Road Studios and, above all, writing exquisite pop songs. With the release of his self-titled Manhattan Records debut, Ryland permanently reconfigures the classical crossover genre while establishing himself as an important new artist.

As a singer/songwriter, Ryland Angel fits easily on the continuum from James Taylor to James Blunt. But his affinity for renaissance and Baroque music gives him a unique edge. Co-written by Ryland and Ed Bennet, the new CD is the culmination of a long creative process. "It was a confluence of different ideas," he says. "The sound...

read the rest of the bio...