|
|
'Can a veteran of blues jams and countless bar bands be the new svengali of pop soul? Might a journeyman guitarist, a rumour in his own time and town, pull off a fascinating concept album of urban R&B? Is Mark Arneson, the guy I met after-hours so many years ago at a White Castle slider shop, secretly an auteur of sophisticated funk, a cat blessed with panoramic vision? Amazingly, the answer is -Yes-to all of the above.
Though all the singers and players featured on City Stories are based in Minneapolis/St.Paul, or the nearby suburbs, the CD truly sports an all-star cast, with global renown.
Project leader Arneson may still come off as a journeyman, as the behind-the scenes co-star of his own album. But no less a guitarist than Eric Clapton has called himself a journeyman, so that's not too shabby a thing to be. With a little luck and promotion, jobbing guitarist Arneson may soon be better known as a hit songwriter. His City Stories -- catchy and undeniable slices of pop/rock/funk as polished as Where It Comes From, Because of You, and Now or Never -- deserve to be heard (and danced to) in a lot of urban locales, both here and abroad.
The swirling soundscapes of Grammy-winning super producers Jam & Lewis. The sophisticated musicality of meticulous megabucks critics darlings Steely Dan. Those are big names to drop, high goals to set. But Arneson's clearly up to the challenge. He long ago swore off White Castles for the joys of Thai curry - the hotter the better! And his City Stories project is an-all-you-can-eat sizzling soul affair.'~ Tom Surowicz, Writer, Minneapolis Star-Tribune 'Instrumental Ace!'~ Jon Bream, Writer, Minneapolis Star-Tribune 'Great Guitar Player!'~ Jeff Skunk Baxter, Steely Dan & Doobie Brothers |
|
advertise on tcmusic.net
|
