Arlon Bennett and The Possibilities
Tappan, New York, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
What some people are saying about Arlon…
“Summer’s Voice is one of the best folk albums to come along in years, and should be near the top of many yearend “Best Of” lists”.
- Hal Selzer, Aquarian Weekly
“Damn, this guy can write.”
- Sing Out! Magazine
"Arlon's songs ring true, whether he's writing about the personal or the political. And when he brings those worlds together in "Be the
Change," the result is inspiring."
- John Platt WFUV 90.7 FM New York
“Arlon Bennett presents his stories in song using a variety of unique and compelling ‘camera angles’. He is a singer/songwriter who brings you stories from unique perspectives, and draws you right in. His guitar work is masterful and blends so well with the spirituality
of his music.”
- Singer Magazine
The foundation of Bennett's songs is intelligence, whether it be wit or just his angle of view. He has a way of taking something mundane and making it fresh.
- AcousticMusic.com
“Spiritual in tone, the music matches Arlon’s acoustical brilliance with personal tales of woe and eventual triumph…”
- The ROOM Magazine
“Every decade or so, a voice appears on the folk music scene that makes you sit up and
take notice. When that voice is paired with songs and lyrics that tell a story or sing of the human spirit, it is truly magical. That voice is Arlon Bennett.”
- Jane Falvey, WRIU 90.3 FM, Kingston, RI
“Arlon, Fun Sharing Music with You!”
- Tom Chapin
“I really enjoyed working with Arlon. He offered a lot of caring toward our Wednesday’s
Child – a lot of good advice, and he really seemed to have a genuine interest in her and her future.”
- Lydia Reeves, producer, NBC 10 Philadelphia
“Arlon, with just his charm and an acoustic guitar, was able to share our stage with the manic energy of Groovelily. He became an Arts Center favorite. In response to our
weekly questionnaire asking for our audience's picks for future shows, the answer often comes back, "Arlon Bennett." Great musicianship, storytelling songs that engage an audience, and an awshucks charisma that we don't see in Jersey too often!”
- Scott Sheldon, Watchung Arts Center - Quotes..
"Every decade or so, a voice appears on the folk music scene that makes you sit up and take notice. When that voice is paired with songs and lyrics that tell a story or sing of the human spirit, it is truly magical. That voice is Arlon Bennett, and his CD “The Watch Man” leaves you wanting more of this great talent. Listen to it. Listen again, and again…"
- Jane Falvey, The Kingston Coffeehouse, WRIU Kingston, 90.3 fm
- Jane Falvey, WRIU, 90.3 FM
“It’s the most rewarding way to communicate,” says Arlon Bennett, explaining how he feels about his music. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Apparently others feel good about his work as well, as he has gained increasing visibility in the
folk Americana scene.
Arlon won the prestigious Rose Garden Song Competition in 2005, placed second at the Great Waters Folk Festival in 2004, and has been a finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival. He was twice selected by Noel Stookey (a/k/a Paul, from Peter, Paul & Mary) to perform in his Music-to-Life showcase. He has won awards in the Billboard, MidAtlantic
and Unisong contests, and lyrics from his song “The Ace In Grace” were used in the official statue dedication of the late tennis champion Arthur Ashe. His music reached a bigger playing field recently, when the New York Mets chose the title track of his new CD, Summer’s Voice, to be featured in a tribute video to Hall of Fame sportscaster Bob Murphy at Shea Stadium.
A fan once told Arlon that he wrote songs the way Norman Rockwell
would paint. It’s a description of his music that he appreciated. “I have
been described as ‘telling Harry Chapin-like stories with James Taylor’s licks and Jim Croce’s blue collar’, ”he says. “With that, I would say that I love to paint stories that tell of the everyday and the extraordinary.”
Though he is Jersey based, Arlon has spent a good deal of time in
Nashville and utilized some of the musicians he came across down
there. “I had done several demos in Nashville with some great musicians at Bayou Recording,” he ecalls. “So, when the time came to record the project, I decided to use them to lay down all the tracks. Donnie Skaggs was the band leader and helped me produce it.” Arlon‘s playing schedule includes a tour of the folk circuit, with stops at festivals in Kerrville, TX, the South Florida Folk Festival, and the New Jersey Folk Festival, as well as NYC’s Bitter End and the Minstrel Coffeehouse in Morristown, NJ. He also will be on the Fiddles & Frets Internet Radio Show on Friday, June 29, and at the Crossroads Coffeehouse in
Philadelphia that night, before heading back to Jersey for a radio appearance on WFDU in Teaneck on June 30.
“Basically, I love anyplace where there is a supportive crowd and where the sound system is nice, unless it’s all acoustic like a house concert,” muses Arlon. “Perhaps house concerts are most fun because they are intimate and acoustic.” House concerts would seem to be an ideal way to listen to Arlon, because even on CD he comes across as intimate and
inviting. Summer’s Voice is one of the best folk albums to come along in years, and should be near the top of many year-end “Best Of” lists.
While he has garnered great acclaim with his past work, Arlon always feels he can grow. “I am always trying to raise the bar in some way with my writing, and always willing to experiment with new things musically and productionwise,” he
says. “I would say that my new record, Summer’s Voice, is more ‘full’ sounding with the ensemble of piano, keys, bass, drums, and acoustic and electric guitars in most of the songs. It was recorded with the same ensemble over the course of a couple of days, so the consistency is there. With respect to the writing, I would add that I have more uptempo songs than
the introspective-type songs, though there are a couple of those too. I always need a couple of those to keep me grounded!
Oh, and I put a cover song on this record by Johnny Cash, ‘Straight A’s In Love.’ I thought that would be a fitting tribute. I had never done that before.”
Arlon tends to write from a thought or idea of something he wants to get across rather than from chord changes or melody. “Usually with an idea of something I want to communicate,” he explains. “Then I play with guitar/melody ideas and lyrical ideas. Sometimes they arrive at the same time and other times they arrive separately. When I have the idea, a melody, and even some semblance of a lyric, then I’m off and running. It may still take some time to finish the song, but as long as there is a foundation, then I am on to something.”
His influences include some of the best known folk and folk rock singers/songwriters. “The troubadours of the past like Jim
Croce, Harry Chapin, Dan Fogelberg, and more modern folk artists like John Gorka,” relates Arlon. “I was schooled in the
James Taylor guitar style, though I have developed my own voice.”
You can find out more about Arlon Bennett and Summer’s Voice at arlonbennett.com, or on myspace.com/arlon. - East Coast Rocker - Hal Selzer
A partial list of venues where Arlon has performed...
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS...
Kerrville Folk Festival, TX
Kerrville Music-to-Life Showcase, TX
Great Waters Festival, NH
Philadalphia Vote! Festival (National Constitution Center)
Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, NY
South Florida Folk Festival, FL
Sonora Songwriters festival, CA
New Jersey Folk Festival
KRCL Folk Festival, Salt Lake City, UT
Lake County Folk Festival, IL
Solarfest, VT
Outpost in the Burbs
Lawrence Arts and Music Festival, NJ
Newsongs festival, W.Va
Mayfair, Bethlehem, PA
Harvest Moon Wine & Folk Festival, Warwick, NY
Hamilton Septemberfest, NJ
Azalia Festival, Hamilton, NJ
BENEFITS AND CAUSES...
Anderson House (Benefit for unwed mothers)
Coalition for Peace Action, Princeton NJ
Ranch Hope Home for Boys, NJ
Hospice of the South Shore, NY
Common Grounds, (North Hunterdon Developmental Center, NJ)
Station Cafe Benefit to aid Tsunami victims (PA)
MAJOR MUSIC CONFERENCES...
National Folk Alliance, Jacksonville, Nashville, San Diego, Montreal
Northeast Folk Alliance, NY and PA
Philadelphia Music Conference
Canadian Music week
Tin Pan South, Nashville TN
COOL LISTENING VENUES...
Godfrey Daniels, Bethlehem PA
The Point, Philadelphia PA
The Conduit, Trenton, NJ
Acoustic Sounds, Little Rock, AR
The Evening Muse, Charlotte, NC
Six String Cafe, Cary, NC
The Postcrypt Coffeehouse, NYC
Philadelphia Songwriter's Project
Steel City Coffeehouse, PA
Minstrel Coffeehouse, NJ
Broken Spoke Writer's night, Nashville, TN
Commodore Writer's Night, Nashville, TN
The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville, TN
The Eclectic Cafe, Bay Shore, NY
The Sidestage, NJ
Watchung Arts Center, NJ
Mine Street Coffeehouse, NJ
Sanctuary Coffeehouse, NJ
Congregational Coffeehouse, NJ
Mary's Place, NJ
Purdue University Campus Sounds
Lake Winona Civic Center, NJ
Hillside Cafe, NJ
Peacesmiths Coffeehouse, NY
Cafe Improv, Princeton, NJ
John & Peter's, New Hope PA
PSA (Philadelphia Songwriter's Association) House Concert Series
The Red Lion, Rutgers University, NJ
Second Saturdays, Summit, NJ
Maplewood First Night, NJ
The Rosegarden Coffeehouse, MA
The Muddy Cup, NY
Club Havana, New Hope, PA
Outpost in the Burbs
CAFE'S n' SUCH...
Internet Cafe, NJ
Colts Neck Cafe, NJ
Java Jam, NJ
Failte Coffeehouse, NJ
Caffe Annick, NJ
Fedora Cafe, NJ
Cornerstone Cafe, NJ
Cath Coffeehouse, indianapolis, IN
Orpha's Coffeehouse, NJ
Bucks County Coffee Company, NJ
The Station Cafe, PA
...so many others!
ATTENDED AND PERFORMED AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER...
National Guitar Workshop, (Canada, CT)
Swannanoa Gathering, NC
SummerSongs, NY
Just Plain Folks Showcases, NY, NJ, PA
BOOK STORES...
Barnes and Noble Books
Borders Books (All over!)
Encore Books, NJ
Alpha Books, NJ
...lost track!
OTHER WONDERFUL ESTABLISHMENTS...
The Baggot Inn, New York City
Bar B, New York City
C Note, New York City
Nightingale, NYC
Kenny's Castways
..and more!
- by Arlon Bennett
Discography
World of Possibility - 2013
Summer's Voice - 2007
The Watch Man - 2001
Fountain of Dreams - 1999
- Songs on numerous compilations -
Photos
Bio
Arlon Bennett; Husband, Daddy, Eagle Scout, baseball connoisseur, and all-around Renaissance guy with Tuscan roots, is an Americana songsmith writing songs that recall Harry Chapin and vintage James Taylor, but with an eloquence, honesty, and sense of humor all his own. A home-made guitarist with a self-effacing style, he has a gift of storytelling from the heart that reveals the gold nuggets in the river of everyday life.
Hailing from Long Island New York, Arlon's philosophy on life is that if you can dream it you can do it; "Shoot for the moon and ask questions later". When he considered his vocation as a writer, it was famed author George Plimpton who advised Arlon to "just write" without pretense or expectation. So, when the Virginia Heroes, Inc. called Arlon to use the lyrics to his song "The Ace in Grace", to commemorate the Arthur Ashe statue unveiling in Richmond, he realized his contributions could touch people in a meaningful and musical way.
Arlon produced and released his debut; Fountain of Dreams in 1998 and quickly followed with The Watch Man in 2000, whose title track is still a fan favorite at concerts. His emergence in the Americana music scene has grown steadily by opening for such acts as Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze), Jill Sobule, and Tom Paxton. Arlon also was twice selected by Noel Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul & Mary) to perform in his Music-to-Life showcase at the Kerrville Folk Festival featuring America's best songs of social consciousness. "Be the Change," from his third album Summer's Voice, was the #9 most-played song nationwide on American roots radio in 2007. However, he is most proud when he hears how teachers share it with their students.
Arlons new release; World of Possibility is the fourth installment of what he calls his grand experiment. He invites you into his world with 11 fresh songs of eventual triumph backlit by a rhythm section that rocks you on a dance floor, the front porch, or in a cradle. World of Possibility also features rising Americana trio The Boxcar Lilies singing harmony vocals on two tracks.
Arlon was inspired to write the title track to 'World of Possibility' after being recently diagnosed with Parkinsonism. It was not long thereafter that he started performing at Parkinson's conferences under the guise of "The Healing Project", setting out to prove that music could indeed help heal and inspire himself and others so challenged.
Arlon Bennett is an artist who draws you in with that aw-shucks charisma, before engaging you with songs that provoke, heal, and just plain cut right to your soul. And they do.
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