Cheryl Arena & Aaron Burton

Review of "Good Old Wagon" | A poem by Sonnie Collie

"GOOD OLD WAGON"  is for sale at our gigs for 15.00 or you can order it from this site and we'll ship it to you...
just send 15.00 plus 2.00 for shipping to Cheryl Arena 101 North Brookside Drive #707 Dallas TX. 75214.

Good Old Wagon Back to top

Close your eyes and listen to this CD. The feeling is akin to sitting on the back porch of a long time friend, swinging in a hammock on the warm Texas summer night, while your two best friends play the blues on the steps not more than a few feet away. The new release from Aaron Burton & Cheryl Arena "Good Old Wagon", is comforting and comfortable, both hypnotic and peaceful. Nothing forced, nothing fake, a natural pairing of two extremely talented blues musicians hand crafting introspective originals and reassuring covers.

This is the kind of CD that blues purist worship and yet has the power to make blues fans out of those teetering on the edge, taking their first dip into that big blues ocean. With so much debate about what is blues and what is not, it's a joy to listen to a project where there is no question, this IS the blues. It's so real, so honest, so soul baring. What else could it be?

Kudos to Engineer Pat Boyack and also to Roger Burton, who mastered the disc. Too many times songs with this kind sparse phrasing yet voluptuous weight are battered about unmercifully by the technicians in the studio. Not here. The subtle timbre of the guitar, harmonica and that most beautiful and complicated of instruments, the human voice, are all here, with a lovely round, rich sound. It almost breathes in your ear!

Chemistry in a musical relationship is a tricky thing, you either have it or you don't. It can't be forced, and that's why "super groups" rarely work - technically it's okay, but there's just something missing. Nothing is missing here - the pairing of Burton's warm rich guitar tone is the perfect match for Arena's emotional and heartfelt harmonica lines. They both take turns at the vocals - again, in the best of natural interplay that musicians have when they respect each others talents. The musical connection is so complete; it's hard to believe they have only been playing together about a year. It's obvious, Aaron Burton and Cheryl Arena have come to this point from their own musical journeys, but it was meant for them to join forces. It was destiny that "Good Old Wagon" be born.

BLUE LISA
KNON 89.3 FM
Southwest Blues Magazine

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Cheryl Arena & Aaron Burton Yep, that country blue of Cheryl and Aaron stand tall like a big ole great blue heron turned back down off the Chicago road through the trees to the mother lode through Delta mud and piney woods that harp and box sound mighty good they hear every word when the audience shout can juke right on when the lights go out can carry it all light on their back walk it way out off the beaten track where the hoot owl hoot under the wheeling star these blues was born and raised down 'thar a forlorn moan and cryin and hopin it will pry your heart and ears right open and good to go for a harder time can stand on the corner and play for a dime that Fender sound is a glamorous daughter but its country mama is still a cool drink of water -Sonny Collie Back to top

Busking at the Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival (formerly known as the KING BISCUIT) Photo by T. C. Perkins Jr. Tommy Digital Photographic Concepts PO BOX 720871 Byram, MS 39272-0871 tcperkins@juno.com Back to top