Chris Arena
Encyclopedia
chrisarena.com
Christian Joseph Arena is a singer-songwriter
born in Atlantic City, New Jersey
and currently residing in Los Angeles
, CA. His self-titled debut album, released July 20, 2010, includes two songs in the award winning film Dark Fall.
-oriented family. His father, an airline pilot, also played guitar
and taught Chris how to play. His grandfather also played guitar as a jazz
musician in New York City
, and purchased what became a very rare 1959 Gibson Les Paul
Standard guitar. The guitar was passed down to Chris’ father, who gave it to him in high school under the condition that he pursue music as a career.
As a teenager, Chris moved with his family to Memphis, TN
in 2005. Chris attended the University of Memphis
from 2004 to 2008, and began writing the songs that would eventually comprise his self-titled debut. He moved to Philadelphia in 2010 after recording sessions for his album were completed.
-wining producer Craig Street
(Nora Jones) and mixed by three time Grammy-winning sound engineer Tony Maserati
(WILL.I.AM
, Jason Mraz
, John Legend
).
The songs Crazy and Wait from the album are featured in the film Dark Fall, a documentary about New Jersey
surfers. . The film premiered on July 16, 2010.
in Atlantic City, NJ, and will be performing at subsequent showings in San Diego, CA and at the Tribeca Surf Film Festival in New York, NY.
He also plays solo shows regularly in Philadelphia, Ardmore
, and Doylestown PA
, New York, NY, Margate, NJ, and Somers Point, NJ
, and at the Rootstock Music Festival in Jackson, NJ
's (Atlantic City, NJ) Raves and Faves section on August 6, 2010.
of NJ.com noted, "[Chris Arena] could take his music in a million directions and it'll be fun to watch where he goes."
Christian Joseph Arena is a singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
born in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
and currently residing in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CA. His self-titled debut album, released July 20, 2010, includes two songs in the award winning film Dark Fall.
Biography
Arena was born into a musicMusic
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
-oriented family. His father, an airline pilot, also played guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and taught Chris how to play. His grandfather also played guitar as a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and purchased what became a very rare 1959 Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
Standard guitar. The guitar was passed down to Chris’ father, who gave it to him in high school under the condition that he pursue music as a career.
As a teenager, Chris moved with his family to Memphis, TN
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
in 2005. Chris attended the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
from 2004 to 2008, and began writing the songs that would eventually comprise his self-titled debut. He moved to Philadelphia in 2010 after recording sessions for his album were completed.
Career
Chris’ self-titled debut was released on July 20, 2010. The album was arranged by GrammyGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-wining producer Craig Street
Craig Street
Craig Street, born in Oakland, California, is a noted record producer.Craig moved with his family to Los Angeles at the age of 11, but returned to the Bay Area for his high school years. He began playing guitar at age 14, playing in a number of Berkeley bands...
(Nora Jones) and mixed by three time Grammy-winning sound engineer Tony Maserati
Tony Maserati
Tony Maserati is an American record producer and studio audio engineer who has worked with many mainstream artists including Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Jason Mraz, James Brown, Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child, R...
(WILL.I.AM
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
, Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
, John Legend
John Legend
John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
).
The songs Crazy and Wait from the album are featured in the film Dark Fall, a documentary about New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
surfers. . The film premiered on July 16, 2010.
Performances
Chris has performed at the Dark Fall première and encore showing at the House of BluesHouse of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
in Atlantic City, NJ, and will be performing at subsequent showings in San Diego, CA and at the Tribeca Surf Film Festival in New York, NY.
He also plays solo shows regularly in Philadelphia, Ardmore
Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Ardmore is a census-designated place in Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census...
, and Doylestown PA
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380. The borough is the county seat of Bucks County.- History :...
, New York, NY, Margate, NJ, and Somers Point, NJ
Somers Point, New Jersey
Somers Point is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 10,795.The City of Somers Point is in the eastern part of Atlantic County, southwest of Atlantic City.-History:...
, and at the Rootstock Music Festival in Jackson, NJ
Press
News about Chris and his album have been featured in the Press of Atlantic City (Atlantic City, NJ), dtown Magazine (Doylestown, PA), 54 Magazine (New Hope, PA) and on NJ.com. His album was announced online at Eat Sleep Breathe Music (the track Crazy was the blog’s Song' of the Day on August 8, 2010), and in Atlantic City WeeklyAtlantic city weekly
Atlantic City Weekly , The Atlantic City Weekly, is a free newspaper based in Atlantic City since 1974. Atlantic City Weekly is the source for what's happening in South Jersey...
's (Atlantic City, NJ) Raves and Faves section on August 6, 2010.
Reception
Lou Russo of dtown Magazine described Arena's CD as "an alternately intimate and anthemic slice of indie rock and neo-folk," and Michael ReynoldsMichael Reynolds
Michael Reynolds may refer to:* Michael Curtis Reynolds, convicted American terrorist* Michael D. Reynolds , American astronomer* Michael Reynolds, Professor of Mathematics at McPherson College...
of NJ.com noted, "[Chris Arena] could take his music in a million directions and it'll be fun to watch where he goes."