Album Notes

Ben Arthur was born and raised in Virginia and began performing locally at the age of fifteen. During college, Ben worked the club circuit in North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. His energetic performances and wry storytelling made him a popular booking, and he eventually shared the stage with such artists as Dave Matthews, Shawn Colvin, Bruce Hornsby and Tori Amos. After graduating from the University of Virginia Ben left for Europe and toured for five months, playing for enthusiastic audiences in Italy, Great Britain and Switzerland. Ben's new album will be titled Gypsyfingers. Advanced copies of the songs "Mary Ann" and "Mercy" are already creating a buzz in the music industry. Billboard writes that "With each new song Ben Arthur proves that he has a gift for crafting timeless melodies and recordings that are wholly, widely marketable." Farmclub.com made Ben their featured pop act in April, and Farmclub's national TV program recently showcased him in a video "push package". Bruce Warren, the program director for WXPN in Philadelphia says, "Ben Arthur's songs are better than most of the music I hear on the radio." Hits Magazine's website lists Ben as one of the top-ten independent acts in the country. Ben's debut album, Curses and Rapture was released independently in the fall of 1997. It featured guest performances by Boyd Tinsley and Tim Reynolds of the Dave Matthews Band and was critically acclaimed by the Southeast press. 9X Magazine wrote, "there is a Faulknerian beauty to the twists of Fate he reveals", while Grip said "his melodies say their piece and then fall apart beautifully". Ben just returned from a tour of the UK where he played to considerable acclaim. The Leicester Mercury writes, "Although rarely known, the advice is-take a chance on this boy!" Ben currently lives in New York City where he is a regular performer at such venues as CBGB's, The Bitter End and The Knitting Factory. Gypsyfingers was released this fall. www.benarthur.com