ARI SCOTT: I Was Only Just A Chorus Girl

Ari Scott

I Was Only Just A Chorus Girl

© 2002 Guera Records (783707511221)

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Lush, swirling piano complements intelligent, sometimes brutally honest songwriting [stated by a fan].

tracks

1 I Lie
2 Connection
3 Here Lies a Woman
4 My Adobe House
5 Oyster Pearl
6 Bad Day
7 Airport
8 A Boy
9 Complain
10 Haunt Me
11 Best Regards

notes

All songs written by Ari Scott
(c) 2001 Guera Music/BMI
http://www.ariscott.com

ari grew up surrounded primarily by opera and european rock in her early youth and then, as a pre-pubescent, progressed to top 40 and pop music. she never took a piano lesson but instead played songs off the radio by ear and taught herself basic theory on her casio keyboard. her love for piano, singing, and writing grew even stronger in college, where she began composing songs. inspired especially by the sarcastic humor of morrissey, the piano prowess of tori amos and the creativity of madonna, ari spent most of her time in piano practice rooms honing her skills, and moved to new york city two weeks after graduation. over the last few years ari has been developing as a musician, writer, and performer at venues such as the bitter end, the baggot
inn, acme underground, eureka joe, the c-note, and the dark star lounge, and has developed a steadily-growing loyal fanbase in new york.

after many requests from fans, friends, and family for a full-length album, ari made the difficult choice of choosing eleven of her many songs, and recorded "i was only just a chorus girl" in 2001. "i wanted to keep things as simple as possible," she explains. "based on my lack of recording experience as well as monetary funds, i wanted to produce it myself and keep the number of instruments to a minimum." ari sought the expertise of asw studio's in-house engineer savvas karamalis and says that "savvas was extremely helpful during the recording process." ari sang and played piano on all the tracks, incorporating keyboard into some and enlisting the help of the only other musician on the album, djembe player sanjay kaul. karamalis also managed to obtain the talents of steve vavagiakis (kid creole and the coconuts, academy award-winning documentary "american dream") of bang zoom productions to master the cd. photographer michael chong and graphic designer sang-jin.bae were also instrumental in the design of the cd insert. the cd release party was held in june of 2002 at the famous new york city venue the bitter end to a packed house.

ari's early songs were admittedly left of center. "the first few years in new york, i wrote a bunch of silly songs with odd structures, not really intending to write 'radio friendly' material." several songs on iwojacg reflect this somewhat quirky nature. two of the more popular songs on the album are "i lie," a song about lies she told as a child to gain popularity ("i can't quite figure out how they could like me for who i am / how pathetic is my life?") and "here lies a woman," a hopeful eulogy for herself ("here lies a woman who knew right from wrong / here lies a woman who knew all along / she would have a positive effect on those who surrounded her / here lies a woman loved by those around her"). her song topics range from the typical, such as love ("connection") and death ("haunt me," "a boy"), to the more original, such as waiting tables ("bad day") and her dream home ("my adobe house"). fans have compared her to many singer/songwriters, but the one word used most often to describe her is "unique." as one fan stated, "i don't know what to compare her to, she's an original."

since the release of the album, ari has created herself a website, www.ariscott.com. updating the site with news, photos of shows, and reviews from fans has become a daily ritual. her first press review was one she came upon by accident: bill bolton of the catamount country chronicles was at ari's cd release party to review the singer amy jo johnson, who was slated to appear after ari. bolton saw ari's set and mentioned her in his review of amy jo, stating that "ari has a very beautiful voice and great stage presence."

ari has written a slew of songs, both before and since the recording of "iwojacg," and is eagerly awaiting the time when she can return to the studio. "i've got the material. at this point, it's a matter of funds," she says. ari admits she's getting a bit tired of doing everything
herself and is currently seeking label support.

ari is a member of BMI, the national academy of popular music (NAPM), and the songwriter's guild of america.

reviews

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  • An undiscovered gem with LOADS of potential
    author: Taryl

    I listened to the samples on this site before deciding to purchase this cd...I am so glad I stumbled across this page! Ari is an amazingly talented newcomer with a lot to offer on this, her debut cd. Songs range from quirky, smirkworthy ditties like "Connection and "Bad Day" to beautiful, plaintive ballads such as "Here Lies a Woman". I played this cd for the evening rush at the coffee shop I work at and had no less than 20 people asking me who this girl was or when Ani or Tori had released some EP's. The disc was met with great success and with any luck some of those people came to this site to support an amazing artist. Strong for a debut cd, the biggest weakness I could detect is that there is a certain repetition in alliteration when she sings...she has a fondness for strange enunciation that, as this point, isn't deliberate enough to warrant becoming her signature but on future cd's we'll see how this pans out. I urge Ari to explore more compositional variances and experiment with her own lovely playing...the lyrics are there, the presention is good, and though the disc lacks polish in spots is has a certain earthy, light charm that most certainly reflects the artist. I HIGHLY recommend this CD to anyone with an ear for wonderful up-and-coming artists. Ari Scott will go places in the industry and it is evidence strongly on her amazing first cd, "I Was Only Just a Choir Girl". Snatch this one up!

  • Smart ,Truthful Lyircs and a Sensual Piano Makes This One Good CD
    author: ellawitch

    I never compare artists to my all-time favorite Tori Amos (it makes me cringe everytime there's a girl and a piano and they say she's just like Tori) but Ari here has that special something that I see in Tori. She is by no means a copycat - her songs are truly original. But there's this glimmer that reminds me of Tori. Ari's piano is rich and sensual. Her voice is clear and you feel as though she is singing to you, telling you a personal story, between friends. The lyrics are honest and draw you into their world. It really tickled me how some of her lyrics are things you think but don't always say. I really enjoyed this CD from start to finish and recommend it. No she isn't the "next" Tori (no one is in my opinion) but she has that spark, that magic with words and piano you are sure to enjoy.

  • Quirky, fun, and amazing!
    author: Cari

    Ari's music is fun, thought-provoking, and haunting, all at the same time. "I Was Only Just a Chorus Girl" is an amazing CD that will make you smile, make you laugh, make you cry, and make you sing along. You'll be thinking about the songs long after the CD has ended. Well worth the money, and better than anything on the radio!

  • Ari is a rare find-her CD is intriguing-captivating and haunting!!!
    author: Jill Zutty

    Ari is a rare find! her Cd is intriguing, captivating and haunting!!! Her melodies are sweet and beautiful as she intoxicates you into a world of darkness! I was totally inspired as each and every song touched my heart! I look forward to seeing her name in lights and her songs on the charts!!!!

  • author: The Etruscan

    Ari Scott's music is like no one else's. Well, they're like Tory Amos's, but with a sense of philosophy; and they're like Jewel's, only with class and originality; and possibly like Sarah MacLaughlin, only with a sense of humor. In sum, her lyrics tell the story of her life, of all our lives; and her music lifts us up and away into the ethereal skies beyond the everyday. jjoan ttaber, THE ETRUSCAN

  • this album is a keeper
    author: gumby love

    i used to follow this chic when she played in the city and bought the tapes she sold. this album's got all her good songs, really awsome album, finally!

  • Don't be fooled by that "only just a chorus girl" claim.
    author: Charles Sinclair

    Ari Scott sings in a breezy way, but don't be fooled. The lead song in I WAS ONLY JUST A CHORUS GIRL [GÜERA RECORDS 2001] says what most of us just think: "How Pathetic Is My Life?" From there, her piano creates syncopating rhythms that evoke everybody's "Bad Day," to the live-your-dream tune of "Oyster Pearl." Ari Scott has an intuitive rhythmic sense in "Airport," taking seemingly unrelated and complex lyrical lines and somehow connecting them. In a haunting refrain she wonders in "A Boy" why the world demands only one response to tragedy. She balances this with the spectrum of lush colors in "My Adobe House." Ari Scott's new CD is worth a listen. You'll be hard-pressed to make comparisons with any other new female vocalist. Six other tunes round out an exciting and original CD. Don't be fooled by that "only just a chorus girl" claim.

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