Thank you for coming by to hear my artwork. As an independant artist there is nothing more important than your support, your word of mouth and your purchases. Below are the fruits of my labor. They bring me joy to make but they are ultimately for you. I hope that you will purchase these songs, as singles, downloads or hard copies (down below) and tell your music loving friends where to find an artist they probably haven't heard yet.
Each song/EP has a minimum price. You are free to donate more than the asking price (as many of you often do!) so that I may work to release the rest of Uncharted Territory in short order. To order advanced copies of Uncharted Territory, make your purchase with an additional donation of $5.00 for a download with artwork or $10.00 for the CD (shipping added when you check out) then write to me via the "Contact" page with your name, address and your order. Please contact me directly for any questions, help or an address if you want to pay by check.
Written and recorded in Nashville with multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Jon Statham , mastered in her hometown of Detroit by Ron Rose Productions engineer and musician John Nixon(as was "mal a' propos"), Ari has spared no effort to release this ambitious collection of songs. Bolder choices and more modern sounds are the flavor, but the distinct taste is all Ari. The tracks "Uncharted Territory," "Little Wars," "Real," "Wounded Man" and "Live Without This" mark another milestone for Ari. She has grown up alongside her music releases and is clearly bringing the music into the future while remaining true to her core being.
The first single of the upcoming 2012 release "Uncharted Territory," the EP's title track, is a "wouldn't you if you could and why don't you?" song written and recorded in Nashvile, TN in 2011. Only a few select fans have heard the new track. An unlikely friend, a newscaster from Cincinnati with the same penchant for truth in media as Michele has in her music, was one who got a sneak peak and had this to say: "Great, great, great! I love it! It's terriffic and going on my iPod right now!" - Ben Swann, WIXX Fox News 19 Cincinnati, Ohio.
Stories abound surrounding delays and frustrations regarding the release. Something had to change but what? The overriding answer was that it was time to move from the conservative south where Ari always felt like "the weird girl" back to a place where she was the perfectly normal girl that she is: NYC of course! The first single was released days after Ari had been the victim of an apartment scam leaving her without a home. "The show must go on" has always been her motto. And so it shall.
Photo: Linda Covello with hair and make-up artist Veronica Palazzolo. The jacket is from NYC's Trash and Vaudeville , one of the world's last bastions in punk couture. The shoot attracted the attention of passers-by (an unusual thing in a city with constant cameras and models) and even a "can I take my picture with you?" without knowing who Michele Ari is or what she does. If that is on the outside, bet you can't wait to hear what is on the inside!
The title "mal a' propos" is a French word meaning "out of place" or "not fitting," which described not just Ari's journey at this time, the one that came in between her first record and her second, but Ari herself.
This was Ari's first solo lyrical and musical piece of work that was soley her own. Now she was in "Music City" Nashville by way of a tragic turn of events. Her first release was getting a lot of attention in the UK so off she went for exploratory purposes. Having been poorly advised, her ticket to England was purchased one-way, a seeming red flag to border control though her intentions were never ill-natured and a return to the States was a given in her mind. The four hours spent locked up at Gatwick Immigration were nothing compared to the fumbling and fighting Ari endured on her way back to firm ground. Her 2009 release "mal a' propos" combines reflections of her ties with England and new-found influences in the music capitol of the world. Despite all, she felt this record needed to be made and a period was put on the past with songs timeless enough to fit any mood or decade.
The Swedish press called her "gifted" while the American press declared her a "bona-fide frontman."
The album cover, shot by Nashvillian Richard Call
,who has shot some of Michele's most prized live shots, was a nod to the circus her life had become and an acknowledgement she was still in the game despite the roller-coaster ride--a recurring theme that life can be a game and a wild ride for anyone willing to live it.
Released in the summer of 2005 this debut release won Ari accolades and immediate world-wide critical acclaim. Made possible with the help of the cream of the crop in the Tampa Bay music scene, where Ari retreated after an extended stay in NYC, "85th and Nowhere" quickly put Ari on the musical map where she has remained.
Produced with Ronny Elliott and known for its "collegiate" jangly guitar sounds this is pure raw passion due in part to Ari's soulful writing and singing as well as its analog-to-digital format.
This EP was the vehicle that introduced the world to Michele Ari. A new fan base used such words as "masterpiece" claiming her songs made them feel and even brought the sun out in London!
The album cover was shot by Ari herself in NYC and is, in fact, her old residence on 85th and Broadway. The title refers to the past and the present but not yet the future for in the throes of lost love one feels they are "nowhere". Yet, this wistful EP, with her signature splashes of silver linings, set up a tradition of placing the happiest song at the end, not just to lift the listener, but to remind one of where truth lies which is in the good in life and in people. It was inspired, in large measure, by a respected local musician who, sadly, took his life days after Ari moved from Tampa. It's a love story from cover to cover.
"This album fills a void in today’s top ten, infusing it with some much needed sophistication and thoughtful songcrafting."
-Jennifer Layton, Asst. Editor Indie-Music.com
The recording was made with the generous contributions of the following artists:
Paul Catala, Jeremy Gloff, Mugabe Tenn,
Kamran Mir, Rebekah Pulley,
Billy Summer,Scott Harrell, Dan Degregory and Ferrell Melton, the owner of The Hub , the most fabulous dive bar on Planet Earth, without whom this particular record might not have been made. It was recorded at Hitmaker's Studio and never mastered.
