Eye to Eye

Andy and Ariana

Lyric driven gypsy-soul jazz-folk!

“Eye to Eye” is a collection of 12 songs written, performed and recorded by Andy and Ariana. Musically the album draws on a variety of sources for inspiration, from the music of far-off lands to the scene at home in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. If a genre can be ascribed to this collection, it might be “

Lyric driven gypsy-soul jazz-folk!

“Eye to Eye” is a collection of 12 songs written, performed and recorded by Andy and Ariana.  Musically the album draws on a variety of sources for inspiration, from the music of far-off lands to the scene at home in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia.  If a genre can be ascribed to this collection, it might be “gypsy-soul jazz-folk”.  The album features a variety of flavours. Jazz, pop, eastern European, ragtime, mid-east and Latin inspired grooves all get melded into Andy and Ariana's distinct sound; Andy's mouth percussion replaces the usual drum kit and Ariana's violin, saxophone and clarinet, along with Andy's guitar, feature as prominent accompaniment to her vocals. True to form, Andy's lyrics run the gamut from sweet odes to house and home to political rap and anything in between (including arguments between insects and making music using unconventional instruments).

Additional personnel on the CD includes the most excellent Mark Bezanson who contributes bass parts for several of the songs, as well as guest appearances from Lars Kampe, Julia Feltham, François Côté, Angela Forbes and Kamila Nasr.

About Andy and Ariana: What happens when a half-Danish Swiss and a half-Afghan Maritimer fuse their musical lives together? Well, 9 CDs and countless performances later, the answer to that question is of course still evolving. Take an avalanche of spoken-word-style lyrics and add a bit of jazz, a dash of eastern flavour, a sprinkle of reggae, some rural Nova Scotian flare and a healthy dose of fun and you'll start to get an idea. Oh yeah, and if you're not watching Andy simultaneously playing guitar and percussion, beat-boxing and flirting with the audience, then you're missing an important part of the Andy and Ariana experience. Add to that Ariana's expressively elastic vocals, unique violin and saxophone stylings, and the interplay between two musicians who have been doing it together for 15 years and you have yourself a spectacle.

Andy and Ariana have spent the last seven and a half years getting to know and love Nova Scotia (ok, Ariana grew up in NS but moved away as a young adult, never to return...) This has involved much performing and recording, collaborations with other Nova Scotian acts, and presenting monthly local talent shows in Wolfville (and that's Talent with a capital T!). The two enjoy playing music for audiences of all ages, especially when they're all together at the same time, which is why they spend many a summer morning playing at Farmers' Markets around the province. Not to mention that local food is the best kind of food! Nova Scotia rocks really.

What others have said:

"absolutely an incredible night of music.....Ariana, there is no finer vocalist than you and also you're really hot....Andy, you are one mighty fine lyricist and really too talented in so many ways....so much good stuff going on musically with Chris and Adam and Ken it was just total bliss to watch it all go down.....THANK YOU for being so goddamn good and working so hard at it!" -Jenny Osburn, owner of Union Street Cafe and the Wick Pub

"the best part of the album though, is that you can hear them smiling. Andy and Ariana’s love of music and each other comes out loud and clear, shining like a National guitar. Their songs make you feel happy you know them, and happy to be alive." -Laura MacDonald, columnist for The Grapevine

"to hear Andy and Ariana perform today is to be blown sideways by the brilliant lyrics, the self-assurance, the interwoven rhythms, the deftness on myriad instruments (including some of the most innovative scat-boxing you’ve ever heard), the spot-on pitch, and the yummy goulash of musical genres." -Wanda Waterman St. Louis, Voice Magazine, Athabasca University:

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Website du duo avec Curtis Thorpe: www.NasrThorpe.ca

Upcoming:

Ariana en solo

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Le P'tit Bar, 3451 R. Saint-Denis, Montréal

Ariana en solo

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Le P'tit Bar, 3451 R. Saint-Denis, Montréal