Biography
Arnie Cottrell plays acoustic guitar, national tricone resonator guitar, mandolin, octave mandolin, mandola, bouzouki (and electric guitar when the moment demands it). He is a singer of some repute.
He has opened for Robert Cray, Keb' Mo, Eric Bibb, Martin Carthy, Dick Gaughan, Tim O'Brien, Arty McGlynn and Nollaig Casey and has played at the Larmer Tree, Cropredy, Trowbridge, Stokes Bay and Eastleigh festivals as well as several blues festivals (although he would never consider himself to be a blues musician). He has toured and performed extensively in the U.K, Ireland and other European countries. He has recorded here and in Louisiana, U.S.A. He has also toured in recent years with Richard Digance.
For the last few years Arnie has been working with Graham Bushell and Rick Foot.
Graham is a guitarist with a reputation second to none and he has toured and recorded as a session musician, working in musical genres ranging from West End musicals to out and out hard rock and all points in between. He is a fine musician who never fails to move audiences with his stunning playing whether the instrument is guitar, mandolin, dobro or banjo. He adds fine vocal harmonies to Arnie's powerful voice. His cousin is the late great Cyril Tawney who is an icon to anyone who has ever listened to folk music in this country.
The music they play is influenced by the different kinds of music they have been involved in over their long musical life: folk, blues, soul, Tamla Motown, R n' B, country, Cajun, Old Time, Bluegrass, reggae, and music from the French culture. Both would be hard pushed these days to name a musical hero other than the fine musicians they have worked with in recent years.
Arnie has recorded three albums under his own name and one album in Louisiana with his great friend Texas blues musician Steve Howell.
Arnie and Graham are currently in the studio recording an album with no extra musicians. This has been inspired by the enthusiasm of their audience and the constant demand for an album featuring the two musical soulmates.
As a live act they go from strength to strength with their rootsy eclectic blend of music which defies definition but which never fails to move their audience.
Arnie now has an online presence at http://www.arniecottrell.com/
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