Darren Arsenault Trio

About Darren Arsenault Trio

The Darren Arsenault Trio has been described as......

"A large platter of smokey blues smothered in swingin country sauce, piled high on a bed of hot toasted bluegrass with gooey hot melted jazz inside"

Darren Arsenault was born performing in a cloud of smoke commonly known as Toronto. His howling melodies could be heard throughout the hospital so they spanked him. His talents have vastly improved since leaving the womb.

After finding Darren kneeling in front of the hi – fi banging on the 8 track player to hank Williams at the age of 7, his parents decided it would be best to find him a set of drums. Shortly after this he discovered his sense of rhythm, a talent he inherited from his grandfather who played piano for the silent movies. In his teens he played drums in several rock and country bands but got tired of sitting at the back of the stage. It was at this point that he bought himself an old guitar and taught himself to play.

He plays several distinctly different types of guitar plus the banjo, Dobro, mandolin, dulcimer, harp, drums and percussion. The music he plays on these instruments varies from jazz to blues, bluegrass, country, folk, rock & roll, lounge, classical, old timey and political Science. He is well known for bending, twisting and exploring all these styles with confidence and finesse.

Known for his strong banjo and guitar ability, Darren also plays a whack of other stringed instruments. His rhythmic and percussive style comes from his formative years as a drummer. His resonant voice and emotionally charged lyrics; combined with his energy on stage makes him one of the brightest shining musical entertainers in Nova Scotia.

Darren has toured Europe, Canada, the US and your backyard. Travels and travails, love’s lost and lifes laughs, that’s what he is singing about, or excited about. Not only is Darren’s blues infused jazz, country and swing great to listen to, it’s great to move to. His stuff gets up and dances around the room. Darren has over 200 of his own compositions songs and has a large repertoire of cover tunes.

His style comes from the influences of Tom Waits, Ry Cooder, Leo Kotke, Steve Earle, Guy Clark, Hank Williams, John Hartford, Merle Haggard, John Hiatt, Bruce Cockburn, and Leon Redbone, His jaunty guitar licks ring clear and bright from the finger picks he wears. His love of bass and bottom end gives him a solid sound, pounding and pulsating with rhythm.

This award winning songwriter is well received Nationally and Internationally. He is an endearing performer who will capture your heart at every show. He tailors his performance to the audience whether he’s playing solo, duo or with a trio. His diverse abilities have given Darren a reputation for being a very talented artist who bends and twists musical styles, creating a very cool sound that is unmistakably his own.