Cheryl Arena grew up in the Boston area. She loved music from an early age and played several instruments before settling on the harmonica as her main focus, which she has been playing since 1987. She spent the first few years honing her skills on harp sitting in the drivers seat of a limousine, on the job, while waiting for clients. In 1989 she started and hosted a bluesjam of her own in the south end of Boston at Wally's Café which thrived every Monday night for 3 years. Wally's Café is a notable venue located near Symphony Hall and Berklee School of Music featuring jazz every night since the 40's until Cheryl brought the blues in on Mondays. During this period, she met and teamed up with guitarist/vocalist Matt Woodburn. In 1992, Cheryl and Matt formed the Woodburn/Arena band, left Wally's and hit the road. The band has toured extensively up and down the East Coast and parts of the South.

Cheryl's outgoing nature and love for variety brought her the opportunity to start the "Downtown Blues Review" in 1995 which was held every Tuesday night in Boston's Fanueil Hall Marketplace (for 5 years). The night consisted of a 7 piece band that Cheryl put together every week featuring different regional players from the New England blues scene. It was an improvisational variety show of sorts. Some of her guests have included members of the Love Dogs, Toni Lynn Washington, Susan Tedeschi, Mike Welch, James Montgomery, Michelle Willson, Gordon Beadle, and many many more.

The Woodburn/Arena band has two self-produced cds to their credit. The first 12 song all original recording is entitled Time Keeps Rollin and was released in 1996; the second recording, Juke Joint, was released in 1999 with 13 tunes covering a wide spectrum of blues. Both cds were reviewed nationally and internationally with high praise.

Cheryl has had the opportunity to share the stage with blues greats such as Jr. Wells, Johnny Clyde Copeland, R.L. Burnside, Honeyboy Edwards, Sonny Rhodes, Pinetop Perkins, Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson, Johnny Rawls, Big Jack Johnson, Kenny Neal, Bob Margolin, Duke Robillard, Ronnie Earl, Billy Branch, James Montgomery, Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King, Andrew “Jr. Boy” Jones, Buddy Miles, Rock Bottom, Janiva Magness, Debbie Davis, Ann Rabson and Sam Myers.

In 2001, Cheryl formed her own band, calling it the Cheryl Arena Band. Her new cd Blues Got Me was produced by Duke Robillard who also makes a guest appearance on 2 tracks. The cd consists of 13 tracks, 7 of which were written by Cheryl. The cd features a stellar group of outstanding musicians including Duke Robillard on guitar, Matt Woodburn on guitar, Ted Bukowski on bass, Mike Dunford on drums, Mark Texaira on drums, Matt McCabe on piano, Gordon Beadle on tenor sax, Scott Shetler on Baritone sax, Scott Aruda on trumpet and Cheryl Arena on vocals and harmonica.

On the 1st track, “Blow My Blues Away,” Cheryl expresses her desire to move south of the Mason Dixon line–well she’s recently realized that dream and relocated to Dallas, Texas.

Information from the band's site

Musicians

• Cheryl Arena: harmonica, lead vocals, vocals

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