Rootstime.de “Traveling Salesman” Review Finally Translated!

August 3rd, 2009

Well, I think it was worth the wait… Carolin’s friend translated this Dutch review of Traveling Salesman by Rootstime.de and so, without further delay, here it is:

Joe Iadanza: Traveling Salesman

From Roslyn, New York, Long Island folk- and rocksinger and Americana-songwriter Joe Iadanza tries to build a succesfull career with songs based on his personal experiences. With a unique sound in mind he recorded ten songs for a recently officially released debut-record called ”Traveling Salesman”.

For the recording of this album he gathered a few classically trained musicians around him such as violinist Carolin Pook, bassist Craig Akin and drummer Joe Hertenstein.Together they produce a beautiful musical unity that already fully unfolds in the titeltrack that opens the cd.

Joe Iadanza himself plays acoustic and electric guitar on which he also accompanies himself during many of his solo-concerts in bars and clubs in New York and around. Unmistakably present in some songs is the love for jazz that’s woven into the sound.

Most of all ”Traveling Salesman” is a pleasant record on which we can find some very strong songs. We were mostly taken by ”Lovers In The Park” with it’s wonderful catchy drumbeat, the beautiful track ”In My Heart” written for romantic souls which has some marvellous playing on the violin by Carolin Pook and ”Sunshine Blues” to which I’ve tried without succes not to move my feet.

Other songs that also manage to move the heart of the listener are the beauty song ”Your Song” that is enriched with beautiful harmony vocals, and the tragic story of ”One More Lonesome Tune”. The very nice final chord in ”Rainy Day” that is played on the slide dobro by David Mowry from the father and son duo ”Beacoup Blue” are the so the speak cherry on top of the pie.

In the press Joe Iadanza is compared with singers like Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, James Taylor and -the for us most striking comparison- with Jim Croce. A serie of strong songs, a magnificent backing band and a striking voice, many reasons for us to believe that Joe Iadanza will make it in this business.
(valsam)