This is significant because it marks the one year anniversary of my decision to write and record “Traveling Salesman”. Last year, I was inspired by the community and the artistry that makes Nerfa the wonderful experience that it is. When Glen Roethel invited me to join the festivities, my musical identity was a little hazy. I had just recovered from laryngitis, and wasn’t playing a whole lot of music.

Step forward one year, and everything has changed. I have grown a wonderful circle of friends and musicians - all of us helping to support each other and grow together. I’ve got a record that I’m very happy to be out supporting, and next week I’ve got 11 Nerfa guerilla showcases scheduled; each giving me another chance to share my music with a great audience.

I’m not one to usually look forward and make plans. But, lately I’ve been really contemplative about the next steps. I’m antsy to get on the road while the record is fresh. I’d very much like to build the team of management, booking, sales and touring that enables me to take this music out to the masses. I know that, with a little road time, I can put together a great show that people will really enjoy, while I complete the follow-up to Traveling Salesman (which I’m working on now).

So thank you again to everyone who has seen me through the journey up to this point. Stick around for a while! I can’t do it without you, and things are just starting to get interesting!

Much Love!
Joe

Playlist from the show is below:

Sunday Breakfast with John Platt 10-26-08
WFUV, New York 8-11 am
90.7 FM and anytime at www.wfuv.org

Oct. 26, 2008
Featuring a conversation and studio performance with dobro virtuoso Jerry
Douglas. (Sorry for the delay.)

“Hard Times Come Again No More”, Yo Yo Ma (with James Taylor), Appalachian
Journey
“Hard Times”, Martin Sexton , Live Solo
“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”, Odetta and Dr. John, Strike a Deep Chord

“Better Things” , The Kinks , Come Dancing With the Kinks
“Better Than”, John Butler Trio, Grand National
“Better Man”, Lowen and Navarro, Learning to Fall

“Southern California”, Brian Wilson, That Lucky Old Sun
“Living in L.A.”, Julian Coryell, Rock Star
“California Dreaming”, Mamas and Papas, 16 of Their Greatest Hits

“Chicago”, Lucy Wainwright Roche, 8 More
“Chicago”, David Berkeley, After the Wrecking Ships
“City of Chicago”, Luka Bloom, Innocence

“Fortunate Son”, Todd Snider, Peace Queer
“Born in the USA”, Richard Shindell, South of Delia
“Won’t Get Fooled Again”, Richie Havens, Nobody Left to Crown

“Reflections in a Crystal Wind”, Caroline Doctorow, Another Country
“The Bold Marauder”, Eric Andersen, Waves
“Traveling Salesman”, Joe Iadanza, Traveling Salesman

“That’ll Never Happen”, Bennett Hartis, Ragged and Dirty
“Can’t Shake These Blues”, Chris Smither, Up On The Lowdown
“Cumberland Blues”, Grateful Dead, Workingman’s Dead

“From a Distance”, Julie Gold, Dream Loud
“After All of This”, Susan Werner, Live at Passim
“Hallelujah”, k.d. Lang, Hymns of the 49th Parallel

“Route Irish”, Jerry Douglas, live
“Bounce”, Jerry Douglas, Glide
“Daylight”, Alison Krauss & Union Station
“Peador O’Donnell/Little Row Row/Monkey Let The Hogs Out”, Jerry Douglas,
live
“Pushed Too Far,” Jerry Douglas, Glide

“There We Go,” Ina May Wool, Crack It Open
“So You Want to be a Rock & Roll Star”, The Byrds, Greatest Hits
“Long Way to the Top,” Lucinda Williams, Little Honey

“Requiem”, Joan Baez, Day After Tomorrow
“Dark Night of the Soul”, Kate Campbell, Save the Day

Review:
Vanuit het New Yorkse Roslyn, Long Island probeert de folk- en rockzanger en Americana-songschrijver Joe Iadanza met op persoonlijke ervaringen gebaseerde liedjes een succesvolle muzikale carrière uit te bouwen. Met een unieke sound voor ogen nam hij tien liedjes op voor een zopas officieel gereleasde debuutplaat getiteld “Traveling Salesman”. Voor de opname van deze plaat verzamelde hij enkele klassiek geschoolde muzikanten om zich heen zoals violiste Carolin Pook, bassist Craig Akin en drummer Joe Hertenstein. Samen produceren ze een mooi muzikaal geheel dat al tot volle ontplooiing komt in de titeltrack waarmee de cd van start gaat. Zelf speelt Joe Iadanza op akoestische en op elektrische gitaar waarmee hij zichzelf ook begeleidt tijdens de vele solo-optredens in bars en clubs in New York en omgeving. Onmiskenbaar aanwezig in enkele songs is de liefde voor jazz die in de sound werd verweven. “Traveling Salesman” is vooral een sfeervolle plaat geworden waarop enkele heel sterke songs zijn terug te vinden. Zo houden wij hier vooral van “Lovers In The Park” met zijn heerlijke catchy drumritme, het voor romantische zielen geschreven prachtige nummer “In My Heart” met schitterend vioolspel door Carolin Pook en van “Sunshine Blues” waarbij ik tevergeefs geprobeerd heb om mijn meewiegende voeten stil te houden. Ook het door de mooie harmony vocals tot een prachtsong uitgegroeide nummer “Your Song” en het tragische verhaal van “One More Lonesome Tune” slagen er in om bij de luisteraar gevoelens van ontroering op te wekken. Het heel mooie slotakkoord in “Rainy Day” met de slide dobro gespeeld door David Mowry van het vader-en-zoon duo ‘Beaucoup Blue’ is de spreekwoordelijke kers op de taart. In de vakpers vergelijkt men Joe Iadanza met zangers als Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, James Taylor en – volgens ons de meest treffende vergelijking – met Jim Croce. Een serie sterke liedjes, een uitstekende begeleidingsgroep en een opvallend stemgeluid, daarmee geloven wij dat Joe Iadanza het zal gaan maken in de business. (valsam)

By David Kleiner

Notice the striking (and ecological) packaging of this CD. Iadanza dedicates the record to his grandfather, Sam — a traveling salesman. Every detail reflects that this album is a labor of love. The songs bring to musical life the thoughts of the salesman as he drives from one place to another, sometimes late at night (”Night Light Lullaby”). The lyrics tend to jump like thought, from thing to thing (”And I’ve got this new pad, and you’re the first word I felt inspired to write. Hey, maybe you’re not feeling much different inside”). But the tendency toward disunity is more than offset by the consistency of the concept and the arrangements. One of Iadanza’s best moves was securing the trio “Gathering Time” to spice up the vocals (”Your Song”) and take the edge off his gritty voice. Thanks to them and Carolin Pook’s fiddle playing and arranging, many of the tunes really swing (”Lovers in the Park,” “The Barn”). Credit, as well, to Jon Castelli’s engineering for maintaining clarity throughout. As Joe the Traveling Salesman, Iadanza has surely made Sam proud.

Link directly to the original web printing of this article by clicking here.

please note: The author misinterpreted (from the album’s dedication) that my grandfather Sam was a traveling salesman. He was not - he actually was the president of the NYC cemetery workers union for many years until his retirement. The inspiration he provided was (and is) one of spiritual strength and faith in walking my path.

Here’s a sneak peak of the front of their 6-panel digipak. The thumbnail below is a little cropped around the edges, so click on the image to see the full sized cover in the lightbox. Cover photograph is by Robert Berkowitz/RSB Imageworks.

Folk/Rock Americana Singer/Songwriter
By Peter Hammarberg

His voice carries like a breeze
as he simply stands
strumming

making it all
alright

somehow

despite the day I had
despite the rude remarks
lodged into my skin
the empty, pointless
every day motions
barely making
two ends meet
like broken shoelaces

here I am

tapping my foot
with a smile
despite myself

damn it, Joe

you did it again.

Friday, Feb 6th @ 8pm
Starving Artist Cafe and Gallery
249 City Island Avenue, City Island, NY 10464
Free/Tip Jar $5 Suggested
All Ages

This has become a popular hang out and you can find many of my Tribe’s Hill comrades playing here too. Here’s a cool bit of background on this cool venue which is run by musician and music supporter Elliott Glick.

In May of 1997, Elliott Glick opened up the Starving Artist Gallery on City Island, New York. That original venue on City Island Avenue featured his own handmade jewelry, and the fine art / fine craft work of local artisans. This included handmade boxes, pottery, paintings and photographs.

In February 2004, Glick decided that there were another group of artists - music-artists - that needed a venue. A singer-songwriter himself, he wanted to create a space to provide a forum for that art form. So he kept Starving Artist on City Island and moved it down the street a block - in a space where he could have more room for tables and chairs, and for these musicians and songwriters. Since that 2004 opening, there have been hundreds of performances by songwriters, blues musicians, jazz performers. There have also been cultural and other celebrations - for Chinese New Year and Mardi Gras, of Renaissance music - as well as young musicians nights where Glick encourages teens and young adults to pursue their musical talents and dreams.

AcousticMusicScene.com, an online publication providing news and commentary for the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities, has signed on to present artists at the 62nd Street and Broadway Theater in Manhattan. WFUV is the radio sponsor.

Fellow Tribe’s Hill buddies “Gillen & Turk” will open the festivities for NYC’s first screening, which features Jakob Dylan and Minton Sparks on October 22nd.

Joe will bring in the October 29th screening of “Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet” with a 1/2 hour full band performance.

Tickets are $12 and all ages are welcome.

Check out the tour page for additional details, web links and to purchase advance tickets.

Joe Iadanza - Traveling Salesman
This album reminds me of both The Gypsy Kings and Madeline Peyroux in different ways! Even though this (male) singer songwriter is a native New Yorker there is a distinct European jazz feel to his sound. This is a set of mainly acoustic songs, that has a certain je ne sais quoi! All right - they are very French sounding. From the brushes intro of the title opening track, it is a set of songs that seem from a bygone time. The whole package is conveying a certain feel, from the monochrome photos on the C.D. cover to the arrangements themselves. Great finger picking guitar throughout, it is an atmospheric album that deserves repeated playing. (Reviewed by Steve O.)

A link to the original text is here: http://www.leicesterbangs.co.uk/oct08-4.html