Allison's Invention

As a singer-songwriter, I accompany myself primarily on piano, guitar and ukulele.

I have a repertoire of original songs, but can also include cover songs, and can shift the proportion of original vs. cover material, as needed, depending upon the nature of your event.

Allison's Invention is a music project by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Allison Tartalia. Tartalia's expressive and melodic songs, performed on piano, ukulele, guitar and kalimba, combine elements of pop, folk, rock and theatre. An Emmy-nominated composer, Allison has shared a stage with the likes of Lelia Broussard, Petra Haden, Rachael Sage and Fred Armisen. Allison is an engaging performer whose shows captivate audiences at clubs, colleges, festivals, and private events around the country.

PRESS:

"Allison Tartalia (pictured) distinguishes herself for a slightly aggressive songwriting edge and for sophisticated arrangements that range from the orchestral to the electronic." - The Deli Magazine

". . . a singer with a sultry voice. . ." - The New York Times

"Wonder of wonders, this native New Yorker's debut CD sounds legitimately more jazzy than folky--smack-dab in the Laura Nyro/Ricki Lee Jones/Sophie B. Hawkins lineage, complete with sax solos warm enough for Baker Street..." - The Village Voice

"Allison Tartalia doesn’t fit comfortably in any particular genre and that’s fine with her. She’s translated her Classical piano training into a cohesive style that incorporates Chamber Pop, Folk, Pop and Jazz, and transcends the typical constraints of the singer/songwriter classification...Whatever inner beat you groove to, Allison Tartalia will find a way to tap into it and win your love in the bargain. Dig it: Tori Amos and Rickie Lee Jones play Keith Emerson's spinning piano at a Laura Nyro tribute while Kate Bush and Rufus Wainwright make shadow puppets underneath." - Cincinnati City Beat

"The greater music [industry] may be continuing to founder, but that's not stopping great from music from being made. Allison Tartalia's Sweet and Vicious is proof of that. It gives me hope for the future." - Something Else Reviews

"Trying to pin down Emmy-nominee Allison Tartalia to one genre is like trying to capture a single atom in your hand. A self-trained guitar player and classically-trained pianist, she has composed for musicals and accompanied others as a singer and keyboardist. As a solo artist, she has been known to fuse jazz, rock, folk and more — sometimes all within the same song. She is brutally honest about her life; her songs, thematically similar to Aimee Mann's, are downtrodden yet still possess a sardonic wit. You may just get to know her a little better — she has been known to tell stories from her life between songs — while you watch her bare her soul onstage." - Beacon Pass

"The label "singer-songwriter" doesn't fully grasp Allison Tartalia's worldly sound. It's not just guitars and emotional lyrics here. You'll hear a full range of eclectic noise during Tartalia's set at Chicks Rockfest this weekend - jazzy piano, rich percussion and clever lyrics delivered in the singer's commanding voice. Singer-songwriters are always more interesting when they add something extra - and Tartalia's got plenty of extras in her diverse sound." - CinWeekly

Colleges:
Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
University of Wisconsin - Parkside (WI)
Ramapo College (NJ)
Scripps College (CA)

Festivals:
Solarfest (VT)
CT Folk Festival (CT)
Cape May Singer-Songwriter (NJ)
Midpoint Music Festival (OH)
SXSW (TX)
SXSAustin (TX)
Lower East Side Arts Festival (NY)
Tinderbox Music Festival (NY)
Black Potatoe Music Festival (NJ)
Huntington Folk Festival (NY)
Dewey Beach Music Conference and Festival (DE)
Millenium Music Conference (PA)

-2 Vocal Mics
-Piano or DI for Digital Piano (I will provide the digital piano)
-At least one additional DI for guitar or ukulele