It’s time for our annual, end-of-season Showcase, featuring five up and coming acts. With his largely fan-funded sophomore LP, All in Good Time, Joe Iadanza has crafted an album of songs that speak for themselves with a rare eloquence. Since moving from his gulf coast hometown in Destin, Florida to Boston after Labor Day of 2009 Reed Waddle has experienced a series of career changing milestones. He most recently won the Grand Prize at the New York Songwriters Circle, and an instant thrust directly into the heart of the New York music scene. Amy Petty’s Mystery Keeps You has been described as containing songs like great paintings you want to sit in front of for a while. She is well on her way to becoming a household name. Brittany Ann, a teenage singer-songwriter, is best described as one part Joni Mitchell and one part Natalie Merchant — this college freshman has a bright future. The Brilliant Inventions is an emerging Atlanta Singer/Songwriter duo with smart lyrics, Simon and Garfunkel harmonies, and award-winning songs. In April 2009, the band independently released their first studio record, Have You Changed.

The son of Italian immigrants and union activists, this Long Island, NY native knows about the passionate struggle of the American dream. Joe Iadanza is a late bloomer whose songwriting did not become prolific until his early 30’s with the birth of his first child. “I wanted my daughter to grow up with a dad who followed his dreams.” Recalling Stevens, Cohen, and Springsteen, Joe’s music is rooted in classic folk: honest and raw, revealing a gifted scene-painter and storyteller. Joe just returned from touring the Netherlands.

In a tireless pursuit of his musical breakthrough Reed Waddle spent the last year constantly writing and performing while recording his finest work to date aptly entitled “Piece by Piece.” Joined by multi-platinum pop icon John Oates, the album was recorded mostly in Aspen, Colorado and produced by Jamie Rosenberg. Rosenberg introduced Reed’s music to Oates after an earlier recording session that was sandwiched between national college dates in Idaho and Oregon. The resulting collaboration created a stunning combination of youthful modern pop brilliance with classic rock roots. This past year’s highlight came when Reed’s song “I Saw Stars” was chosen from over 25,000 entrants as a finalist in the inaugural American Idol Songwriter competition, resulting in a publishing deal with 19 Entertainment, Idols’ management and publishing powerhouse.

Born of the DNA of Rock and Roll and heavily influenced by classical music, Amy Petty’s sound and songwriting is a compelling, complex and original soundscape that weaves a lush tapestry of folk, pop, rock and blues ballad. As the daughter of the soundman for the popular Detroit-area cover band “Stonebridge,” and surrounded by people who loved the music of Yes, Boston, Queen and The Scorpions, Amy’s ear developed both an appreciation for and an ability to create complex harmonies and layered vocals. Classically trained, Amy graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Voice Performance from Oakland University in Rochester, MI, where she received numerous awards and honors, sang lead roles in several operas. Art, mystery, and spirituality influence and infuse her poignant songs. These sonic canvases showcase the heartfelt emotion behind her lyrics and provide a foundation over which her voice and choral harmonies soar. Often compared to Sarah McLachlan, Eva Cassidy, Alanis Morrisette and Jonatha Brooke, Amy Petty has a signature voice and style both familiar and oh-so-new.

Brittany Ann is an 18-year-old singer/songwriter from Easton, Pennsylvania. A lifelong singer and folk music enthusiast, she picked up her father’s old guitar around the age of 10 and taught herself to play…and it was love. Now a freshman music therapy major at Temple University, she is taking the Philly scene by storm with her trademark ethereal melodies, intricate finger-picking, and “wise beyond her years” lyrics. Brittany has shared stages with artists such as Tom Paxton, Liz Longley, Anthony da Costa, Carsie Blanton, and Dala. She has played in many of the Northeast’s finest venues, including World Cafe Live, Godfrey Daniel’s, Musikfest, The Bitter End, Steel City Coffee, and Chaplin’s Music Cafe. In February ’09, she played a formal showcase at the International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, and in July ’09 she participated in the Winnipeg Folk Festival’s Young Performer’s Program. She is currently in the process of recording her debut album, which will be released this summer.

Longtime friends Eliot Bronson and Josh Lamkin, who both used to be solo singer/songwriters, formed a duo, The Brilliant Inventions. They were definitely better than the sum of our parts. Other people seemed to think so too. Right away, they started making fans, getting gigs, and even a date or two. In less than a year they won the Eddie’s Attic Open Mic Shootout (John Mayer won that too), and were voted Best New Local Music Act by the Atlanta Creative Loafing Readers Poll, and the manager for some of their favorite bands (Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins, Matthew Sweet, The Jayhawks) wanted to manage them. They were just named Falcon Ridge Folk Festival’s Emerging Artists of the year and will be on the main stage at the fest this summer.

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