Allison Tartalia's powerful and expressive performances have a way of charming audiences. The secret weapons: fearless honesty, a quirky sense of humor and a flair for writing songs that are at once unpredictable and unforgettable.

Audiences have taken notice at clubs, colleges and festivals around the country. This versatile artist keeps listeners enthralled whether she's baring her soul on the candid ballad "Advent of You," grooving to Middle Eastern rhythms on "Let It Go," or just sharing a funny tale from her life between songs.

A classically trained pianist and self-taught guitar player with a degree in theatre, Allison draws upon diverse influences to create her eclectic brand of jazz-infused acoustic pop. Her debut CD, "Ready," was enthusiastically greeted by critics, and tracks from the album receive airplay on college and independent radio stations from coast to coast. Recently, Allison's "Spinning Song" won second place in the Indiegrrl Song Writing Contest, and other tunes have been recognized by the Billboard and John Lennon Songwriting Contests.

2007 saw Allison's first foray into musical theatre as composer and arranger. 1918: A House Divided, (book and lyrics by award-winning playwright Barbaras Kahn) was produced by the Pulitzer Prize-winning community cultural center, Theater for the New City, in April 2007. An original cast recording will be released in March 2008. 2008 promises to be equally busy for Tartalia, who frequently accompanies other artists as a keyboardist and vocalist both on stage and in the studio. Allison performs as a singer with Petra Haden and the Sellouts and can be heard playing piano on recordings by Kirstin Williams, Meg Braun, Sharon Goldman, and others. Tartalia is also at work on her sophomore CD, slated for release later this year.