Congratulations to the following 2007 Singer-Songwriter Showcase winners:

Arlington Priest

With Rhett McAllister playing acoustic guitar and singing and Jill McAllister providing the vocal talent, Arlington Priest has been establishing their identity for the past three years.  Using their harmonies, evocative lyrics, and a bare bones sincere presentation, Arlington Priest stand with their roots planted firmly in contemporary folk, while swaggering through a glorious mixture of acoustic rock, alt-country, and pop to land squarely in the fields of Americana.  Having established themselves as a talented powerhouse in Atlanta and all over the Southeast, Arlington Priest is getting ready for the release of their first studio album, The Memory of Your Company. [http://www.arlingtonpriest.com]

Jan Bell and the Cheap Dates

Though born in a coal-mining town in Yorkshire, England, Jan Bell pays homage to American musical idioms through her own takes on traditional country, folk, old time, and blues music, as well as through her own original songs. After some time teaching storytelling and touring folk festivals, Jan returned to New York City, staged the Urban Cowgirl Cabaret and soon founded a collective called Little Red Hen Music to support itinerant folk musicians.  Jan has won accolades for her original songs and performances, and she has even been given the opportunity to write and perform her own music to lyrics from the Woody Guthrie Archives.  [http://www.myspace.com/janbell]

Chris Elliot

Chris Elliott is a performing singer/songwriter based in Boston, MA.  His latest CD, Satellite, UFO, Jet Plane or Star, features 14 original songs about love, war, death, high school, food service jobs, heavy metal, America, and more.  Growing up an only child in Binghamton, New York, Chris combines influences from rock, pop, and traditional folk, aiming for a timeless sound powered by driving guitar, catchy hooks, and vivid lyrics. Chris also performs and records with Lisa Austin as the duo Austin and Elliott, whose harmonies range from the beautiful to the bracing.  Their newest mini-CD, produced by Lorne Entress, features five original compositions about love gone right and love gone horribly wrong. [http://www.chriselliot.org]

Patrick Fitzsimmons

As a young boy, Patrick loved the singer/songwriters of the ’70’s.  Drawn to the works of such artists as Cat Stevens, Paul Simon & Gordon Lightfoot, he admired songs that were not only catchy, but also very well written.  After From Good Homes, a New Jersey based folk/rock band, broke up in 2000, Patrick moved to Vermont and began his solo career.  Patrick has just released his fourth CD, LIVE: The Birthday Shows, which was recorded at his annual birthday concerts with a full ensemble, including cello, violin, upright bass, percussion and piano.   [http://www.patrickfitzsimmons.net]

Pat Guadagno

Pat Guadagno, a Jersey Shore music scene veteran, has received international honors for his talented guitar playing.  Mr. Guadagno’s music can be heard on AAA radio stations across the nation and has recently been added to radio play lists in Canada.  Also, recognized internationally, he is one of 16 guitarists invited to perform at the upcoming International Guitar Festival in Zihuatanejo, Mexico.  He has shared the stage with such music legends as B.B King, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Paul Butterfield.  Resisting categorization, the self proclaimed “folkie” has performed with Rick Danko, Roger McGuinn, and Richard Thompson as well as Christian Rocker Steven Curtis Chapman.   [http://www.patguadagno.com]

Dave Murphy

With an honesty, hard-earned wisdom, and sense of humor befitting a folk singer from New Jersey, this Montclair native's music has a one of a kind sound.  Dave Murphy strives to expose deeper truths, often from unexpected angles, through his own blend of Americana, folk rock, and country.  His intelligent lyrics and compelling melodies have earned him performances at hundreds of venues and many folk festivals across the country.  Dave Murphy has released three solo albums, including Chasing Ghosts which spent twelve weeks on the Top 35 Folk Airplay Charts in 2003.  [http://www.myspace.com/davemurphy]