"[A] singer/songwriter, country style, with added depth. What has turned people on to the music of our past is the simplicity, honesty and soul. Alkalay ...has all of these and this is what makes [him] so good... a down-home, organic creation that is real and heartfelt."
--Scott Homewood, www.freighttrainboogie.com, Santa Rosa, CA, July 2002

"Ed Alkalay writes and performs music from the heart and is full of depth and ... shining musical moments."
--Bill Samaras, Noisezone Reviews, Milan, IL, July 2002

"Every so often I find myself championing the cause of an artist or album I would not normally expect myself to like. This fuels my underdog fires even more because I realize that if I can be swayed, perhaps another jaded music lover like myself can be persuaded to see the light as well. Such if the case with [Alkalay¹s CD] Turning Dorian Gray.... Alkalay invests more narrative into each song than I thought possible, forcing me to check the runtime of almost every track, unwilling to believe that the story I just heard could have been told so economically and yet with such detail. The best painters never waste a stroke, the best directors never waste a scene, and Ed Alkalay¹s way with words places him in the upper echelon of modern bards."
--Justin Kownacki, www.Splendidezine.com, Downers Grove, IL, June 8, 2002

"Is it folk? Is it country? Blues, maybe? Or bluegrass? Is it alternative? Your guess is as good as mine. The only thing for sure is that Ed Alkalay is turning ... the D.C. scene red hot with his cool lyrics and powerful voice.... Each song paints a vivid picture of someone we love, someone we hate, someone we want to be, or someone we are.... masterfully written short stories..."
-- Chaz Topher, www.LeftOfftheDial.com, Mid- Atlantic, May 2002

"... a classic Americana sound that is so refreshing that it makes you wonder where this music has been hiding.... very good music with lyrics that are burning with deep and raw emotion. To me, that's real music.
-- Michael Allison, www.musicdish.com, April 18, 2002

"... a very polished musician.... All [his] songs ... have a personality of their own."
-- Shannon Taylor, Nefarious Entertainment Magazine, June 2002

"While not the incarnation of Bob Dylan, [Alkalay's] approach seems ... in line with the early and later day legend, moving subtly from genre to genre without changing ... cohesiveness."
-- Jason MacNeil, FM SOUND,Volume 3, No. 10, May 05/15/02

"Alkalay writes songs with a strong sense of craft and direction, and his playing style is similarly muscular."
--Jon Worley, Aiding & Abetting, Durham, NC, May 2, 2002

Alkalay "proves that one can still identify and blend the best elements of multiple musical sources and still come up with something new.... [Alkalay is] a man who sincerely enjoys and respects both words and music... pay attention to Ed Alkalay, listen, learn and hope."
-- Arthur Shuey, The Word on the Street, Wilmington, Delaware, April, 2002

"Ed Alkalay is a very talented, gifted songwriter .... [His] range is interesting from folk to country to blues - he shines in any venue .... Alkalay's career is on course. If he continues to produce such powerful lyrics and songs, his musical future looks like it is charted for success"
-- Monika Taylor, Recreation News, Washington, DC, March 2002

Ed Alkalay's "songs find a middle ground between the intelligent introspections of Chris Smither and the grittier storytelling of Greg Brown .... His songs tell concise but compelling stories with well-drawn, believable characters."
-- Mark Deming, All Music Guide, December 2001

"... sings with a voice that could melt away the snows like an April sunshine.... a mainstay on the roots/folk scene."
-- Tim Connolly, Long Island Music Scene, Long Island, New York, April 2002

"... a bottomless vocal range"
-- www.RoyalJam.com, Lehighton, PA, March 2002

"A Singer-Songwriter with a John Gorka voice."
-- The Patent Weekend Trader Weekend, Cross River, New York

"One of the finest new singer-songwriters .... His songs do not moralize or romanticize, but rather relate a story or feeling to which a listener must bring his or her own experience."
--Fast Folk Music Musical Magazine (Volume 8, Number 4), New York, NY

"A deep and powerful baritone voice."
-- Encore Books, Evenings of Live Music, White Plains, NY

"Ed's performance conquered Stony Brook, captured them alive. He is very good at what he does do.... It was a thrill to hear his music."
-- Kenneth Churchill, W.U.S.B., 90.1 F.M., Stony Brook, NY

Ed's "songs stand very well on their own ... without the need for over-production that so many songwriters seem to need these days .... Ed's writing is very strong, his voice warm and enjoyable to listen to, and his guitar and banjo playing are fine and polished.... Ed's songs truly touched me ... they deserve to be heard and circulated."
--Rick Spencer, Mystic Seaport Music Festival, Mystic, CT

"Ed plays and sings with confidence and commitment. The essence of his song writing is very strong."
-- Dan Berggren, Sleeping Giant Records, Fredonia, NY

"Ed has a great voice and writes great songs. But most of all, he is a real man. Only real men play the banjo."
--Monty Delaney, Southsound Coffeehouse, New Rochelle, NY

"Ed's songs are wonderful. Some are touching, others are humorous. His song writing and instrumental ability make for a fantastic show."
-- Mary Grace, Centerfold Coffeehouse, New York, NY

If you'd like to be on my email list for gig updates, CD releases, and fun facts about Ed, drop me a line: edalkalay@yahoo.com

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