Brookdale 9-11 Benefit Wrap-up
from page 5

Spike Priggen, Chrisie Santoni and New Family, Val Emmich, Mimi Cross, Steve Conte from Crown Jewels, Kevin Salem, David Poe and headlining the night, Marshall Crenshaw. Here are a few quick reviews on some of what I saw that night…        The 3 p.m. show started off with Jill Sobule. The singer/songwriter who brought us the hit ‘I Kissed A Girl’ made her return to the Brookdale Performing Arts Center for the 9-11 Relief Fund Benefit Concert and proves that she’s not just about one song. Taking the stage with her Vagabond guitar, her 45 minute set included songs ‘Karen By Night’, ‘Lucy At The Gym’ and one of my own personal favorites, from her 1997 album ‘Happy Town’; ‘Bitter’.
   One artist who I didn’t know too much about before his set was John Carlin… after a set that brought his sound of early-morning-hours-inside-a-jazz/blues-club music accompanied with a voice that blended both together perfectly there was much about his music I wanted to find out about. He had a soft-spoken delivery that made me think of the late Jeff Buckley and for those of you who want to find out about him you can listen to some sample songs and look for upcoming gigs by getting yourselves over to his site: http://www.johncarlinmusic.com ... check it out, you’ll be glad you did..

Chrisie Santoni and New Family

   Chrisie Santoni has been playing the circuit for years from Georgia to Maryland to New York and New Jersey and with her New Family Band backing her up it’s clear that she and her songs will be around for quite a while too. Her voice has been compared by some with the likes of Janis Joplin and Ricki Lee Jones but from what I heard it’s all her own and the
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Zyris at the Pony

from page 3

Vocalist and Frontman Johnny I. provided the flamboyant antics reminiscent of Vince Neil, David Lee Roth, and Sebastian Bach. His vocals can be both passionate, like on "Should Have Told You," and raucous, like on "Whiskey Mind." Rounding out the lineup are bassist Paul Krason and drummer Scott Skocypec(complete with gong).

It is this dynamic lineup that you can hear on the band's new self-titled album. This is a band that truly shows that people are capable of rocking and having a good time. So see 'em next time around!!! For future show information check out the band's website http://www.zyrisonline.com

Dave Gorsky

Kasim Sulton
from page 6

 Street Café in Bound Brook. He apologized for his “scratchy” voice, but I couldn’t detect any flaws. His songs were tight and well-played, and his voice was clear and strong. His experience in the business showed, especially in his ease with the audience. Even if his performance had been less than perfect, the audience would still have left happy. He knows how to make people laugh, to relax and enjoy themselves.
   Three musicians opened for
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