What is it about Asbury Park, NJ? Is there something in the water? Is it the salt air? Could it be the atmosphere? Well, whatever it is, I'm certainly not complaining. This because I've had the pleasure of interviewing some of the finest talent from the area, and MELISSA CHILL is no exception!

This fabulously talented singer/songwriter encompasses everything that's right with the Jersey Shore music scene. A tireless performer, she's currently in the studio working on a new CD that's scheduled for release in the near future. By day, she is the owner of a children's music franchise, "Aardvarks And Other Mammals" (www.missmelissasaardvarks.com), which exposes young children to music. By night, a full gig schedule and several charities occupy her time.

Influenced by Stevie Nicks, her originals have "mystical," emotional undertones and themes. In her sexy, melodic, yet (at times) edgy vocals, you can hear the Nicks' influence. CHILL's very tasteful use of vibrato, which I like more than Nicks', is incredibly complimentary to her style. She knows where and when to use it and does so very effectively. There's no overkill; her lyrics and vocal styling are like a good book, you can't wait to see what's coming next so once you start listening you'll not want to put it down.

Recently, at the Paramount Theater, she performed at the "Light Of Day Benefit Concert," a charity which benefits Parkinson's Disease, where she joined local performers as well as Bruce Springsteen on stage. That's correct, she recently jammed with "The Boss."

This past holiday season, she also played along with Rob Thomas and Jason Mraz at a WPLJ charity event for "Holiday Express," an organization that brings music to those less fortunate. So CHILL is no stranger to some major talent, as well as helping others with hers.

As I stated earlier, she's currently working on a CD, where she's utilizing some of the most talented people that the Jersey shore has to offer. She is also working on putting together a band to back her on stage as she readily admits that she prefers "just singing" as opposed to playing guitar and singing. CHILL feels strongly that she can put on a much better show, and relate to her audience on a different level, when she can concentrate solely on being a vocalist.

I'm not sure what it is about Asbury Park, but if it continues to churn out the Melissa Chills of the music industry, then I'm one lucky radio show host. To find out more about MELISSA CHILL, or contact her, you may do so at www.melissachill.com.

This Sunday, Spotswood, NJ songwriter MIKE MONTREY (www.mikemontrey.com) joins me at 10pm EST on ROCK ON RADIO. This talented guitarist has done some major touring.

Turn on... tune in... and ROCK ON!

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