Five Local Musicians Join Forces to Form Chance Taken

Five local musicians joined forces earlier this year to write some new music. By November, they released an album of 10 original songs.

As Chance Taken, vocalist Gloria Carpenter, drummer John Knighton, bassist Tony Morano, keyboardist Vin Vollero, and guitarist Joe Winkle brought their diverse backgrounds together to craft radio-friendly songs with an edge, an engaging blend they call “punched-up pop, raised on rock.” The result is the band’s first album, Poison Arrow.

The band will celebrate their new album on Saturday, Nov. 23, at the North End Firehouse, 1 70 E Lindsley Road, in Cedar Grove. The party starts and 7:30 p.m. and the concert begins around 9 p.m.

“This year has been an incredible ride,” said Cedar Grove’s Winkle. “Writing your own songs and getting them out there for people to enjoy is like nothing else.”

Chance Taken set out with a purpose, sticking to their goals along the way.

“We tossed around some ideas early in the year and got to writing and recording in earnest by February,” said Vollero, also from Cedar Grove. “Once we got started, we couldn’t stop.”

Winkle, Morano and Vollero got the ball rolling, recruiting Knighton and Carpenter in short order. The idea from the beginning was to build a fun, rocking band around a female vocalist.

“It’s funny how the universe works,” said Carpenter, who lives in Verona. “I was with another band, but not entirely satisfied with where things were going. Just as I was wondering what my next step could be, I heard from Joe. As soon as I met the guys in the band, I knew there was something special with this group. It all clicked right away.”

That kind of chemistry with a group is not always easy to come by, and the members of Chance Taken appreciate and cultivate it.

“Putting these songs together really was the definition of collaboration,” said Morano. “Bringing in our own styles and backgrounds, we led each other in musical directions and into places we wouldn’t have found on our own. The creative process was incredibly exciting.”

The members of Chance Taken are veterans of the North Jersey music scene. Vollero is the keyboardist for blues-rock band Enzo and the Bakers. Winkle and Morano spent the last several years together in rock band TrickTenza. Knighton comes to Chance Taken from a stint with a hard rock band. Carpenter actively performs and records with a variety of bands and artists.

Throughout the writing, recording, and producing of the album, the members were also taking care of the business of a band.

“The professionalism of this group is impressive,” said Knighton. “We have families, we have day jobs, but we stick to our commitments to Chance Taken, and it’s paid off with some great songs and a lot of fun.”

Carpenter added her vote of confidence in the band. “Chance Taken is unlike any other group of people I’ve worked with,” she said. “It really is my dream band!”

Follow Chance Taken on Facebook.