In Her Own Words

Sussex County-Wendie's Words and the Wunderboys (www.wendieswords.com) will appear at 10 p.m., Friday, Aug. 27 at Krogh's Restaurant. The band is fronted by Sparta native Wendie Wells, a great-granddaughter and granddaughter of Krogh's founders Frede, Louise and Ken Krogh. Wendie, 2003 Asbury Park Poet Laureate nominee, performs various styles of poetry with original musical accompaniment supplied by the Wunderboys. Her dynamic messages are delivered with music ranging from rock, to blues, to jazz or even bluegrass. The Wunderboys are the collective motion of music moving Wendie's words. Originally a four-piece band, this group has evolved into an eclectic seven-piece. Rob Goetz, the guitarist, is the main musical composer. A singer and songwriter himself, he arranges the music to accompany poetry perfectly, contributes remarkable solos, and his talent is amplified as he also plays bass, saxophone, mandolin, and noodles with the banjo. During full night shows Rob's own lyrically-driven songs are also featured within the sets. Dan Pompei lays down a cool percussive groove providing poetry's motion lotion. "J.B." Gunter blows the bottom out on harp and shares a luscious layer of guttural emotion. Bill Todd, also a Sparta native and co-graduate of Wendie's Sparta High Class of 1985, tickles the keys adding a juicy layer from the bottom end up and supplies notable, sweet solos. Frank Grappa intrigues the audience with his homemade stand-up bass and it's rhythms. The seventh member, the most recent addition on drums, is Bert Weg. Bert joins Wendie's Words and the Wunderboys after serving for three years and strikes devoted beats to arrangements meant to serve a meaningful meal to the ear. Wendie Wells, born and raised in Sparta, has been writing her observations and thoughts as poetry for over 25 years. She currently resides in Sussex County and regularly performs her poetry t