Eye2Eye | Biographies

Carl Alleyne-Vocalist & Dancer

A native Bostonian, Carl has spent over 16 years performing around the New England area.  Before he joined Eye 2 Eye, he was a vocalist in the a cappella group Casual Male. He is also an accomplished dancer and choreographer and has worked with choreographers from The Boston Ballet and Jeanette Neil Dance Studio. His talents have enabled him to open up for many great artists such as Gladys Knight, the late Ray Charles, the O’Jays, and the Wu-Tang Clan.  He has performed as a back up dancer for Neil Young and can be seen in Heather Schmidt’s video “No More Passion”.  He also was the founder and director of the Urban Dance Agency, TTE:Triiiplethreat Entertainment, which was so successful that it was recently bought out by a national agency.

Penni Layne Vocalist

A Berklee College of Music graduate, Penni has had countless opportunities singing at every major venue in the New England area such as the Charles River Hatch shell, the Wang Center and the TD Banknorth Center. She has also performed all over the west coast, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, giving her the experience of a seasoned vocalist. Penni has participated in multiple recording projects, served as a producer for local artists, taught privately for over 6 years and lead her own jazz ensemble. Seeking to continue to grow as a musician, she has also begun song writing. Currently, she is not only working with Eye 2 Eye but is also the lead vocalist of First Take, a Boston area jazz group that released its first CD in 2005.

Larry Jackson-Bassist, Vocals & Band Leader

Since his arrival to New England from Las Vegas in 1983, Larry has been nonstop on the Boston music scene. He graduated Berklee College in 1986 with a degree in Jazz Composition and Arranging; and was awarded the John Dankworth Scholarship. He brings a wealth of experience to Eye2Eye having performed with national as well as local artists.  His recording credits span a variety of musical genres and artists, as well as being a producer, arranger and editor. HIs other musical endeavors include owning a DJ company, Upside Entertainment, and an independent record label, Upside Records.

Jaime Galarza-Percussionist & Dancer

Born in NYC, Jaime first started playing congas on park benches at Coney Island on the weekends. Predominately self-taught, he has been playing percussion for over fourteen years.  He started dancing and working as a DJ over 20 years ago performing in various venues such as Madison Square Garden. His “side” job is as a firefighter for 18 years and currently works on the Boston Fire Department’s HazMat Team.   

Damon Carter-Keyboards, Vocals & Musical Director

Originally a classically trained pianist, Damon earned his Bachelors degree from Berklee College of Music.  He has become one of the most versatile musicians in the Boston area and has also had opportunity to tour parts of North America and Europe.  His many talents also include song writing and music production. His latest achievement was being signed to Sony Publishing as a songwriter.  Since then, Damon has written for various artists such as The Backstreet Boys, Queen Latifah, Lisa Lisa, and Cher. In addition to performing and song writing, Damon has been a music educator in the Boston area for 14 years, teaching piano and voice. In 2006 Damon released his first solo CD entitled This Party.

Johan Narsjo-Guitarist

Born and raised in Sweden, Johan started playing guitar at the age of 10. He formed his first band two years later. At this point, Johan found himself touring with musicians of differing musical styles from classic rock, Top 40, and jazz, including Motown recording artists, The Marvelettes. He also performed for musical theater productions, such as “Hair” and “Little Shop of Horrors”. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 1996, Johan worked as a staff musician for Royal Caribbean Cruises, spanning Miami, Europe and the Caribbean. Currently, he works locally in the New England area as studio-musician and leader of original projects.

Aaron Belyea -saxophone, vocals & percussion

Aaron is the “multi” instrumentalist of the band. He has been a professional musician around the New England area for 17 years on his main instrument, sax. He also plays guitar, bass, percussion, and sings. He has worked in swing orchestras and funk hip hop bands and played in countless venues around New England. He is also a DJ with Upside Entertainment and owns in his own musical instrument repair business.

Steve Bankuti - drums

Steve is a 1986 Berklee College graduate and has been a professional drummer and drum instructor ever since. He toured extensively with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and performed with a variety of singers including Mel Torme, Maureen McGovern, Jack Jones, and
Eddie Fisher. Shortly after this extended stint with many of yesterday's stars, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue its more contemporary musical offerings. While living in Los Angeles, Steve became busy in the recording studios playing on jingles for Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Virginia Slims, American Savings Bank, and on TV shows such as Beverly Hills 90210, Step By Step, and Sweet
Justice. Keeping a busy performance schedule as well, he recorded and toured with BMG Records pop group Maggie's Farm, IRS recording artist Valentine's Revenge, R & B singing sensation and former front man for Tower Of Power, Ellis Hall, and many other Rock and Jazz groups. In 1997, Steve moved back to Massachusetts where he has been keeping a very busy performance schedule. He plays every Thursday evening at the popular Boston nightclub, Lucky's, and on occasional Sunday's at The Grog in Newburyport.