Those who have yet to experience what it’s like to see singer-songwriter Samantha Fish, 36, are in for a treat. The Kansas City phenom rocks. Hard. Her blues is tinged with soul, Americana, funk, bluegrass and country. And to hear her for free? The annual Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival on the downtown Morristown Green is the place to be on August 16.

Leave it to Bruce and the boys to not stop their world domination for too long. You’d think it was an audience from down the shore if you saw how Euro crowds just love this band. These dates represent their only shows of 2025. Over 700,000 fans are expected in these six countries, on a seemingly never-ending world tour that started in February of 2023 when they hit the road for the first time in six years.

It’s the 1960s. You’re at The Copa. Bobby Darin is doing what he was born to do. The Circle In The Square Theater is filled with swinging brass on songs that are part of our DNA (if you’re a certain age). When Gracie Lawrence—in her first Broadway role—sings “Who’s Sorry Now” as Connie Francis, you could see why Darin fell in love with her. But Connie’s dad refused for his daughter to take up with a show biz ruffian like Darin, even pulling out his gun at one point. The romance was short-lived. And Connie sorta disappears until the end.  But Jonathan Groff is stunningly spectacular as Darin. The two share a lust to be on a stage.

On July 12 and 13, for the 20^th time in 22 years, Memorial Park on Valley Street in Maplewood will turn into Maplewoodstock from noon to 10:00 p.m. And it’s free. You can be like the dancing dude in the video below. Looks like fun, what with wall-to-wall bands, 50 art vendors, 20 food venders, a Beer Garden, a Kid Zone and more.

One of the seven complete never-before-released albums due June 27 in Tracks II, the mammoth Sony Music Bruce box, is a soundtrack he wrote and recorded for a movie that never got released, the title track of which, “Faithless,” is a somber meditative haunting slice of folk-pop (hear it below).

Michael Arnone’s 32^nd annual Crawfish Fest will bring Louisiana to New Jersey again on May 30, May 31 and June 1 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, starring Galactic featuring Jelly Joseph, George Porter, Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Terrance Simien and The Zydeco Experience, Marcia Ball, Southern Avenue, Stanton Moore, Bonerama, Rockin’ Dopsie, Corey Harris, Carolyn Wonderland, Eddie 9V, Amis Du Teche, United By Music USA, Ocean Avenue Stompers, Uncle Shoehorns Big Easy, Frenchy, Maggie Koerner, Johnny Sketch & His Dirty Notes and Cold Hill.

Montclair Bassist-Composer-Educator Christian McBride has won eight Grammy Awards. His appearance in The Jersey Sound documentary cements his rep as a man for all seasons. Now he holds down the bottom for Chicago alto saxophonist Sharel Cassity on her brilliant new record for the Sunnyside label.

It’s free, walkable and radical. Imagine a music festival where artists perform on people’s front porches at house after house. The concept of the front porch as musical stage will transpire in Montclair, Essex County, May 17.

Maybe he’ll bring his guitar. The Wentworth Gallery of Essex County in Short Hills will host British singer-songwriter-painter-raconteur Elvis Costello, 70, as he debuts his collection of fine art tomorrow, May 3, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The 12^th annual Jersey City Jazz Festival—with both free and ticketed shows—will take place May 30 and 31 on the Hudson River waterfront with its three stages, a “community zone,” food trucks, bars, a “V.I.P. Experience” and a parade. There are also events scheduled on May 27, 28 & 29 in anticipation of the weekend’s festivities.

Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla has announced May 18 as the date for the annual free Hoboken Arts and Music Festival. In a prepared release, the Mayor stipulated “we are excited to welcome Brenda K. Starr, an internationally renowned artist, to headline this year’s festival and bring her incredible talent to the city.

Much has been made in this space about the Paterson Vivino Brothers Jimmy and “Uncle” Floyd. Their brother Jerry Vivino, though, plays a mighty sax. He appears in The Jersey Sound documentary and tomorrow night will be blowing long and strong in Bethel, Connecticut, at La Zingara with his quintet.

As part of the 2025 Ross Farm Music Series on North Maple Avenue in Basking Ridge, Ross Farm Jazz happens May 17 from 2:00 in the afternoon to 8:00 at night with funky West Orange guitar player Dave Stryker who made a batch of new fans when he opened for Steely Dan last year.

Wiggins Park will rock long and loud September 19, 20  & 21 when the 32^nd Annual XPoNential Music Festival takes over Camden this year. Between the two stages, plus a children’s area for various activities, and the multiple food and drink vendors, this prime event that Philadelphia radio station WXPN presents every year promises, again, to be a doozy.

There’s an art gallery on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair called The Space Gallery. Its Director, Naz Botas, has instituted a new live music series—heavy on worldbeat—called “The Space For Music” which debuted last Saturday with percussionist-composer-educator April Centrone and her Neesan ensemble performing psychedelic versions of folk-rock from Lyria, Israel and Lebanon.

As previously reported, the Box Of The Year comes June 27 when Tracks II: The Lost Albums will contain seven complete never-before-heard Springsteen albums in one massive package. One of the albums is the highly anticipated 10-track Streets Of Philadelphia Sessions.

The 60 nominees in six categories for the 2025 New Jersey Hall of Fame induction ceremony later this year have been announced. You can vote as of now by using the link below (which contains capsule biographies on all 60.) You have until April 15.

The year was 1956. Roosevelt Stadium at Droyer’s Point in Jersey City was a minor-league baseball park open since 1937. It was torn down in 1985 to make room for the Society Hill housing development. Before that, it hosted hundreds of great rock concerts by the likes of Alice Cooper, Rod Stewart, J. Geils Band, Kinks, Santana, Joe Cocker, Allman Brothers, ELP, Eagles, Yes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Doobies, Kiss, Bob Seger and dozens more. Then came the infamous press conference by Jersey City Mayor Bernie Berry and Commissioner Larence A.

German label Ear Music has re-mastered and will re-release Revolutions Per Minute, the fifth album from Skid Row (originally from Toms River in Ocean County) on May 30.

Jem Records will release The Shroud of Touring: Live in 1985 on CD May 23. Recorded at The Tradewinds in Sea Bright, this sole Bongos live album was originally intended for an RCA Memorial Day ’85 release but has somehow remained unreleased until now.