Legendary Montclair bassist-composer-arranger-educator Christian McBride, in his capacity as the New Jersey Performing Arts Center Jazz Advisor, has announced the lineup for the 12th annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival, to be held in November at NJPAC and other Newark locations from the third to the 19th.

The sounds of Zydeco, Mambo and more will fill Washington Street between Newark Street and Observer Highway (with a second stage on Washington between Sixth and Seventh) in Hoboken this Sunday October 1 at the free Hoboken Arts & Music Festival from 12:15 to 6pm.

Circle the dates. On September 16 and 17, the fifth annual Sea.Hear.Now Festival will take place on three stages in Asbury Park on the beach with The Killers, Foo Fighters, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, The Beach Boys, Living Color, Sheryl Crow, Greta Van Fleet, Weezer and Quincy Mumford amongst the performing artists.

Three nights a week. Every week of the summer. Outdoors. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays will be filled with free music. The Wednesday series, besides listed acts, will have opening sets by bands from the Lakehouse Music Academy. The Thursday series, featuring the Asbury Park Concert Band, in its 78th season, will perform all summer at 7:00 in the Fifth Avenue Pavilion’s bandshell.

The Camden County FREE 2023 Summer Parks Concert Series will inhabit 2,700+ acres of total greenery at Wiggins Waterfront Park in Camden, the McLaughlin Norcross Memorial Dell at Haddon Lake Park in Haddon Heights and Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, all with nationally known acts.

The 18th annual FREE Maplewoodstock Music & Art Festival takes place this year July 8 and 9 in Memorial Park, across from the Maplewood train station. With 20 bands, 50 art venders, a beer garden and a kid zone.

Whether it was the complaints from fans or the demand for refunds, New Jersey’s most celebrated music festival has pulled the plug just days before it was to begin.

Keyboardist Joe McGinty and his merry band of New York City rockers called The Loser’s Lounge will headline the free Hoboken Arts & Music Festival on May 7 at 4:30 p.m.

Label Head/Producer/Keyboardist/Composer Marco Benevento—from Livingston in Essex County—is at it again. Last year, he formulated an incredible afternoon in the Hudson Valley of New York called “Follow The Arrow.” This year, on June 17, at Arrowood Farms in Accord NY, he’ll do it again with the Benevento Family Band, Rubblebucket, The Barr Brothers and Scott Metzger (so far).

We have to hand it to Woodbridge Mayor John E. McCormac for instituting the best annual tradition ever in Middlesex County. How about five-nights-a-week of free concerts starting June 3 and continuing all the way to September 20. Unheard of!

Free shows are rare. But the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel will be presenting British Invasion act Herman’s Hermits and Tommy Roe on June 8. The Soundtrack of Our Lives with Deborah Rennard and Al Sapienza will open. Legendary disc jockey Cousin Brucie will host.

Halsey, Demi Lovato, Santana, Alanis Morisette, Stephen Colbert, Jim Gaffigan, Bill Burr, Marisa Monte, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Brian Fallon, The Smithereens, The B-52s, Natalie Merchant and Jay Wheeler are among the attractions.