The New Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation has announced a partnership with the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area and “Visit Clarksdale.”

As drummer Mickey Hart prepares for his summer tour with Dead & Company, he will have an exhibit of his paintings shown at The Wentworth Gallery at the Mall of Short Hills on June 23.

When we reported last month upon the direction of Paterson product John Pizzarelli’s new ‘Stage & Screen’ project, we obviously knew it was comprised of classic songs from Hollywood and Broadway. What we didn’t know was the profound scope, the jam-happy aesthetic, and the absolute transformation of these songs into something new, vital and incredibly swoon-worthy.

Singer Jessie Wagner remembers the moment she first saw the late actor Patrick Swayze in the 1987 ‘Dirty Dancing’ film. “Ever since I saw him gently sway Jennifer Grey in his beautifully sculpted arms to Soloman Burke’s ‘Cry To Me,’ I was immediately obsessed with this sensual song. It continues to be one of my favorites, and I am ecstatic to release my take on this sexy classic.”

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.

The Gaslight Anthem is back on the road. After numerous starts and stops, the New Brunswick band is writing their sixth album and will be performing May 19 in Atlantic City.

Newark rapper—and NBA Hall of Famer—Shaquille O’Neal is back with his first new rap song in years. “King Talk” is playful, funky, boastful and tinged with a hardcore non-stop beat produced by Chilean actor/director/singer/songwriter Koko and shared with Ghanaian rapper Blackway who starts it, then gives Shaq the mic before returning.

Bayonne’s own Zakk Wylde—after adding immeasurably to Ozzy Osbourne and his own sterling solo stuff—has become the go-to guy in the newly reformed Pantera with former Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante keeping the beat, bassist Rex Brown holding down the bottom and vocalist Phil Anselmo spitting out his lyrics.

They call Newark-born Raheem DeVaughn “The Love King of Soul & R’n’B.” His new EP, ‘Summer Of Love,’ on New Era Soul/DMG, isn’t due until June 21, but DeVaughn has teased us with “All Night.” And although the 47-year old wasn’t even born yet in 1967’s real Summer Of Love, his addition to the canon is a worthy one.

The Americana Music Foundation and Grammy Museum are teaming up to present a rare one-night-only sit-down at The Greene Space in Manhattan with the iconic soul singer Bettye LaVette, of Essex County, and producer/composer/drummer Steve Jordan, on May 31, as part of their “A New York Evening With…” series.

Frankie Valli grew up in Newark’s North Ward, a lower-middle class Italian neighborhood, in a public housing project. He came back April 27 to get a street named after him, Frankie Valli Way.

By all accounts it was a night to remember. On April 27, in Manhattan’s Cutting Room, friends, family and fans of legendary Rascals drummer Dino Danelli [1944-2022] came together to celebrate the life and music of the first great rock-star Drum Hero. Billed as “An All-Star Tribute To Dino Danelli,” the documentary film ‘Dino Danelli: Second To None’ was screened.

Stevie Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records have released “Still Holding On” by The Dollyrots. Bassist/Vocalist Kelly Ogden says the song “is a stand-alone single pulled from our new album [due this fall] about counting on the people you love to get you through the strangeness of modern life. The lyric video features an AI-generated version of me, a digital reminder of how off-kilter the future is becoming.”

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.

The newest discovery of Stevie Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records is The Bayonets from Los Angeles: Lucrecia Lopez Sanz, Brian Ray and Oliver Leiber (whose dad was one-half of the legendary Leiber/Stoller songwriting team who wrote almost every great song of the 1950s).

Stevie Van Zandt, Darlene Love, Steve Earle and Sam Moore were honored by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University April 15 in Long Branch.

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.

As Rock’n’Roll Hall of Famer Ricky Byrd told us himself in April’s “Up Close,” his string of singles for Stevie Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records will continue. Now, on the heels of his delicious “Glamdemic Blues”/”Reach Out (I’ll Be There”) comes “Alien.”

Wow. That’s all one could say upon hearing ‘That You Not Dare To Forget’ by M.E.B. (formerly Miles Electric Band). This amazing amalgam of hiphop and jazz is a stunning reminder that Miles Davis [1926-1991] never looked back, always looked forward to the next musical adventure which would capture his soul.

Blue Rose Records will be re-releasing Steve Forbert’s 1988 ‘Streets of This Town’ album on June 2. Long out-of-print, it marks the first time in 28 years this classic album—produced by the E Street Band’s Garry Tallent in Long Branch—will be available on CD and vinyl. Rolling Stone called it “arguably the best record he has ever made.” The Washington Post called it “the most moving and consistent album of his career.” Remixed and remastered, it sounds better than ever.