Sax Man/Educator Carl Cox’s ‘Universal Language’ has been out since April but when a Ukrainian jazz fan, Yuri, reached out to him on Facebook to tell the South Jersey musician—who lives in Turnersville in Gloucester County—how important his music has become to him, Cox not only wrote back but added a new track, “In Time Of Need,” on his sophomore effort for the fan who has to endure the indignity of war. Thus, on October 13, the album will be re-released with the new track.

In celebration of what many critics call one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever, ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,’ released 25 years ago, Hill will tour internationally performing the album in its entirety. The East Orange rapper will also join forces with her former band, The Fugees, in selected cities.

Rock’n’Roll Hall of Famer and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter-keyboardist Felix Cavaliere—who put together The Young Rascals in Garfield at The Choo Choo Club in 1965—is primed and ready to release his first solo album since ‘Dreams In Motion’ in 1993.

Rachel Zegler baffled science when she came out of Clifton in Passaic County six years ago to win the role of Maria in Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story ‘remake for which she won a Golden Globe award. Now 22, she’s getting some real bad press including one headline that read “The Fall of a Hollywood Sweetheart: How Snow White star Rachel Zegler Went From Hero To Zero.” What could she possibly have said to turn so many people against her?

Stephane Wrembel may have been born in Paris but he’s lived in Maplewood in Essex County for years. Considered by many to be the greatest living acoustic guitarist in the world, he’s made a career out of furthering the sound of the legendary three-fingered Belgian guitar hero Django Reinhardt [1910-1953]. Django, in his pioneering band with French violinist Stephane Grappelli, the Quintette du Hot Club de France, invented the sub-genre known as Gypsy Jazz.

‘Lavette!’ has Bettye LaVette singing 11 Randall Bramblett songs with an intensity, a passion, a daring kind of in-your-face arrogance that only she can muster. For the most part, though, she sings ‘em straight. Enticing. Inviting. That’s what makes it so universal. Guests like Steve Winwood, Ray Parker, Jr., John Mayer and Jon Batiste show up to the party but this is Bettye’s show.

Circle October 22 on your calendar. Glenn Alexander—the lead guitarist in Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes—will hold his eighth annual Pig Gig for a good cause. But let’s let Glenn himself tell you all about it.

On September 12, of The Catholic Girls legacy will continue with the release of “Hear My Prayer” / ”Can’t Wait.”

In 1983, iconic jazz musicians Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette made `The Great American Songbook’ cool again with their brilliant ‘Standards, Vol. 1.’ It changed Noah Haidu’s life. Now comes his own ‘Standards’ (Sunnyside Records), a quintet date where his band digs up, dusts off and makes long-dead overcooked chestnuts like “Skylark” (1941), “I Thought About You” (1939), “All The Way” (1957) and “Just In Time” (1956) eminently listenable again.

Mariel Loveland says, “I feel more excited than nervous…this is the only thing I have ever wanted.” She performs and records as Best Ex, and she’ll be following up her 2020 ‘Good At Feeling Bad’ EP, ‘With A Smile,’ on October 6 (Iodine Recordings/Alcopop! Records)

On doctor’s orders, Bruce Springsteen, with just hours to go before the first show, abruptly postponed concerts in Philadelphia scheduled for Wednesday and tonight. His camp tweeted the following at 2:16 p.m. Wednesday…

The Mercury Lounge, in New York City, on August 23, at 6:30, will host a free night of stories and music about longtime New Jersey music journalist Scott Schinder. (Donations will be accepted at the door to cover the cost of the event.) Schinder was stricken with a kidney-related ailment in 2016, undergoing seven years of treatment before succumbing to the disease on June 4 at the age of 61.

On August 6, outside the Metallica concert in the parking lot of MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, bassist DD Verni, guitarists Dave Linsk/Derek Taylor and drummer Jason Bittner headbanged away while hundreds stood and soaked up the 11-song set which ended with a Sub Humans cover.

Held in the historic Forest Hill section, the 2023 Newark Porch Fest will take place on Saturday September 23 (with a rain-date the following day) with live music, art, dance, food and kid-stuff. The fun takes place, indeed, on neighborhood front porches, stoops and lawns.

It’s amazing to think that Kool & The Gang started in Jersey City 59 years ago as The Jazziacs. The two co-founding members—bassist Robert “Kool” Bell and drummer/keyboardist George “Funky” Brown—are still at it with some new young lions in the band.

It’s called Little Steven’s Policeman’s Ball Inaugural Charity Golf Outing. It stems from an idea he had in 2014 with Detective Kevin Schroeder that resulted in that year’s Policeman’s Ball. It was in support of the NYPD “With Arms Wide Open” effort to benefit kids with special needs as well as the already-established Detective Endowment Association Widows and Children Fund.

The second North American leg of the Bruce tour started yesterday in Chicago. The European leg of the 2023 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band tour has been boiled down to two minutes and 15 seconds.

The new single from Paramus metal mainstays Patriarchs In Black, “Veneration,” will come out digitally August 25. Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative/Quiet Riot) and Dan Lorenzo (Hades/Non-Fiction) are joined on the track by rapper Darryl “DMC” McDaniels from historic hip-hop heroes Run DMC, vocalist Mark Sunshine, violinist Emma Smoler and bassist Anthony Vitti.

On the fifth anniversary of the magical night when The Feelies performed an entire show at White Eagle Hall in Jersey City of Velvet Underground material, Bar/None Records will release on October 13 ‘Some Kinda Love,’ the seventh album—and first live album—by the indie-rock pioneers from Haledon in Passaic County.

Jame Minogue has always been asked if he’s related to pop star Kylie Minogue. He doesn’t know but his cover of Kylie’s “Can’t Get You Out Of Head,” in a Cumbia format, is tantalizing, irresistible and could make a dead man dance.