News + Reviews

The most exciting and important music news in New Jersey

Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Dead Newark Beat Poet Allen Ginsberg Gets ‘Reborn’

Beat Poet Allen Ginsberg—born in 1926 Newark, raised in Paterson, died in 1997 New York City at 70—is getting “Reborn” via the November 3 re-release of his 1989 Hal Wilner-produced ‘The Lion For Real,’ now dubbed ‘The Lion For Real, Re-Born’ (Shimmy Disc/Joyful Noise), a double-vinyl doozy of his incendiary words, accompanied by music.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Asbury Park’s Jake Thistle Drops New Video, Announces Tour

“Brooklyn Can Wait” says the multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter from Asbury Park, Jake Thistle. He’s busking on the streets of New York City in the clip. On tour, he’ll be singing on proper stages. “I’m really excited to explore some new sounds with this single,” he says. “It was so much fun to put together, and the video is certainly on a bigger scale than the ones we’ve done before.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Bruce Readies New SiriusXM Show

It’s been awhile since we’ve had anything new from Bruce Springsteen’s terrific radio show, “From My Home To Yours,” heard on satellite radio’s SiriusXM. Now that he’s off the road, though, he’s put together some tunes in his role as disc jockey that demand to be heard. This new installment will be broadcast Monday, October 9 at 10:00 a.m., be repeated, and then be available on-demand.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Al Di Meola Has Onstage Heart Attack

Legendary Jersey City guitarist Al Di Meola, 69, suffered a heart attack onstage last Wednesday in Bucharest, Romania. He was rushed to the Bagdasar-Arseni hospital’s emergency ward where he was treated for a “segment elevation myocardial infarction or STEMI,” according to Associated Press. He is now in stable condition and sent out his own missive thanking fans for the concern.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

12th Annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival Set For Newark in November

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.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

The Dictators Want To Thank You And Wish You A Nice Day

Punk Rock History 101: It’s over 50 years since bassist Andy Shernoff and guitarist Ross The Boss formed one of the most endearing and long-lasting punk bands of them all: The Dictators. They will be performing down the shore at Asbury Lanes on October 29.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

The Pat DiNizio Performance Scholarship

Pat DiNizio loved to play rock’n’roll music. He lived for it. Shortly after he died in 2017, at 62, The Pat DiNizio Music Performance Scholarship was created to “make music education accessible to any young person [18 or younger] wishing to enroll in classes at the Count Basie Center for the Arts or any affiliated music program,” according to the Red Bank venue’s website.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Montclair Literary Festival Cancels Jann Wenner Event

In the wake of saying some incredibly offensive and stupid statements, the Montclair Literary Festival has cancelled its September 28 event with ‘Rolling Stone’ publisher Jann Wenner at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Bruce Stumps For African Hospital

Bruce Springsteen was inspired enough to record this video in support of The Lwala Community Hospital Endowment upon meeting some residents of the Kenya area. The much-needed facility opened in 2007 to provide health care and save lives for generations to come.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

[CD Review] Anthony E. Nelson, Jr.’s ‘Swinging Sunset’ (Musicstand Records)

When Anthony Nelson was a kid in Newark, and singing in a Plainfield choir, he was taken to a jazz club in Orange to hear keyboard legend Jimmy McGriff. He never forgot that. So after studying clarinet, sax and flute at the prestigious Jazz Institute of New Jersey, and after being a sideman where he would listen and learn, he set on his solo path to perform and record. For his fifth album, this multi-instrumentalist-composer is in tribute to the classic organ trios of the ‘50s and ‘60s.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Sinatra Goes Platinum October 27

In celebration of the 70th anniversary of Frank Sinatra’s seminal Capitol recordings, Universal Music Enterprises and Frank Sinatra Enterprises have teamed up for the October 27 release of ‘Frank Sinatra Platinum.’

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

YES, THEY CAN DO IT LIVE

We questioned whether the all-instrumental Weehawken combo Royal Arctic Institute can replicate the cool sounds of their vinyl release ‘From Catnip To Coma To Catharsis’ (“BUT CAN THEY DO IT LIVE,” August 4). The plan called for them to hit four record stores last month. Well, they did, and it was a resounding success.

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