It’s already sold-out. The sixth annual Sea. Hear. Now. festival lineup for all three stages has been announced for September 14 and 15 on the beach in Asbury Park and in that town’s Bradley Park venue.

December 14 is the date for the Lenny Kaye/Tammy Faye Starlite concert to benefit www.njarts.net, a non-profit one-stop for everything cultural in our great state. Our friend Jay Lustig has helmed this site for 10 years, offering free content, based on his previous decades as a trusted Jersey journalist. The show will take place in Montclair at Outpost in the Burbs.

October 14 is the date that Blue Grape Music will release ‘Rush Of Energy’ by Bike Routes. Call it indie-alternative. Bike Routes is David Lawrence Osterhout from a sleepy Burlington County hamlet called Evesham Township. The single/video is “You Want It You Got It.”

The Passaic County rapper known as 973tony, currently stationed in Arizona working on F-16 fighter jets, will return home at the end of the year to resume his music career. He self-releases, self-produces and engineers his own music. He even painted the album’s cover.

Rock’n’Roll celebrities will “Bowl For Ronnie” November 14 to benefit the Ronnie James Dio “Stand Up And Shout” cancer fund at the PINZ Bowling Center in Studio City California. Eddie Trunk—from Madison in Morris County—will host.

Asbury Park power-pop band the dt’s drop their “Cherry” today right here and it’s a punchy rocker that we can’t seem to stop playing over and over again. David Cacciatore and Tom Losito have fashioned an exquisite sound that channels the raw urgency of punk with the tuneful joys of pop music. Their current EP, ‘Live at Lakehouse Studios,’ released in April, is also a solid listen.

The late New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint once wrote “everything I do gon’ be funky from now on.” The same could be said for one of the world’s greatest living bassists, Christian McBride of Montclair. Fresh off performing in ‘The Jersey Sound’ documentary currently free-streaming on Tubi, the bassist-composer-arranger-educator has shown up on the new album by jazz-rock fusion legend Mike Stern. E’choes And Other Songs’ won’t be out until September 13 but we have an advance listen of one track, “Stuff Happens.”

In 1865, the building on East Jersey Avenue in Elizabeth was known as the Drake Opera House. The Marx Brothers, George Burns, Jack Benny, Ray Charles, Harry Chapin, Maya Angelou, Chaka Khan, Rodney Dangerfield, Miles Davis, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin have all graced its stage. Now, the accent is on esoterica with a slate of action-packed shows that will percolate with percussion including Salsa, Soul, Reggae, Mexicali, Worldbeat and Samba.

Rascal Felix Cavaliere has teamed up with Tennessee superstar Dolly Parton to aid victims of the Maui fire for a remake of his 1968 song “My Hawaii.” Maui, a year later, is still reeling from the devastating effects of a monster wildfire that killed over a hundred people and has crippled the state’s tourism economy. 100% of the proceeds to purchase the digital download of “My Hawaii” will go to the Maui Fire Disaster Relief Fund.

Soldier Mike Archer had to take time and write a letter to Tommy James thanking him “for weaving and tapestry of peace and tranquility through your music, offering solace to those who sought refuge from the chaos.” He put in the subject line that “you may never know the profound impact your song had on a young soldier fighting a war (Vietnam) far from home, but your music will forever hold a special place in my heart.”

In a quest to find the next great jazz singer, The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) is now accepting entries for the 13th annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition.

The new song from Asbury Park band Lost In Society is “Pascal and Sabine.” Produced by Pete Steinkopf of New Brunswick band The Bouncing Souls, it’s off the new Lost In Society EP, ‘The Distribution Of Comfort’ (California’s Wiretap Records) due August 9.

Longtime Jersey City resident Walter Parks will inaugurate the new “Fletcher’s Listening Room” in Montclair. Ministers and congregants of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair (UUCM) put the new series with a coffeehouse vibe—according to Cindy Stagoff at njarts.net—into effect.

Singer-Songwriter-Producer Eric Roberson—born in Rahway 51 years ago—is putting on his “Mask” to continue a vow to release a new song at least every other month. He co-produced and co-wrote this song that he says, “was probably my hardest song to write and record this year. Even though I didn’t feel it was my story, I dove deep into the character. I cried throughout the entire process. I hope it connects with someone who needs it.”

Eighteen New Jersey greats will be inducted into the 10,000 square-foot new home of the New Jersey Hall of Fame at American Dream on Route 3 in East Rutherford. It’s the 16th annual such celebration and it will take place on a pre-taped November 13 televised broadcast on Fox 5 and My9 as well as social media. The 18 in their categories are…

Fans who got there early when Orville Peck played The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park recently got to see country-pop singer Abbey Cone—a Texan now residing in Tennessee—sing her new single, “I Hate Springsteen.”

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra—under the direction of Xian Zhang—will interpret Stanley Clarke’s soundtrack to John Singleton’s Oscar-nominated 1991 crime thriller ‘Boyz N’The Hood’ on November 22 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark as the movie is shown (not in its entirety) on the big screen behind them.

There’s been a lot of talk back and forth about ‘The Jersey Sound’ documentary. Now people can see it for themselves. Watch this space for further announcements in the near future about where else you will be able to watch this love letter to the music and musicians of our great state. But now, for the time being, enjoy.

The free “Heart Of The City” festival returns to Rahway in Union County for the fourth time on August 3 at noon for six hours right on the corner of Irving and East Cherry Streets. Venders and artists will showcase their wares. There will be local music talent, a live DJ, and an interactive art installation that allows festival-goers a photo-shoot moment.

We’ve thrilled to West Orange guitarist-composer-educator Dave Stryker before…but not like this. His opening sets for Steely Dan last year proved his funky versatility. His set at Sculler’s in Boston blew the roof off the joint. His ‘Prime’ album was a deeeep groove. Now, though, he’s in a subservient role, yet his artistry is still in full flower, blossoming when called upon to add subtle layers of sophistication to ‘Brian Landrus Plays Ellington & Strayhorn’ on Palmetto Records.