As a fundraiser for the American Civil Liberties Union, iconic folksinger Woody Guthrie [1912-1967] will be the subject of a “Song Celebration” at Hoboken’s 503 Social Club. Elena Skye and Boo Reiners of the Demolition String Band will host.

Happy MLK Day! Martin Luther King, Jr. lived in Camden from 1948 to 1951 when he was a seminarian working in Philadelphia. It was sometime during those years when he first heard of a New Jersey restaurant in Maple Shade (Burlington County) denying service to Black patrons. He rounded up three friends and accosted the owners of Mary’s Café on June 11, 1950.

The second annual President’s Lecture on Music History and Contemporary America will be held at Monmouth University on Cedar Avenue in West Long Branch at 3:00 p.m. in the on-campus Pollak Theatre. The subject will be Bob Dylan. The event is free. Advance registration is required.

Swedish singer Alexandra Jardvall’s In The Spirit of Springsteen: The Live Sessions Volume #1 is out online with 15 Bruce songs done live by her and guitarist Richard Hauer.

The first Blondie album, Blondie, came out 49 years ago in 1976. The last Blondie album, Pollinator, came out eight years ago in 2017. Debbie Harry—the former model and Playboy Bunny born in Miami and raised here in Hawthorne (Passaic County)—will be 80 this summer. Blondie

In a rare interview, Uncle Floyd told his former producer Jeff Friedman, that “this isn’t my final bow. But I have a long road ahead. This is real.” The interview appeared in the 12/26/24 edition of njarts.net. We can’t wait to be in that crowd giving him a standing ovation when he returns and first walks on that stage.

Bassist Mike Griot from Essex County is our resident blues legend. He’s the curator for the South Orange Performing Arts Center. He’s plunked his funky bass for the last 30 years with such artists as East Orange’s Lauryn Hill, Newark’s Queen Latifah, Mtume, Harold Melvin’s Bluenotes, Common, Big Chief Donald Harrison, Jamie Foxx and Popa Chubby.

The 19^th annual West Orange Classic Film Festival—a joint project of the West Orange Arts Council and the West Orange Recreation Department—starts this Sunday and will run for seven consecutive Sunday afternoons—but not on Super Bowl Sunday—at the Essex Green AMC.

This is the month for the 25^th annual Light Of Day Winterfest benefit concerts to raise funds and awareness in the fight against Parkinson’s disease, ALS and PSP. The foundation has already raised over six million dollars since 2020 when Pittsburgh’s Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers played The Stone Pony and a friend of his named Bruce jumped onstage to jam.

Al Aronowitz, “The Godfather of Rock Journalism,” born in Bordentown (Burlington County), was the man who introduced Newark poet Allen Ginsburg to The Beatles. He introduced The Beatles to Bob Dylan. An auction entitled “Celebrating Bob Dylan: The Aronowitz Archive, T Bone Burnett & More” will take place in Nashville on January 18 at The Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum featuring 50 items from his personal archive including Dylan’s original typewritten draft lyrics to “Mr. Tambourine Man.”

On January 20, Internet radio station blowupradio.com, which started in Old Bridge in Middlesex County, will broadcast a “Rock Against Hate” webathon all day where Jersey bands—and a few outside the state—will perform live online while raising funds and awareness for Kids In Need of Defense (KIND) and Planned Parenthood. Two digital compilations—30 songs each—will be offered to those who donate.

Our resident legend in Montclair, bassist-composer-educator-arranger-producer-humanitarian-bandleader Christian McBride, fresh off his appearance in The Jersey Sound documentary, has shown up on the new Tippin’ by Carl Allen.

The constantly evolving artistry of Bergen County’s Kramer—visionary composer-musician-producer-filmmaker-label head—has manifested itself into a new trio called Squanderers whose debut on Kramer’s Shimmy-Disc record label is If A Body Meet A Body.

Long Branch Alt-Folk icon Melanie may be most known for her galvanizing 1969 Woodstock Festival appearance but four months before that she played The Troubadour in Los Angeles. Those tapes—made by her husband-producer Peter Schekeryk—are her earliest known live recordings. Take Me Home: Live At The Troubadour 1969 is the latest from the marathon Melanie reissue campaign of Cleopatra Records.

Who plays an instrument? Who sings? Who thinks they can hold their own in a small jazz room with professionals? If so, you might want to mosey on down to downtown Newark because The Rutgers University Institute for Jazz Studies, in cooperation with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), will continue its series of monthly jazz jams in the new year on the Rutgers campus at the cozy Clement’s Place within Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall on Washington Street, Newark.

The release of Tracks, by Bruce Springsteen, in 1998, was a treasure chest of great material with 66 songs originally deemed not worthy enough to be added to his official releases. In actuality, though, the songs hit like a bolt from the blue, equally stirring and some cases even better what was released officially. In a press release from the Bruce camp, the last sentence reads “upcoming releases in 2025 will include a look back at Springsteen’s storied recording career, featuring never-before-heard material.”

Jimmy Vivino, 69, of the Paterson Vivino family that also includes the beloved Uncle Floyd (recovering from a stroke) and sax man Jerry Vivino, has been signed to Gulf Coast Records, the label led by St. Louis Guitar Hero Mike Zito.

He may be from Hillsborough Township in Somerset County but Joey CXP is part of a bustling New Brunswick music scene that seems to be gaining momentum. He’s the flagship artist of Candy Shop Records and his new Candy Crush EP pulls no punches. It’s a gut-punch of delicious proportions.

Singers Mark Mulch and Kirstie Kraus have recorded a special trop-rock version of "Winter Wonderland" for Christmas Day and we're proud to unveil it.

Three exotic, esoteric, highly visual and musically stunning shows will grace the stage of NJ PAC in Newark to start the new year off in dramatic fashion.