Longtime Asbury Park Bluesman-Producer-Singer-Songwriter-Guitarist Billy Hector has unveiled one hell of a night he had down the shore seven years ago at The Saint (closed since 2022 after losing its liquor license). The Billy Hector Band Live at the Saint (AERIA Records) features drummer Sim Cain, bassist Winston Roye, keyboardist David Nunez, tenor sax man Tommy La Bella, trumpeter Steve Jankowski and bari sax man John Martin with a song by guest singer Suzan Elle.

Starting tomorrow night, and continuing every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 in Hoboken on Washington Street at Symposia Bookstore, Jersey City singer-songwriter-bassist Greg McLoughlin will be performing solo away from his Lemonade band through April 16. He’s been doing a Monday night youTube livestream with this Monday being his 250^th such stream.

Longtime leader of The J. Howard Duff Band out of Union County, Duff moved down south and the vocal on his latest single sounds like it. Bruce Gladstone’s new album, Journey 2, is his most satisfying work yet. A former Aquarian Weekly Editor, Mike Daly’s Lost N’ Found is a series of recently unearthed recordings by the front man for Every Damn Day and Mike Daly & The Planets.

The latest album in Bruce Springsteen’s archival series of live shows is Omaha, NE Nov 15, 2012. It is here, in the great state of Nebraska, where he performed six songs from what many consider his greatest album, Nebraska.

They call it “The Festival Only Jersey Can Handle.” The third annual North To Shore fest will take place June 14-29 in Newark, Asbury Park, Red Bank, Montclair and Atlantic City.

Last year, Reece Young told everyone he was Here, in South Plainfield, where he grew up. The EP showed potential. That potential has been realized with the release of “Broken Glass” via UNFD (an Australian indie label specializing in the hard and the heavy).

Longtime Union City and Hasbrouck Heights resident Tony Orlando, 80, was honored in Louisiana with “The Louis Prima Award.” The award was established in 2011 by Prima’s wife Gia Prima with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). “I was so humbled to receive this award at the Louisiana Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame Gala,” gushed Orlando.

They will hear the twang throughout Cape May County from June 19 to the 22^nd when Wildwood hosts the fifth annual Barefoot Country Music Fest happening right on the beach in-between Morey’s Piers. Over 40 artists will perform on five stages:  Jelly Roll, Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson, Rascal Flatts, Jordan Davis, Megan Moroney, Chris Janson, Warren Zeiders, Elle Langley, Boyz II Men, Sam Barber, Larry Fleet, Chris Gagle, Colt Ford, Meghan Patrick and Kaitlin Butts are but the tip of the iceberg.

The mind-blowing three-day orgy of Dark Force will take place in Parsippany, Morris County, May 2-4, when hordes of metalheads, punks, goth kids, monsters, vampires, rockers, zombies and adventurers descend upon the Sheraton Hotel on Smith Road to witness 35 bands from around the globe on two stages of Hard Rock, Industrial, Goth, Punk, Post-Punk, Darkwave, Metal (be it trad, black, death, power or nu) and alternative.

Michale Graves, 49, born and raised in Bergen County’s Dumont Township, has had a string of shows cancelled on his current tour. Once known because he sang for The Misfits 25 years ago, he’s now most known for his association with The Proud Boys and the January 6 insurrection.

If you ask Asbury Park singer-songwriter Doug Gatta about his home town, he’ll tell you that it’s “Lonesome City” to him. The multi-instrumentalist—who debuted with God’s Lonely Men in 2022—has now put his thoughts and feelings into “Lonesome City.”

Punk didn’t kill Prog. The Inquisition comes out of Hackettstown in Warren County. They grew up wearing out their Pink Floyd, Genesis and Porcupine Tree albums. Now they have an album of their own called The Magi of Kent Act #1: Turn Of The Tide. It’s all about corruption and ambiguous intentions. Feel free to call it a fantasy rock-opera.

Singer-Songwriter Todd Bailey may be from Burlington County in South Jersey but in his mind and heart, he resides in Cactusland.

The second-annual Fourth Wave Fest will take place on Cookman Avenue at Asbury Park’s House Of Independents March 8. Promoted as “Music For All:  A Women-Led Day of Music,” the event will benefit an organization known as “180 Turning Lives Around” that helps survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

The last album by the original Smithereens lineup, 2011, will be released for the first time ever on vinyl in 16 Days (Sunset Blvd Records). March 14 is also the date it will be re-released on CD for the first time since 2015.

Despite retiring from touring seven years ago after the loss of hearing in his left ear, Paul Simon, one of America’s greatest living songwriters, has decided to come out of retirement for what he is calling his “Quiet Celebration” tour. Simon, born in Newark 83 years ago, will perform his brilliant 15^th solo album, Seven Psalms, in its entirety, as well as old favorites.

There’s been a lot of genius to come out of Newark: The Four Seasons, Gloria Gaynor, Ice-T, Sarah Vaughan, Fred Schneider of The B-52s, “Mighty” Max Weinberg, Whitney Houston, Connie Francis, rapper Shaquille O’Neal, Paul Simon, Woody Shaw, Queen Latifah, Jerry Lewis and Jerome Kern for starters. Then there’s Wayne Shorter, who revolutionized jazz with Miles, and then revolutionized jazz again with Weather Report.

We take time out from our regular programming for a very good cause. The Jersey Sound will match every $20 donation with another $20. Let's help these three beautiful children.

Morris County sometimes rings with rock’roll angst when the members of Above The Moon practice its new single, “The Only One.” Drummer John Gramuglia calls the group “a straight-up suburban New Jersey rock band. No bells or whistles, not even a backing track. We pride ourselves on delivering tight live performances with big guitars, loud drums and high energy.

If you love the New Jersey music scene or have ever been part of the New Jersey music scene, you have John Pfeiffer to thank.