There are those who say that Jersey City maestro Al Di Meola is the greatest living guitarist in the world today and who are we to argue? He changed the course of jazz-rock fusion in the 1970s with Chick Corea in Return To Forever. Now comes news that Al will kick off the new year by returning to the stage with his acoustic band in a program called “The Guitarchitect.”

Originally recorded at a plethora of New Jersey, Maryland and Alabama locations, including a vacant office building, Daly’s Paterson abode, Nu Bleu Studio in Garfield, guitarist Scott Van Sickle’s attic, the producer’s basement, pianist Ray Nissen’s home studio, string arranger Chris Opperman’s home studio, with cover art by Alicia Daly, Early Miscellaneous, by Mike Daly’s Lost N’ Found, is an 11-song treasure with Daly on vocals, bass and guitar, the producer on keyboards, bass and conga, Reynolds on lead guitar, drummers Dave Enyart/Rich Stout, Jim Smith on tympani and guitarist Chuck Daly.

Who wants to buy one of Joe Walsh’s guitars? Or some of his stage clothing? On December 16 and 17, the biggest rock star to ever come out of Montclair in Essex County, the man who gave the Eagles some balls, will auction off about two dozen rare items at The Troubadour in West Hollywood (and online). Before that, fans can see the items through Dec. 3 at The Hard Rock Café in New York City.

Last year, Princeton grad and Passaic County resident Pete Muller just wanted “More Time.” This year, on his fourth album, he’s asking for One Last Dance. The singer-songwriter-pianist-producer-philanthropist’s new effort is a gorgeous montage of emotion, reeking with a yearning propensity for true wordsmith smarts.

Our favorite NBA Hall of Famer/Rapper/DJ/entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal—born in Newark 53 years ago—will host his “Shaq’s Bass All-Stars Festival” in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas at Panther Island Pavilion with 15 acts on two stages March 21.

New Year’s Eve down the shore in Keansburg sounds good to us! The ProgStock folk will be celebrating the new year for the third year in a row at a new venue, Fish & Sips, with a “Concert Extravaganza” starting at 7:00 p.m. (live music at 8:00) and going for the rest of the year on Beachway Avenue where you’ll eat, drink and be merry right on the waterfront until 1:00 a.m.

Guess he was tired of singing in the street for chump change. Sometimes he’d sing to an audience of one, going up to strangers with a question: “can I sing you a song?” He’d play a bass, kick a drum, shake a foot tambourine, and sing his “Life In Jersey” tune. His venues were parking lots, sidewalks and campsites. But now singer-songwriter Gregory McLoughlin has made an album. His self-titled debut comes out December 12.

West Long Branch singer-songwriter-author Francesca Fuentes will be performing and partnering with HIP Video Promo on its 25^th anniversary to spread some good holiday cheer this Sunday, Nov. 16, at a free 2:00 afternoon food drive in Milltown at Revilla Grooves & Gear on North Main Street. Fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food donations to support local families in need. Jake Thistle and Sam Tunkel will also perform.

The ‘50s Beat Generation preceded ‘60s hippies. Poets Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Newark’s Allen Ginsberg, Herbert Huncke, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gary Snyder and Gregory Corso are all dead now but they planted the seeds for what became the hippie generation.

After the literary successes of Patti Smith’s 2010 Just Kids, and her 2015 M Train, her brand new third memoir, Bread Of Angels, is enthralling readers with its personalized anecdotes about growing up on the Jersey side of the Pennsylvania border in Gloucester County’s Deptford Township. The first book keyed in on one of the loves of her life, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe [1946-1989]. This third book gets even more personal.

It’s been seven years since Morristown singer-songwriter Ali Auburn released new music. Her new single, “Win Or Lose,” is a beautiful heartfelt ode to finally finding the right person in life.

The Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation will present acclaimed Louisiana singer-songwriter-slide guitarist Chris Vincent back to New Jersey (he grew up in Bayonne) on Dec. 5 at The Chubby Pickle on Bay Avenue in Highlands. The following afternoon he will host a blues-guitar master-class at 2:00 at the Women’s Club of Red Bank on Broad Street.

Deep within Mercer County lies the sleepy hamlet of Hopewell Valley. It’s where alt-folksinger Gabe Parsons is from.  Despite his young age, the locale itself suffuses his sound with a world-weary sophistication. Long Road Traveler is the debut and it is eminently listenable, filled with a longing and yearning intimacy.

Femme Fatale was a band from New Mexico that hit it big in Los Angeles with its one and only self-titled studio album in 1988, opened for Cheap Trick all over the world in 1989 and broke up in 1990. Now they’re back again with Paramus guitarist-composer-producer Steve Brown who brought in New Brunswick guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal.

Ancestral (Whirlwind Records), by alto saxophonist-composer-producer-educator-author John O’Gallagher, brings together—for the first time—two giants of jazz drumming, both from Montclair in Essex County. Billy Hart, 84, and Andrew Cyrille, 85, recorded Ancestral with O’Gallagher and guitarist Ben Monder at Sound On Sound in Montclair. Its avant-garde leanings and spontaneous composition just might make it the jazz album of 2025.

Bon Jovi is offering complete three-course meals to all local federal workers affected by the government shutdown just for showing a valid fed ID. The two locations are 207 Monmouth Street in Red Bank and 1769 Hooper Avenue in Toms River.

Deep within Mercer County lies the sleepy hamlet of Hopewell Valley. It’s where alt-folksinger Gabe Parsons is from.  Despite his young age, the locale itself suffuses his sound with a world-weary sophistication. Long Road Traveler is the debut and it is eminently listenable, filled with a longing and yearning intimacy.

Convicted in 2023, the story of Pras and his ascent from aspiring Jersey rapper to multi-platinum recording artist and Grammy winner, then his descent into being a convicted felon, fascinated Hollywood icon Mark Wahlberg so much that it’s being made into a movie.

She plays drums, guitar, keyboards plus co-produces and sings her own songs in a multiplicity of sub-genres, be it punk-rock, indie-rock or instant classic-rock. Asbury Park’s Rachel Ana Dobken has finally released the Acceptance we’ve been writing about since 2023.

Let’s do it again! The first shows of the 2026 Bon Jovi World Tour have been announced and they start at Madison Square Garden July 7, 9, 12 and 14 to be followed by Edinburgh, England, at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium on August 28, Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, on August 30 and London’s Wembley Stadium September 4.