Following their successful 30-city North American tour, Alter Bridge are currently now venturing on their summer 2023 leg of the “Pawns & Kings” tour: with support acts of long-time friends SEVENDUST and recent tour-mates MAMMOTH WVH. The Stone Pony Summer Stage was the second date of the month-long tour, and it was such a pleasure to capture some of the magic and write-up a report on my experience and takeaways.
Read moreDavid Ross Lawn Talks Concert Photography (Tips, Tricks, Equipment, etc.!)
David Ross Lawn has been actively photographing for Jersey Indie and freelancing in concert photography and self-portraiture for years, working for bands and brands big and small. David is here to talk about their photography journey, their go-to equipment, and their editing approaches for photographing live music in their individualistic and easily-recognizable style.
Read moreClutch at Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ, 5/18/23 (PHOTOS)
I've been in this game for over 20 years now. I've done work in almost every genre of photography. But after all this time nothing compares to shooting a live show. I've always had a deep love for music and getting the chance to photograph my favorite artist performing is a sublime experience…
Read moreTropidelic and the Movement at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, 4/1/23 (PHOTOS)
On April 1, 2023, The Movement and Tropidelic performed at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Enjoy these photos from the show, by Jersey Indie photographer Greg Ludwig.
Read more4-Time Grammy-Nominated Artist Oleta Adams Provides An Incredible Soulful Performance, Maplewood, NJ (RECAP)
On Saturday night, September 24th, Maplewood, NJ was treated to an incredible performance by one of the most sought-after musicians in all of jazz. Thanks to Smooth Jazz NJ run by Maplewood resident Rich Engel, The Woodland in Maplewood hosted a…
Read moreElmwood Culture Club Presents Lee Odom Quintet and Stephen Fuller Quintet in a Jazzy Afternoon of Live Music, East Orange, NJ (Saturday, October 8, 2022)
Jazzy On The Lawn - In celebration of Fall, the Elmwood Church lawn will come alive with the explosive sounds of jazzy live music as Elmwood Culture Club welcomes acclaimed composer, saxophonist Lee Odom and her Quintet. Kicking off this Jazzy Afternoon on the Lawn live music experience will be one of North Jersey’s dynamic bands led by the swinging vocalist Stephen Fuller…
Read more311 at Ocean Casino Resort, Atlantic City, NJ, 9/16/22 (PHOTOS)
On September 16th, Nebraska band 311 performed at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, NJ. 311 was started by Nick Hexum, Jim Watson, Aaron "P-Nut" Wills, and Chad Sexton in 1988 and is known for its mix of alternative rock, rap rock, reggae rock, funk rock, and alternative metal. Lead singer Nick Hexum was featured on the newest studio album of reggae/hip hop/funk band Tropidelic, which 311 shared the stage with on September 16th. Photographer Greg Ludwig was on the scene to capture the show…
Read moreTropidelic at Ocean Casino Resort, Atlantic City, NJ, 9/16/22 (PHOTOS)
On September 16th, Ohio band Tropidelic performed at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, NJ. Tropidelic was started by Matthew Roads and Kyle "Chevontez" Cheuvront in 2005 and embraces a mix of high-energy reggae, hip hop, and funk. Just last month, the band released their newest studio album, entitled All The Colors, which features vocals by Nick Hexum of the band 311…
Read moreJazzy Nights Celebrates Appointment of Harlem World Magazine New President CC Minton (Sept. 16, 7-10PM)
Our next Jazzy Nights Event will be at the historic South Orange Blanchard Mansion where we’ll enjoy another swinging night of jazzy live music, fun and fellowship with friends and neighbors. This event is being held to celebrate our buddy CC Minton as the recently appointed president of Harlem World Magazine…
Read moreLet The Music Play — What's Going On In My Neck of the Woods for Sept. 2022
Well, Summer is quickly coming to a close but fortunately September 2022 has lots of Summer within the month along with a lot of live music events for sure. So here we go with Gregory Burrus Productions events all around our towns of Newark, Cranford, City of Orange, Maplewood, Linden, West Orange, Bloomfield and of course South Orange…
Read moreArmor For Sleep - New Music and New Tour Coming to NJ, PA, NY
Next week, NJ emo/rock legends Armor For Sleep will be sharing the stage with Dashboard Confessional and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, playing a series of shows in NJ, PA, and NY as part of the Hello Gone Days tour. Armor For Sleep recently released a new single entitled “How Far Apart”, off of their upcoming album The Rain Museum, which drops September 9th via Equal Vision Records…
Read moreWords with P.R. (Edition 16) - Thank you Diddy & Hip Hop
July was a big travel month. And I must say that it feels so good to get the fuck out of New York City. As much as I love my hometown, traveling to other places is good for the soul. The summer is rolling on and the blessings are coming through. My love/hate relationship with change is being tested. I am constantly fighting against my impulsive free spirit side with the side that is a creature of habit…
Read moreGreen Day's "AMERICAN IDIOT" Comes to Asbury Park (July 1-10)
Green Day’s American Idiot, the musical based off of the band’s 2004 album of the same title, hit Broadway in April 2010 and went on to win 2 Tony Awards. Now, American Idiot is coming to Asbury Park, New Jersey, with a largely New Jersey-based cast and crew. Produced by Asbury Park Theater Company in association with Remember Jones Productions, the show will premiere on Friday, July 1st, 2022 at the Kingsley Theater…
Read moreJazz Fest at the Promenade -- The Raymond Wood Bauer Promenade in Linden, NJ
Please join us on July 23rd, 3-8 PM, at the Jazz Fest at the Promenade — The Raymond Wood Bauer Promenade at 400 North Wood Ave in Linden, NJ. Come out and enjoy some great jazz music from local artists. Take a look at what's happening and hopefully you can join us…
Read moreLet The Music Play - What's Going On In My Neck of the Woods for July 2022
Hey everybody, we have a great music scene running around the towns and we're proud of it. Our Jazzy live music events are the perfect way to spend a summer afternoon or evening. Our goal is to support local artists and help them get their music out there. Our events feature some of the best up-and-coming talent in the area, are family-friendly, and a great way to bring the community together…
Read moreFood Truck and Jazz Festival in Monte Irvin Orange Park, City of Orange NJ, July 9
You are all invited to the City of Orange NJ Food Truck and Jazz Festival for a delicious food and live music experience! Join us in the spacious nature-driven outdoors of Monte Irvin Orange Park. Monte Irvin Orange Park is a county park in the City of Orange, in Essex County, New Jersey. It serves the City of Orange with a playground, athletic fields, basketball court, soccer field, walking paths…
Read moreInterview with Mistine
On June 30th, New Jersey pop/rock artist Mistine will be releasing her debut EP, “Fade”, on all streaming platforms. Having toured with such pop acts as Conan Gray, WizTheMC, and Zeph, Mistine is ready to share her new nostalgia-inspired tunes with the world. She’s already released two singles from her EP (“Temporary Feeling” and “Everett Park”), both of which have over 24,000 plays on Spotify…
Read moreJeff Lorber, Everette Harp, and Paul Jackson Jr. Deliver an Outstanding Not-To-Be-Forgot Smooth Jazz Performance at the Woodland (RECAP)
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Friday, June 17, 2022
There was a lot of anticipation for the upcoming installment of Rich Engel’s Smooth Jazz New Jersey live music event at The Woodland. Having had 5 prior extremely successful, packed house / sold-out events, bringing in these three Contemporary Jazz, Funk, and Soul stars meant an awesome performance ahead.
In addition to the normal promotional stream, this event was also promoted by the widely known radio host Pat Prescott. Pat was here for 23 years on New York radio. He worked at WRVR, WBLS, WLIB, The National Black News Network. and contemporary jazz station CD 101.9. In 2001, Pat moved to Los Angeles to co-host the morning show at 94.7 The WAVE with saxophonist Dave Koz, then singer Brian McKnight, and currently Pat is the solo host of the morning show on The WAVE and she is also the producer and host of Making Waves. Pat was also chosen as R&R's smooth jazz personality of the year for six consecutive years and in 2015, she received the prestigious Genii award from the Alliance of Women in Media. So, lots of attention was on this event.
The lights dimmed and the spotlight was on twenty-something Julia Engel who introduced herself as “part of the Smooth Jazz New Jersey family.” She gave a thoughtful description of the good works of JESPY House, the non-profit represented at the concert that supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Julia introduced the former New York CD101.9 radio air alumnus and morning show host and tonight's Guest Master of Ceremony, Steve Harris.
Steve reminisced a bit about playing the night's Smooth Jazz performers’ tunes repeatedly in the past on the station. It was a reflective and wonderful moment to enjoy as Steve was greeted by the sold-out audience delivering a continuous and very lively amount of applause. He then brought Jazz Funk Soul on stage, and they were greeted with thunderous applause.
The applause was warranted because Jazz Funk Soul consisted of six-time Grammy nominee and keyboard extraordinaire Jeff Lorber. Jeff scored his first Grammy win in 2018, for best Contemporary instrumental album for his recording of “Prototype”.
Band member, the funk man, saxophonist Everette Harp, his album Jazz Funk Soul, a collaboration with Chuck Loeb and Jeff Lorber, received its first nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. In addition, he has jammed with President Clinton and has performed with Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Chaka Khan, and Dianne Reeves, amongst others.
Now, round out this super group with soulman and Grammy nominee, the awesome guitarist Paul Jackson Jr. Paul is the guitarist on three Grammy-winning albums including Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Paul has either played, composed, or collaborated with musical legends such as Elton John, Whitney Houston, Pattie Labelle, George Benson, Al Jarreau, George Duke, and David Benoit.
Once introduced, the Jazz Funk Soul group came out hot!! Working in concert with each other, Jeff Lorber, Paul Jackson Jr., and Everette Harp performed some absolutely outstanding solos. And, having just left the Jacksonville Jazz Festival where I experienced Mr. Funk, Everette Harp absolutely wowed the fans. It was clear he was absolutely on fire again this evening. After some extremely intense solo performances, the crowd immediately reacted with loud and rousing applause.
This powerful vibe enforced the audience's expectations for the entire night, as Jeff Lorber delivered some energetic and lively piano tunes, while Paul Jackson Jr. added to the audience enjoyment by delivering some extremely intense guitar renditions of popular tunes. The audience reaction was positive, loud, and resulted in numerous standing ovations over and over throughout the night's performance.
This was once again another spectacular performance produced by Rich Engel of Smooth Jazz NJ and the Maplewood Division of Arts & Culture. This event clearly demonstrated that The Woodland has become the go-to venue for Contemporary Jazz with another presentation of world-class musicians delivering energetic live music performances.
Producer Rich Engel also noted the following Smooth Jazz NJ events at The Woodland will return with the following amazing performances:
Sept 24, 2022 will feature singer, songwriter, musician, 4x Grammy nominee, Jazz Walk of Fame inductee and Platinum-selling artist, Oleta Adams. As Oprah Winfrey said, “The voice that brought me out of the shower.” You know her from her 1990 debut album Circle of One which went Platinum, and the impassioned hit single "Get Here" became an unofficial anthem of the 1991 Gulf War. She has performed on worldwide tours with Tears for Fears, Phil Collins, Michael Bolton, and Luther Vandross, and has sold more than two and a half million records.
Oct 8, 2022 - The unstoppable force in the smooth jazz genre, saxophonists Kim Waters comes to The Woodland. Jazz Times Magazine called Waters, “simply one of the planet’s best saxophonists." This suave, debonair and commanding saxophonist’s ability to transcend the musical boundaries of Jazz, Pop, and R&B have made him one of the most sought-after musicians in Contemporary Jazz.
Save the dates Sept 24th and Oct 8th because you don't want to miss these events.
About the Author Gregory Burrus
Gregory Burrus is a local live music producer, promoter, event planner, and community partner. He combines his extensive corporate business and technology expertise with his love of live music and being a strong community advocate.
Read more from Gregory Burrus:
https://www.jerseyindie.com/ji-blogger-gregory-burrus
https://patch.com/users/gregburrus
Join us at our live music events:
https://gregoryburrusproductions.com/events/
Recap our live music experiences:
What's Going On In My Neck of the Woods for June 2022
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Friday, June 3, 2022
What's happening all around our towns for June 2022. Please join us.
Jazzy Nights Presents a Gemini Birthday Celebration with MPack Music
Event Details: Friday, 6/3, 7-10 PM, Gemini Celebration featuring MPack Live with Lynette Sheard at South Valley BBQ and Lounge, Outdoor Patio, West Orange, NJ
Are you a Gemini? Come join us and have some birthday celebration fun with us at the new South Valley BBQ and Lounge luxurious new outdoor patio. Open to all with a new start time of 7PM. Bring a friend, family member, someone you just met, and let’s have some dancing fun. Register and make your reservation here and let us know you are coming or just show up for first come first serve seating availability. Prior events were sold out, so come early and get your seat, and let's dance!
Free, Open to Public:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jazzy-nights-presents-a-gemini-birthday-celebration-with-mpack-music-tickets-350663212107
Seton Village ArtBender / SoundBender
Event Details: Saturday, 6/4, 11-4 PM, ArtBender / SoundBender Art and Live Music All Around Town, ArtBender Event SoundBender at Seton Village, South Orange, NJ
ArtBender is a celebration of creativity and self-expression, happening in and around South Orange, NJ on June 4, 2022 (rain date June 5). Community members are encouraged to gather at “creativity hubs” by starting communal projects in neighborhoods throughout the town. Local businesses are also encouraged to host an arts event. Past ArtBender events have included painting, chalk street art, poetry writing, and live music and dance performances.
Click to learn more:
https://www.facebook.com/events/782725869755494
Smooth Jazz at The Woodland
Event Details: Saturday, 6/4, 8-10 PM, Jazz Funk Soul feat. Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp & Paul Jackson Jr. at The Woodland, Maplewood, NJ
Produced by Smooth Jazz New Jersey / Maplewood Arts & Culture, this supergroup can whisk your mind away with Jazz, humble your heart with Soul, and make your foot stomp with Funk. When describing the performance of “Jazz Funk Soul '' featuring 2018 Grammy-winner Jeff Lorber and Grammy nominees Everette Harp and Paul Jackson Jr., you’re talking about the real thing in adult contemporary music.
Purchase tickets at:
https://smoothjazznj.com/
"Juneteenth: Images Triumphant" at the West Orange Arts Council
Event Details: Saturday, 6/18, 2-3:30 PM, Live Music by Lynette Sheard & the James Austin Jr. Trio, "Juneteenth: Images Triumphant" at the West Orange Arts Council, West Orange, NJ
The “Juneteenth: Images Triumphant” art exhibition features the work of West Orange Arts Council members Dwight Carter (photography), Anthony Gartmond (drawings), Glendora Simonson (quilts), and Gabrielle Smith (quilts). A Juneteenth reception will take place on Saturday, June 18 from 12-4pm, featuring music produced by Gregory Burrus Productions with performances by Lynette Sheard Live featuring the James Austin Trio. The reception is supported by The Essex County (NJ) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.”
Learn more:
https://woarts.org/blog-post/juneteenth-images-triumphant-june-4-july-9-2022/
Community Art Project Celebration and Unveiling
Event Details: Sunday, 6/19, 2-4 PM, Dre Barnes Trio, SOPAC Juneteenth Holiday, South Orange, NJ
Join us in the SOPAC Lobby for the grand unveiling of the Juneteenth Community Art Project that was created at the painting event on June 17. Live music with Dre Barnes Trio. Light bites and refreshments will be available.
Learn More:
Barry Harris Institute of Jazz Presents
Event Details: Sunday, 6/26, 3-6 PM, location TBA. The Barry Harris Institute of Jazz Presents the Richard Clements / Murray Wall 11th Street Bar Band featuring James Austin Jr, along with special guests including the Barry Harris Jazz Chorus, Phillip Bingham, and others.
Learn more:
City of Orange Farmers Market Returns June 29
Event Details: Wednesday, 6/29, 12-5 PM, MPack R&B Jam. Come sing, come play, join in, every Wed. at the Orange Farmers Market at Hickory & S Main St, City of Orange, NJ
Produced by the City of Orange Division of Recreation, the City of Orange Farmers Market returns on June 29. Join us on the grass across from McDonald’s, every Wednesday from noon to 5PM. Bring your tune or your instrument and join us.
Learn more:
Cranford Summer Sounds Returns June 30, Every Thursday, Eastman Clock Plaza Park
Event Details: Thursday, 6/30, 6-8:30 PM, Stuff Brothers, Summer Sounds every Thursday at Eastman Clock Plaza Park, N Union Ave, Cranford, NJ
Produced by Downtown Cranford, grab a bite from a local restaurant and pull up a park bench for these special Thursday evening concerts in downtown Cranford. The streets come alive with a different sound from local artists each week. Performances take place at Eastman Clock Plaza.
Learn More:
About the Author Gregory Burrus
Gregory Burrus is a local live music ambassador, producer, promoter, event planner, and community partner. He combines his extensive corporate business and technology expertise with his love of live music and being a strong community advocate.
I love writing about it all. My mission is to help community groups, live music bands, and local nonprofits reach their goals and accomplish their missions while enjoying the day-to-day process of life.
https://gregoryburrusproductions.com/events/
Return of the South Orange Undercover Festival 2022 — Super Well Attended and Very Enjoyable!
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Even with a rain delay and all that goes into rescheduling a festival of this size, the Under Cover Music Fest (UCMF) roared back into town on Sunday, May 15, 2022 with a huge impact. This event was produced by South Orange Downtown (SODT) and presented by Mark Murphy’s Music and Pollock Properties Group of Keller Williams. The expected 1,000 music lovers of all ages came out to the Sloan St. parking lot throughout the day and enjoyed an afternoon of FREE live music, a very lively and bustling beer garden, along with selected food vendors. But first, the music.
Talking to Mark Murphy, the presenting sponsor and owner of Mark Murphy’s Music, it was obvious he was very excited for the return of the Under Cover Festival and mentioned, “We all need this opportunity to get together, celebrate and listen to some great music in the heart of South Orange.” Well, the music was fantastic.
The Deadful Greats opened up strong, covering everything about the Grateful Dead. The Grateful Dead remained among the highest-grossing American touring acts for multiple decades and gained a committed fanbase by word-of-mouth and the exchange of live recordings due to the band's permissive stance on taping. Today, they played the best of the 70’s Grateful Dead. This group, the Deadful Greats, are a local group that has been pleasing audiences all around Northern New Jersey with their talent for years now, and they did not disappoint us. These are talented performers helping to keep the band's legacy and music alive, well, and vibrant. They did a wonderful job and brought their own unique style to this performance by bringing to life the words and melodies we all remember oh so well.
Next up was the Karl Latham Big Fun(k) Group covering Herbie Hancock, the 14-time GRAMMY Award-winner and Academy Award-winner, and internationally renowned pianist and composer. Talking about covering Herbie Hancock, I found out the day before in my conversation with Don Braden that he was on tour in Amman, Jordan with the great Herbie Hancock. Well, closer to home, Karl Latham and his band of awesome professionals — Bob Magnus on sax, Oscar Perez on keys, and Gary Foote on bass — were simply funkified and masterful. As audience member and music events producer Norman Mann stated: “These cats were excellent and off the chain. Just fabulous.”
Continuing the live music was Vivienne Frederick & Mark Murphy’s Music Faculty Band, and the audience loved their renditions of some of Stevie Wonder's most popular songs. Stevie Wonder is the singer-songwriter and musician who is credited as a pioneer and was influenced by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz.
Vivienne Frederick, a senior at Columbia High School, is headed this fall to the University of Miami (FL) to study music and has been with Mark Murphy's Music since she was young. This was a special farewell performance for Viv with the MMM Faculty Band as they played the electrifying music of Stevie Wonder. She has a beautiful melodic voice, and along with the Mark Murphy's Music Facility Band they did a superlative job in covering her childhood singing influence, Stevie Wonder.
Continuing the live music explosion was the rising star and always-on-point Autumn Jones and her band covering Lauryn Hill. Covering Lauren Hill was perfect for her because as she says the soulful R&B she creates is an expression of her life experiences as told through her stories, expressed in each of her songs. In covering Lauren Hill, this singer-songwriter with a strong vocal technique and songwriting capabilities did justice big time for the Lauren Hill fans. In addition, she brought along a band that performed some exquisite solos that were magical to listen to, and the overall performance was loudly applauded by all.
On stage next was the Dustin Kaufman band covering Phil Collins, who is an English drummer, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for his tenure as the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis.
Dustin Kaufman and his band were a great choice to perform our favorite Phil Collins tunes. The band was definitely on point with the music, and combined with a swinging vocalist who came in from California they had many in the audience singing along. Together, they provided some wonderful memories of Phil Collins tunes that will last for a long time to come.
Last but not least, it was time to hear some of the best music from one of the most legendary bands of all time. Charlie Pollock and Friends covered Led Zeppelin, an English rock band formed in London in 1968 that was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the best-selling music artists of all time. At the Under Cover Music Fest, it was time to relive the glory days of Led Zeppelin with Charlie Pollock and Friends. Charlie stated previously about covering Zepplin, “The greatest mountain to climb for a supergroup is the legendary Led Zeppelin! The best players, the hardest riffs, the weirdest lyrics and the most awesome fashion. Zeppelin has it all.”
Well, Charlie Pollock (seen on Broadway shows 9 to 5, David Bowie’s Lazarus, and Pretty Woman) and Friends performed beautifully as they sang a number of entertaining tunes that took the huge crowd back to many days gone by. The band provided a very lively and wonderful close to an enjoyable day of live music.
The beer garden was laid out nicely along one side of the Sloan Street parking lot ending at Fox & Falcon, which served as a food source on-site alongside Miti Miti, and both served the food in a very timely manner. One thing I was asked a lot was: “Where are all the other food vendors?” Seems folks once sitting or laid out on the ground did not want to venture afar. Other than that, people enjoyed themselves as they filled up from the available fare for purchase or negotiated a trip to an outside location.
There were even kids activities provided by select participants to keep children entertained while parents enjoyed the music. Security was visible at every entrance point so everyone could enjoy themselves safely.
As mentioned previously, the festival was previously held on Sloan Street, and moving it into the Sloan Street parking lot was a wonderful, widely successful move. People came out in droves with lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy themselves as they watched these wonderful artists perform music from our early days.
About the Author Gregory Burrus
Gregory Burrus is a local live music ambassador, producer, promoter, event planner, and community partner. He combines his extensive corporate business and technology expertise with his love of live music and being a strong community advocate.
I love writing about it all. My mission is to help community groups, live music bands, and local nonprofits, reach their goals and accomplish their missions while enjoying the day-to-day process of life.
https://gregoryburrusproductions.com/events
https://www.jerseyindie.com/ji-blogger-gregory-burrus
https://patch.com/users/gregburrus