Rachel Carlson, Director of Choral and Vocal Activities at Kean University, launched the Community Chorale initiative three years ago in an effort to get students, alumni and locals together every week to sing. Her ensemble with local high schools performs twice-yearly. On Dec. 7, at Enlow Recital Hall in Hillside, singers from Newark Arts High School will perform FOR FREE.

Vocals Extraordinaire! Singing songs from its current Joy To The World album, Grammy Award-winning acapella group Chanticleer—formed in San Francisco 47 years ago—celebrates the holiday by singing their hearts out Dec. 6 downtown Newark at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on Center Street. Their innovative juxtapositioning of Renaissance motets, classic carols and contemporary compositions makes them unique.

Doors open at 1:30 for this unique day of music that they’re calling “A Festival of Expressionistic Instrumental & Experimental Sounds from the Tri-State area” at Prototype 237 in Paterson. Complete with food and venders, the artists are Garcia Peoples, Emily Robb, Emergency Group, Drew Gardner, Seawind of Battery, The Royal Arctic Institute, Ernie Francestine and David Bales.

It’s a great time to see Renaissance Man Glenn Alexander and his top-notch, tight-as-nails everything band Shadowland. With holidays in the air, Glenn’s sheer might and majesty on electric guitar will rock your socks off and he has The Asbury Jukes horn section pumping away behind him as well as the terrific vocalist they call simply Oria.

Ten albums into his career (starting with his 1992 It’s A Guitar Thing debut), Filipino guitarist-composer-educator Ron Jackson, 61, will bring his trio to Teaneck on Cedar Lane Dec. 5. Jackson plays a six- and seven-string ax, and has performed all over the world, including Scotland, Newark, Israel and his home base of New York City. His current album, Standards and My Songs, was recorded exclusively on the 7-string. 

Annie Haslam and Jim McCarty will perform and tell the tales of British progressive-rock band Renaissance at the Newton Theatre on Spring Street at 8:00 p.m. The discussion will precede a visual presentation and a concert with members of both eras of the band’s history performing their classic songs together. Born from the ashes of The Yardbirds, McCarty and the Keith Relf [1943-1976] wanted to fuse folk and classical with their rock and when Haslam joined, the stage was set. This should be an extraordinary night!

Get ready for a night of Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones on North Avenue in Garwood at Crossroads Nov. 28 when Black Dog (pictured is Black Dog guitarist Dan Toto) and Stones tribute band Well Alright share the stage.

It’s always a party at a Tommy James concert. His voice is still solid 66 years into his Hall of Fame career (hint-hint). Those who go see him Nov. 22 in Englewood at the Bergen Performing Arts Center are guaranteed to rock out with their socks out. Maybe go “Barefootin’,” like that 1966 Robert Parker song. Now THERE’S a tune I’d love to hear TJ cover!  

Saxophonist-Educator Julius Tolentino will bring his quartet to Teaneck on Cedar Lane Nov. 21. He’s spent over 20 years in The Big Apple blowing with Louis Haye’s Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band, Natalie Cole, Connie Francis, Gloria Gaynor, Christian McBride, Illinois Jacquet, Michael Feinstein and the ghost bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. His Just The Beginning debut hit #8 in ’06.

On Nov. 21, the Concert Hall at Drew U in Madison will rock to the soul sounds of Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles plus more—including Stax Records acts—when the Motor City Review hits town. This 13-piece big-band is fronted by the exquisite Layonne Holmes from Matawan in Monmouth County. She’s already spiced up the music of Bon Jovi, Darlene Love and Ben E. King. It’s in her genes. Her mom, Delores Holmes, sang backup for Bruce.

They call him “The Bob Dylan Of Cuba.” The singer-songwriter has dedicated his 30-year career to “the problems of my people.” Banned in his native country, he maintains “words can transform. They can reach your soul and your heart. They can shake your bones. They can change your life, and that can’t be lost.” With him will be Jackson Browne, Diana Fuentes and Rodiogo Toscano.

On a Sunday afternoon at 3:00, the Chris DeVito Trio featuring bassist John Lenis and drummer Gavin Davies will perform with guitarist Sidd Suppiah at the Watchung Arts Center Nov. 16. After the show, a jam will ensue at 4:30. Pianist-Educator DeVito has been playing piano since age three. His solo gigs include a concert/lecture about legendary Harlem Stride piano man James P. Johnson [1894-1955], a major figure in the history of jazz whose early ragtime style directly and heavily influenced Basie, Ellington and Monk. (And, of course, James P. Johnson was from New Jersey.) 

Living Hour will be supporting its Internal Drone Infinity album by stopping in Lambertville at Soupcon Salon on November 15. It’s the fourth album for these indie-rock Canadians, and it features their new single “Texting.” Singer-Songwriter Sam Sarty explains: “The song was inspired by the process of trying to explain Winnipeg to someone over text. I used to drive a lot. Now I walk all over town. Things seem to slow down that way. I notice a lot more. I keep a list of things I see on my phone…like all the garbage.”

Herb Alpert once said that Newark’s own Savion Glover is to tap what Charlie Parker is to jazz. Glover will bring his drum set and tap shoes for a special afternoon dance performance at his hometown NJPAC on Nov. 15 downtown Newark. His new show is called “PROjECt9’ and includes a vocalist and three musicians as he taps his way across the stage like only he can.

South Jersey Native Joe Donnelly has been performing a satanic Black Sabbath feast for 25 years in his Sabbra Cadabra band. They will storm the stage at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway on Nov. 14 with Metallica Tribute Band Death Metallic opening. Jeff Mott of Sabbra Cadabra says the band “will be playing songs from the early Black Sabbath years with Ozzy. We all like the other, later variations of Black Sabbath, but nothing compares to those first albums with Ozzy on vocals. It was something brand new then. Those four guys, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and Ozzy Osbourne created something that had never been heard before. They invented Heavy Metal. Fans will experience echoes of that original vibe at the show.” 

The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music has announced the premiere screening of the 2025 American Music Honors event honoring John Fogerty, Tom Morello, Smokey Robinson, Emmylou Harris and Joe Ely that took place April 25.

It’s been said that nobody plays Beethoven and Schubert like British pianist Paul Lewis, 53, from Liverpool. Anthony Tommasini, writing in the New York Times, said, “there are many prized recordings of the Beethoven sonatas from past masters and current artists but if I had to recommend a single complete set, I would suggest Mr. Lewis’s distinguished recordings.” See for yourself when he takes the stage of Alexander Hall unaccompanied at Princeton University on Nov. 6.

On a Sunday afternoon at 3:00 in Madison at the Community Arts Center on Kings Road, the winners of the New Jersey Jazz Society’s 2025 Juried Scholarship competition will perform with NJJS Advisor-Educator-Saxophonist Don Braden (who doubles on flute) and his band of seasoned industry professionals on trombone (Mariel Bildsten), trumpet (Ted Chubb), bass (Mary Ann McSweeney) and drums (Alvester Garnett). The winners are saxophonists Joseph Foglia/Nate Tota, vocalists Kyra Cioffi/Sophia Varughese and composers Matthew Cline/Aiden Woods. (The six winners are from William Paterson University in Wayne and Princeton.)

We’ve all been to E Street to see the band. But have you been to B Street? It’s the same neighborhood so they play the same songs. Drew U in Madison on Nov. 1 will rock as this is the original Bruce Tribute band that has played almost 6,000 times. Denizens of E Street like Miami Steve, Mighty Max, the late Clarence Clemons and Bruce himself have jammed on B Street. 

Broadway pit cat Mark Gross leads his quartet to Teaneck on Cedar Lane Nov. 1 at Brvsh Cul7ur3. The Baltimore prodigy houses gospel, jazz, classical and rock’n’roll in his soul and it all comes out through his also sax. He’s well-versed on the music of Louis Jordan [1908-1975], was lead sax with the Jazz @ Lincoln Center All-Stars, and blew during Season #4 of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and the 2014 film Annie.

Crossroads on North Avenue in Garwood has been doing a Halloween event for the last six years. This year it’s emo-tinged so come dressed as your favorite failure and we can all sit around and feel sorry for ourselves. Just kidding. There’ll be a live band and a DJ.

Stevie Van Zandt will be 75 next month. To celebrate the occasion, The Stone Pony in Asbury Park will host a birthday party for him and his wife Maureen on Oct. 26 where he will be performing with members of The E Street Band, The Disciples Of Soul, plus Jesse Malin, Darlene Love and Gary “U.S.” Bonds. The show will benefit TeachRock, the innovative music education program he founded that will be awarding its “Star Teacher” Award on this night to Asbury Park public school teacher Casey Miles.

Asbury Juke lead guitarist Glenn Alexander will host his 10^th annual six-hour Pig Gig in Scotch Plains at the Italian-American Hall on Oct. 26 at 2:00 p.m. to benefit the Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation. Glenn’s nephew, Jay Alexander, died from the disease in 2011. Participating artists include Glenn’s band Shadowland, his Glenn and Oria father-daughter duo, The Weeklings, The Lonesome Pines and comedian Mike Marino. Besides contributing to a great cause, your ticket gets you “all of the roast pig, pulled pork, sausage and peppers, wings, hot dogs and side dishes you can eat and a bottomless beer/win/soft drink bar.”

Detroit Pianist-Arranger-Composer William Hill has worked with Christian McBride and Wynton Marsalis He’s gigged at The Kennedy Center in DC, as well as clubs in Singapore and Tokyo. His Keep It Movin’ has just been released. 

There’s just something exquisitely dramatic about a good ‘bone man. Dinah Washington called it that “big long sliding thing.” Composer-Arranger-Educator-Designer Marty Scott wields his trombone like a weapon. The Long Islander melds hard bop with soulful funk-swing and Latin. With JJ Johnson [1924-2001] as his main influence (like practically all working trombonists on the planet), he blows with authority and smarts.

Joy On fire is the sax-bass-drums trio from Trenton who traverses a dangerous line with no chords from either a guitar or piano to wrap the sound around…like a high-wire act with no safety net. Their meld of rock and jazz started in Baltimore and their States Of America reached #48 on the Roots Music Reports album chart. They will be performing with two other bands:  Thieves in Paris and Guesstimate.

Mudvayne’s “Hurt People Hurt People” on Alchemy Recordings was its first new music in 16 years. Now comes “Sticks and Stones.” Mudvayne—Chad Gray (vocals), Greg Tibbett (guitar), Ryan Martinie (drums) and Matthew McDonough (drums)—have taken to the road with Static-X and Vended opening. This loud evening will rattle the foundation of the Wellmont Theater on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair (plenty of great restaurants in walking distance). 

Phil Vassar was the 1999 Country Songwriter of the Year as named by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. His 2000 self-titled debut had five hit singles. The 2002 follow-up was a rollicking hoot as was his 2004 effort. After 19 hit singles, this Virginian singer-songwriter-pianist, at 62, is still at the top of his game with “Mississippi Remix.”

Psychedelic Los Angeles rockers The Third Mind are touring for the first time on the East Coast so, of course, they have to stop at Jersey City’s White Eagle Hall to spread some tracks from their new Right Now! (Yep Rock Records) on the smart ears of this room. Grammy winning singer-songwriter-guitarist-producer Dave Alvin of The Blasters formed this band with Victor Krummenacher of Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker. Then, when Counting Crows and John Hiatt guitarist David Immergluck joined with Richard Thompson/John Cale drummer Michael Jerome and vocalist Jesse Sykes, their stage was set.

Any event the entity known as Darkside New Jersey puts on is sure to blow your mind. On Oct. 18, at the N.J. Convention & Expo Center on Sunfield Road in Edison, things will get creepy for ten full hours starting at 10:00 in the morning. Promoted as “a darker, more immersive, and beautifully twisted experience,” over 175 curated vendors of the macabre and bizarre will include tattoo parlors, piercing, taxidermy, a “Mother Knows Death” podcast, Mrs. Angemi The Human Dissector, Horror Panels, Five-Breathing Sideshows, live music and an on-site masseuse.