Montclair Bassist-Composer-Educator Christian McBride has won eight Grammy Awards. His appearance in The Jersey Sound documentary cements his rep as a man for all seasons. Now he holds down the bottom for Chicago alto saxophonist Sharel Cassity on her brilliant new record for the Sunnyside label.

It’s free, walkable and radical. Imagine a music festival where artists perform on people’s front porches at house after house. The concept of the front porch as musical stage will transpire in Montclair, Essex County, May 17.

Maybe he’ll bring his guitar. The Wentworth Gallery of Essex County in Short Hills will host British singer-songwriter-painter-raconteur Elvis Costello, 70, as he debuts his collection of fine art tomorrow, May 3, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The 12^th annual Jersey City Jazz Festival—with both free and ticketed shows—will take place May 30 and 31 on the Hudson River waterfront with its three stages, a “community zone,” food trucks, bars, a “V.I.P. Experience” and a parade. There are also events scheduled on May 27, 28 & 29 in anticipation of the weekend’s festivities.

Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla has announced May 18 as the date for the annual free Hoboken Arts and Music Festival. In a prepared release, the Mayor stipulated “we are excited to welcome Brenda K. Starr, an internationally renowned artist, to headline this year’s festival and bring her incredible talent to the city.

Much has been made in this space about the Paterson Vivino Brothers Jimmy and “Uncle” Floyd. Their brother Jerry Vivino, though, plays a mighty sax. He appears in The Jersey Sound documentary and tomorrow night will be blowing long and strong in Bethel, Connecticut, at La Zingara with his quintet.

As part of the 2025 Ross Farm Music Series on North Maple Avenue in Basking Ridge, Ross Farm Jazz happens May 17 from 2:00 in the afternoon to 8:00 at night with funky West Orange guitar player Dave Stryker who made a batch of new fans when he opened for Steely Dan last year.

Wiggins Park will rock long and loud September 19, 20  & 21 when the 32^nd Annual XPoNential Music Festival takes over Camden this year. Between the two stages, plus a children’s area for various activities, and the multiple food and drink vendors, this prime event that Philadelphia radio station WXPN presents every year promises, again, to be a doozy.

There’s an art gallery on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair called The Space Gallery. Its Director, Naz Botas, has instituted a new live music series—heavy on worldbeat—called “The Space For Music” which debuted last Saturday with percussionist-composer-educator April Centrone and her Neesan ensemble performing psychedelic versions of folk-rock from Lyria, Israel and Lebanon.

As previously reported, the Box Of The Year comes June 27 when Tracks II: The Lost Albums will contain seven complete never-before-heard Springsteen albums in one massive package. One of the albums is the highly anticipated 10-track Streets Of Philadelphia Sessions.

The 60 nominees in six categories for the 2025 New Jersey Hall of Fame induction ceremony later this year have been announced. You can vote as of now by using the link below (which contains capsule biographies on all 60.) You have until April 15.

The year was 1956. Roosevelt Stadium at Droyer’s Point in Jersey City was a minor-league baseball park open since 1937. It was torn down in 1985 to make room for the Society Hill housing development. Before that, it hosted hundreds of great rock concerts by the likes of Alice Cooper, Rod Stewart, J. Geils Band, Kinks, Santana, Joe Cocker, Allman Brothers, ELP, Eagles, Yes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Doobies, Kiss, Bob Seger and dozens more. Then came the infamous press conference by Jersey City Mayor Bernie Berry and Commissioner Larence A.

German label Ear Music has re-mastered and will re-release Revolutions Per Minute, the fifth album from Skid Row (originally from Toms River in Ocean County) on May 30.

Jem Records will release The Shroud of Touring: Live in 1985 on CD May 23. Recorded at The Tradewinds in Sea Bright, this sole Bongos live album was originally intended for an RCA Memorial Day ’85 release but has somehow remained unreleased until now.

British label Ace Records will release Springsteen’s Country on May 30. The label had previously released in 2022 Ladies Sing The Boss with The Patti Smith Group, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Bettye LaVette, The Cowboy Junkies, Darlene Love, Lucy Dacus, Jessie Kennedy, Deana Carter, Solas, Piney Gir, Soccer Mommy, Moa Holmsten, Hem, Shovels & Rope, Thea Gilmore, Kerry Hart, Anna Calvi and Aoife O’Donovan.

Jessie Wagner has been the “Voice-In-Demand” for Lenny Kravitz, Chic and Duran Duran, but when she stepped out solo from her vocal perch in Little Steven & The Disciples Of Soul, it resulted in her 2020 Shoe’s Droppin’ debut on Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool label. She followed that up with her exquisite rendition of Soloman Burke’s 1962 “Cry To Me” in May of ’23. Now comes news that her long-anticipated follow-up album—originally slated for last year—will land April 25.

A hint as to the direction of the upcoming album by The Spins can be heard on “It’s Me,” the new single from this Warren County band.

Deep in the bowels of Passaic County, Frog March has set an ambitious plan in motion. Recording in their home studios for about a decade, the alt-rock band from Pompton Lakes has morphed into dance-pop territory with plans to release a series of upbeat singles. 

The lineup has been announced for The Garden State Arts Foundation’s FREE concert series at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel. It all starts on May 8 at 1:30 in the afternoon with The Duke Ellington Orchestra under the direction of Duke’s son, Mercer Ellington.

It's already been in movie theaters but starting April 29, Janis Ian: Breaking Silence will be available on streaming services. In the film, directed by a British filmmaker Varda Bar-Kar, Arlo Guthrie, Lily Tomlin, Joan Baez and others sing her praises. Packed with film clips of the various eras in which she rose to become an icon, it’s a testament to her bravery in the face of unbelievable hatred and ignorance.