Up Close

Interviews with Jersey icons and rising stars

Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Up-Close with The Jersey Sound Man David Schnirman

Sure, he could tell you about the time Meryl Streep introduced him to Paul McCartney, but West Orange sound man David Schnirman would rather talk about the sound itself. Dude’s an artist. He manipulates the levers and knobs of his complex sound board to make other artists sound their best.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

‘The Jersey Sound’ Documentary Gets Private Asbury Park Screening

The June 25 private screening of ‘The Jersey Sound’ documentary at The House Of Independents in Asbury Park was a resounding success. We ate, drank, laughed, cried and finally thrilled to the finished product. No amount of words can properly convey the chemistry, drive, good vibes and work ethic of the team that Executive Producer Randy Dominguez personally put together.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Tommy James: A Career Like No Other

It’s almost impossible to conceive an America without the noise Tommy James & The Shondells generated. Now Sony Publishing has granted him license to use whatever Beatle and Motown songs he wants to cover for use in future Hollywood films. We got the lowdown from the horse’s mouth as this thoroughbred was happy to let us know the info.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

The Mad Dog Speaks: Original E Street Drummer Vini Lopez

Has there ever been a more colorful, controversial figure within The Jersey Sound as Rock’n’Roll Hall Of Famer Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez, the original drummer for Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band? Now, on the precipice of Vini’s unfinished tell-all book, The Madman (his former nickname) tells it like it is, and how it should have been. Fired by Bruce in 1974, ostensibly for his explosive temper, Lopez tells a different story.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Chick Corea Shared His Inner Creative Soul on "Plays"

On Chick Corea’s 2-CD package, "Plays" (Concord), he needed no rhythm section, no blaring horns to make his points. His 10 fingers cascading wildly over the 88 keys of his piano creates new vistas of meaning to 300 years of compositional gems by varied composers. Corea explained the joy of making "Plays.”

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Levita D. Mondie Levita D. Mondie

A Conversation with Bassist Stanley Clarke at the Montreal Jazz Festival

In 2015, on the second evening of the largest jazz festival in the world, the downtown streets of Montreal around Place des Arts, Canada’s most sizable cultural and arts complex, are crowded with people pressed front to back taking in performances on outdoor stages. Stanley Clarke Band is performing at the Théâtre Maisonneuve. Our story begins here…

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

One-On-One With Jake Thistle

‘American Songwriter’ magazine recently likened Asbury Park singer-songwriter Jake Thistle to Jackson Browne, John Hiatt and Steve Forbert. Kid’s only 19. Between his lyrical prowess, his voice, his guitar and his messages, there’s certainly a lot to digest. We caught up with the promising star-in-the-making.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

One-on-One With Stone Temple Pilots Bassist Robert De Leo

There must be something in the air or the water when it comes to kids growing up in New Jersey. The De Leo Brothers went on to form Stone Temple Pilots in California but, as younger brother Robert says, when he was attending Point Pleasant High School in Ocean County, he breathed music night and day, all kinds of music. He couldn’t get enough of it.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Bob Santelli: Educating Future Generations

When people a hundred years from now read about American icons like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen, they’ll most likely be reading the words of Bob Santelli.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

The Aquarian Weekly

Back when the drinking age in New Jersey was 18, clubs all over the state exploded with bands of every imaginable genre from punk to pop, disco to country, metal to funk. The Aquarian Weekly was the glue that held the scene together.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

One-On-One With Ricky Byrd: “Don’t Bore Us, Get To The Chorus!”

Ricky Byrd may be in the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame as part of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, but he’s also been in the bands of Mott The Hoople’s Ian Hunter, The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. As a solo artist, he’s put out a string of Stones/Faces-inspired rock’n’roll that never fails to satisfy.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Katie Henry: On Her Way

Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Pianist Katie Henry, after a flirtation with blues-rock on her 2018 High Road debut, has settled into a rockin’ Americana groove on the follow-up, On My Way (Germany’s Ruf Records) where she casts off her former lovers like a snake shedding off skin.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Music History 101: Lenny White

Teaneck resident Lenny White has had a lot to do with moving the music forward in his illustrious career on the drums. After hitting it off with pianist Chick Corea, the two would ultimately change the face of modern music in the band Return To Forever.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Hall of Famer: Felix Cavaliere

Singer, Songwriter, Keyboardist, Felix Cavaliere, 77, is in so many different Hall of Fames, you need a scorecard to figure it all out.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Eddie Manion: Sax Man for the Ages

With a style reminiscent of the late Michael Brecker, he can get funky and syncopated, yet smooth and soulful. His sax is like a human voice and, man, does it sing!

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