New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu


?>

 

SHOW REVIEW: James Dalton at Borders


By Gary Wien

originally published: 04/21/2007


(APRIL 16, 2007 - EATONTOWN, NJ) -- WBJB (90.5 FM) presented the second in its "Emerging Artists" series at the Borders in Eatontown on April 16th. James Dalton, aka JPAT, was on hand for the CD release of Butterflies and Passerbyes" his latest CD and first on the AERIA label.

James Dalton recently returned from Europe where he seems to spend most of his time these days. It's a shame that he's probably more respected over there than in his backyard (isn't that always the case?) because he is truly at the top of his game with this latest batch of songs.

His set started with mandolin in hand for the tunes "As I Am" followed by "Alafaya Mama" from the new CD.

"I wanted to make this album all about my emotions," said Dalton. "This is one of the more melancoly tunes. It's called 'Somewhere With You.'"

He's one of the few artists that can easily start a conversation with the audience or quickly break into a story. And with performances around the world, he's got a lot of material to work with. He joked about a tour of China he did where he was one of about three harmonica players in the entire city of Shanghai and was known simply as 'The Harmonica Guy.'

Before playing "All Across The Cities" - one of my favorite songs on the album - he said, "This is a love song for New York City. I guess that proves that even though he loves travelling, he's still an East Coast guy at heart.




Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



At one point he apologized for his voice (which needed no apology) which he thought was affected by a "Soy Mickie" that was dropped into his shake instead of the Rice Milk he ordered. Being alergic to soy, he quickly noticed something was wrong about a half hour later. A woman in the audience actually gave a shout out for Rice Milk proving that you never can tell when a shout out is going to occur!

"This is one of my more personal tunes," he said before playing the brilliant "House That My Grandfather Built" in front of some family members who would be hearing the song for the very first time. It was James Dalton truly baring his soul on stage - the way he always does when he's on his game - and it was one of the best performances I've ever seen him do. I think travelling around the world and playing in front of so many different audiences - some who understood him and some who couldn't understand what he was singing due to language differences - has helped James grow as an artist in ways even he is just starting to understand.

Only a man like James Dalton could so easily blend stories from Scandavia into his act. Hell, only JPAT could say something like "I just got back from Finland" and actually mean it! Life certainly has been interesting for this boy from Bayhead, but he hasn't forgotten about the little things.

"I imploy you to go and order something from the cafe because as much as we all want this to be about the music we know it's really about them making money!" he said.

Several of the songs performed from the new CD had never been played live before. One song, "Senator's Square" needed the aid of his lyric book. It's a short song that is hauntingly beautiful and proves you don't need to write songs 4 or 5 minute long to create an entire story.

Closing out the show, he said. "This is a song about being from the Jersey Shore and falling in love with all of these North Jersey and New York City chicks. There's nothing too deep about it, it's just a happy song I guess," before launching into "Come Back To The Jersey Shore."

All in all James Dalton played 10 songs; nine originals and a wonderful cover of Van Morrison's "Into The Mystic" for Leo Zaccari of 90.5 The Night who is running the series. Highlights included "Somewhere With You", "All Across The Cities", "Make It Happen", "House That My Grandfather Built" and "The Dancer".




Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



The Borders' Cafe makes a perfect setting for these acoustic shows and both Borders and WBJB should be commended for introducing a new place for local artists to perform at and reach audiences that may not have ever heard them play before. The series, which had its debut in April with Rick Barry, features one local musician each month. Future shows include Matt O'Ree in May and Val Emmich in July. All shows are free for the public.

For some photographs from the show go to:
http://www.upstagemagazine.com/photos/photos.php?directory=JamesDalton-Borders


Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station The Penguin Rocks. He can be contacted at gary@newjerseystage.com.

FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Lynette

Lynette Sheard - ​​​​​​​Gatsby Reimagined

Thursday, July 24, 2025 @ 7:30pm
The Morris Museum Back Deck
6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 

Back

Back to the Eighties Show with Jessie’s Girl

Thursday, July 24, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 

2025

2025 Classic Albums Live - Prince’s Purple Rain

Friday, July 25, 2025 @ 8:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music


 

Sahara

Sahara Moon

Friday, July 25, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music


 

Alexis

Alexis Suter Band

Saturday, July 26, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music


 


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Maestro

Maestro Jason Tramm and the MidAtlantic Philharmonic present A Salute to the Silver Screen

(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association presents A Salute to the Silver Screen on Saturday, July 26, 2025 at 7:00pm in the Great Auditorium. Join Maestro Jason Tramm and the MidAtlantic Philharmonic for a spectacular concert celebrating iconic film scores—from the epic drama of Ben Hur to the magic of Star Wars—all in the breathtaking acoustics of the Great Auditorium.



Stroudfest

Stroudfest 2025 Returns to Downtown Stroudsburg for a Day of Music, Food, and Community

(STROUDSBURG, PA) -- The 19th annual Stroudfest is happening on Saturday, August 30, 2025, from 11:00am to 6:00pm, and you're invited to join the party in the heart of Downtown Stroudsburg. This end-of-summer celebration has become a local tradition, drawing thousands of people for a full day of live music, great food, local shopping, and community.



Bees

Bees Deluxe to Headline Lizzie Rose Music Room; Renee Maskin to Open

(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The British/Boston blues sensation, Bees Deluxe returns to The Lizzie Rose Music Room on Friday, August 15, 2025. Back by popular demand, the band has played at Lizzie Rose with the legendary Mike Zito and Joanne Connor. Now, they headline the evening with Asbury Park singer songwriter Renee Maskin opening.



Newark

Newark to Host Annual Latin Festival on August 17th

(NEWARK, NJ) -- Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Deputy Mayor for Community Engagement Jacqueline Mercado-Quiles, and the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery (OVPTR) will host the Annual Latin Festival on Sunday, August 17, 2025 from noon to 10:00pm, on Bloomfield Avenue between Lake Street and Clifton Avenue, in Newark's North Ward.



The

The Masterworks Choir presents "Singing Hearts"

(OCEAN CITY, NJ) -- The Masterworks Choir presents "Singing Hearts," featuring works by Rutter, Chilcott, Consolacion, Nestor, Vaughan Williams, Bernstein, Copland and more, with a special performance by The Masterworks Summer Bell Choir, on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church. Showtime is 7:30pm.