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Showing music results: From 1896 to 1906


Jazz at Smoke: Saxophonist Billy Harper Celebrates John Coltrane

by Jay Sweet
published 2023-01-02

Billy Harper is a saxophonist and composer of incredible talent who came to notoriety around the time John Coltrane's life and career abruptly ended. While influenced by saxophonists like Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, Harper is in no way an imitator. His often lengthy improvisations and compositions showcase an interpersonal style and a heightened sense of experimentalism that is enhanced by his signature tone and extreme creativity. From January 5-8, Harper will showcase his talent during a celebration of his 80th Birthday at New York’s Smoke Jazz & Supper Club as part of its annual John Coltrane Festival. His group will include Josh Evans on trumpet, Benito Gonzalez on piano, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. In a recent conversation, Harper explained that, “the show will be a real presentation of my compositions."  




 

Catching Up With Ronnie Brandt

by Gary Wien
published 2022-12-30

Ronnie Brandt is an Americana artist from the Jersey Shore who founded Childrens Educational Assemblies, an organization that lets him perform music and teach children about musical greats like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. He's famous for wearing a cowboy hat, but his roots in the Asbury Park scene go back further than most people realize. In this interview, we catch up with the Jersey Shore cowboy.



​​​​​​​Makin Waves Top 10 Jersey Independent Songs of 2022

by Bob Makin
published 2022-12-30

Here’s a look at what I thought were the 10 best songs released in 2022 by independent New Jersey artists, plus an Apple Music playlist of the 25 songs that were considered for the list. The songs are 2022 singles and previously unreleased album tracks. 



Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Evolution" by Alex Tea

by Bob Makin
published 2022-12-30

The aim of Alex Tea’s Jan. 17-bound LP, “Evolution,” is to see how the veteran Jersey City reggae artist has evolved throughout the course of several singles released since 2020. 



Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...12/29/22

by Danny Coleman
published 2022-12-29

“Other than Postell, for the rest of us it's been 50 plus years of playing together and finally coming together as a band again was pretty cool; it's still pretty cool," laughed bassist Leland Sklar of The Immediate Family as he discussed their formation, longevity, writing style and upcoming show at the Count Basie Center/Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre in Red Bank, NJ on January 12, 2023. 
















 

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