By Bob Makin
originally published: 10/10/2025
The Makin Waves Song of the Week is “When It Rains,“ the latest single from Jersey Shore-raised singer-songwriter James Deely. PHOTO COURTESY OF BIG AMERICA RECORDS
On Oct. 20, Jersey Shore-raised singer-songwriter James Deely will release his latest album, “The Nashville Sessions.”
The LP’s latest single, “When It Rains,” is the Makin Waves Song of the Week.
As the Makin Waves Song of the Week, “When It Rains” also can be heard between 6 and 8 p.m. on Oct. 10 on “Radio Jersey” at ThePenguinRocks.com. If you miss it, you can tune in any time in the archives at The Penguin, Mixcloud and RadioJersey.net.
“‘When It Rains’ is an observation on how we can go for long stretches of time and nothing is happening, but then as fate would have it, when it finally does rain, it pours,” he continued. “A deluge of biblical proportions!”
While longtime J.D. pal Bruce Tunkel produced “When It Rains” and mastered “The Nashville Sessions” in Branchburg, the rest of the album was produced in Nashville by Grammy winner Doc Holiday, one of the founders of the Sounds of Asbury Park (SOAP) organization before he relocated to Music City.
“Early last year, I received a call from famed Nashville producer, Doc Holiday,” J.D. said. “He had heard my song ‘Nashville's Finest,’ and said those magic words, ‘Come on down to Nashville and let’s make a record.’ So off I went, to Sony Studios in Nashville, and in walks the bass player, (E Streeter) Garry Tallent, who I knew from my days at Shore Fire Recording Studios in Long Branch. So we cut ‘Nashvilles Finest,’ and it was so much fun, I had to have more, more, more! So I went back down a few more times and recorded an album!
To be released on J.D.’s Big America Records, the album also features guitarists Eric "Roscoe" Ambel (Steve Earle, The Del-Lords), Dale Martin Herr (“The Simpsons,” “That ‘70s Show”), and Johnny Waken (Norman Nardini), vocalists Layonne Holmes (Matt O’Ree, Darlene Love) and Judy Tint (Steve Conte, Eric Burdon), organist-pianist Jeff Kazze (Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes), and drummer Pete Barnett, the original skinsman for James Deely & the Valiants, J.D.’s late, great Jersey Shore band.
They were recorded by Bobby Bradley (k.d. lang, Loretta Lynn) at Sony Music in Nashville. The album was mixed by Joe Joseph DeMaio at Shorefire Recording Studios.
The album’s artwork was done by Bruce Tunkel’s Red House band mate Robert Nicol of Square Mellon Art Design, and a lyric video was created by Neil Jolma of Wisconsin-based Skyline Drone.
Check out “The Nashville Sessions” when it drops Oct. 20 at Bandcamp.
Bob Makin has produced Makin Waves since 1988. Follow Makin Waves on Facebook and contact Bob at [email protected].
About the author:
New Jersey Stage is proud to be the home of Bob Makin's Makin Waves column since 2017. His Song of the Week column comes out every Friday. He also writes an Album of the Month and Interview of the Month as well.
EVENT PREVIEWS
WBJB's Songwriters on the Beach series presents Nicole Atkins on August 27th
(BRADLEY BEACH, NJ) -- WBJB's Songwriters on the Beach presents Nicole Atkins on Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 7:00pm. Cory Blair will open the night. The free outdoor concert takes place at the Newark Avenue Beach in Bradley Beach. ** The show was rescheduled from July 16th due to the Air Quality Alert issued across New Jersey.
51st Annual New Jersey Folk Festival to Take Place August 29th
(SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The New Jersey Folk Festival (NJFF) is back for the 51st year on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at Davidson's Mill Pond Park in South Brunswick. The event is free and open to the public. It runs from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
The Strand presents Matt Stone as Elvis on August 29th
(LAKEWOOD, NJ) -- Most 22-year-olds are chasing the next trend, scrolling through TikTok, and binging Love Island. Matt Stone has spent the last decade looking in the opposite direction.
McCarter Theatre Center presents Mei Semones on September 4th
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre Center presents Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Mei Semones in the Berlind Theatre on Friday, September 4, 2026 at 7:30pm. Drawing on her background in jazz guitar and her Japanese heritage, she blends inventive harmonies, intricate rhythms, and bilingual lyricism into a sound that is both intimate and exploratory.
51st NJ Clearwater Festival to Take Place Labor Day Weekend in Asbury Park
(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Friends of Clearwater invites everyone to start their Labor Day Weekend at its free 51st Annual Clearwater Festival Saturday September 5, 2026, a late summer, family-friendly celebration of great live music, Mother Earth and more in Sunset Park near the ocean in Asbury Park.
The Machine performs Pink Floyd at The Newton Theatre on September 5th
(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Machine Performs Pink Floyd on Saturday, September 5, 2026 at the Newton Theatre. The band has forged a nearly 40 year reputation of extending the musical legacy of Pink Floyd. Showtime is 8:00pm.
MPAC presents Melissa Etheridge: Rise Tour on September 9th
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) presents Melissa Etheridge: Rise Tour on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 7:30pm. Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Etheridge has remained one of America's favorite female singers for more than two decades.
Prudential Center presents Ella Langley on September 10th
(NEWARK, NJ) -- It's been a landmark year for Ella Langley. Fresh off a sweep at the ACM Awards where she won all seven awards she was nominated for, two recent American Music Award wins, and being the soundtrack of the summer for a trio of German fans on Twitter traveling through America during the World Cup. Ella continues one of the most dominant runs in music. She brings The Dandelion Tour to the Prudential Center in Newark on September 10, 2026 at 7:00pm. Special guests ERNEST and Gabriella Rose will open the night.
The Soundtrack of Resilience: Explore Music's Role in Post-9/11 America at the Lacey Library
(FORKED RIVER, NJ) -- In honor of Patriot Day, the Lacey Branch of the Ocean County Library will host "The Soundtrack of Resilience: Music and 9/11" on Thursday, September 10, 2026. The event begins at 2:00pm.
Tony Award Nominee Joshua Henry to open Kean Stage's 2026-2027 season
(HILLSIDE, NJ) -- Kean Stage is thrilled to announce that Joshua Henry, three-time Tony nominee and star of Lincoln Center Theater's Ragtime, will open their 2026-2027 season with two performances of his show Get Up, Stand Up! on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm at Enlow Recital Hall (215 North Avenue) in Hillside.
FEATURED EVENTS
