Keeping Jazz Alive - New Brunswick Jazz Project at Tavern on George

By Gregory Burrus | Posted Sunday, January 23, 2022

Since my mission is keeping live music thriving, I love encountering others that are very focused on that mission. In Segment 2 of Keeping Jazz Alive, we hear from a group of folks who are extremely passionate about keeping Jazz alive. 

“Live performance opportunities dried up everywhere in the country — but NBJP was fortunate enough to be able to continue presenting during most of the ‘dark days.’“  — New Brunswick Jazz Project

In New Brunswick, NJ Jazz is alive and kicking along George Street. One very special place is Tavern on George, a bi-level pub with live jazz & a grand, open-timbered dining room serving burgers & housemade donuts.

Tavern on George, 361 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901. For reservations, call 732-545-6205.

Jazz Programs

There is live Jazz every Tuesday and Thursday from 7-10 pm. Bringing Great Jazz to Central Jersey. Live, straight-ahead jazz is presented weekly.  

"The New Brunswick Jazz Project is quickly becoming New Jersey's freshest jazz presenters..." —The Star-Ledger

Live Jazz Music 

What's happening here is a very hard-working, very focused group that continues to produce some very serious jazz. As we all hope we are coming out of various versions of this pandemic, live music has suffered and is still suffering, yet there are groups like NBJP that have set themselves up to survive and thrive.  

“The New Brunswick Jazz Project has created a real jazz scene and now regularly draws guests from all over the state, as well as New York and Pennsylvania, to Central Jersey to enjoy this quintessential, uniquely American music.”  —The Star-Ledger

I contacted one of the NBJP founders, Virginia DeBerry, and she supplied some thoughts from the founders of the New Jersey Jazz Project.  Of course, it's about jazz music, and hence, I improvised along the way with some great live music for your listening pleasure. 

New Brunswick Jazz Project founders Jimmy Lenihan, Virginia DeBerry, and Michael Tublin.

VIRGINIA DEBERRY: 2022 marks the 12th year that the New Brunswick Jazz Project has been presenting weekly live jazz performances in New Brunswick, and considering how challenging 2020-2021 was for everyone, we are thrilled to still be around. 

New Brunswick Jazz Project Interview - How New Brunswick Became a Hub for Jazz Music. Take a listen.

We did Facebook live streams from musicians' homes in March and April 2020 — the early days of the pandemic — and by May, the city of New Brunswick and New Brunswick City Center had rallied around the restaurants and downtown businesses and almost everyone moved outside onto streets that were closed to vehicular traffic. Tables were socially distant, masks were required.

Nat Adderley on Tavern on George, Aug. 2020.

We were able not only to present musicians at Tavern on George, our main venue, but at many other places in town. Everyone was looking for a way to "draw" customers, and live jazz was what they offered. As a result, in the midst of the lockdown, we had one of the busiest springs and summers we’ve ever had. When summer passed and the temperature dropped, Tavern on George erected a giant tent right on George Street which remained closed to traffic. 

New Brunswick closes George Street to expand outdoor dining.

They had propane heaters throughout the tent, and we were able to keep the music going all winter long. I dare say, NBJP presented more live jazz than anyone in the tri-state (perhaps the whole country) during that time. Venues in NYC and Philly were closed, musicians were looking to play somewhere outside of their homes, and we were able to offer them an outlet... and an audience.

New Brunswick Jazz Project - Swingadelic at Tavern on George.

During that time, and really always, our audiences were supportive and grateful. We gave people somewhere to go and something safe to do outside of their homes. I can't count the number of thank you’s we received from the audience and from the musicians. 

This week's #jazz performances at Tavern on George are Thursday, Jan. 28 — Jerry Weldon Music, and Sunday, Jan. 31 — Dave Mosko. #newbrunswicknj

A friend of mine said at this time that we are in a period of ‘never again’ and ‘not yet.’ Things will ‘never again’ be the way they were — the pandemic has changed us all. But we are ‘not yet’ at whatever will be our new normal. Going forward, I think the key to managing whatever our new normal turns out to be is to remain flexible, to improvise… it is jazz after all.

— Virginia, Jimmy & Mike

"Jazz is an open-ended music designed for open minds.” — Anonymous

So What’s Next? You Can Support The Cause

Follow the New Brunswick Jazz Project at www.facebook.com/newbrunswickjazzproject.

“New Brunswick has now become a destination for jazz." ~ The New York Times

Event Calendar 

You Can Attend an Event 
https://nbjp.org/events/month

Support The Cause

You Can Donate 
https://nbjp.org/sponsor-us-nbjp-org-npo/ 

Jazz Program Contact

Contact Them and Learn About How You Can Help. 

1. Virginia DeBerry 

2. Jimmy Lenihan, 

3. Michael Tublin

Comment

New Brunswick Jazz Project produces and hosts the annual New Brunswick Festival  

About the Author

Gregory Burrus books bands, produces, promotes, captures, and records live music events along with various other community and private activities.

I love writing about it all.

My mission is to help community groups, live music bands, and local nonprofits, reach their goals and accomplish their missions while enjoying the day-to-day process of life. 

Read more at http://gregoryburrusproductions.com 
https://www.jerseyindie.com/ji-blogger-gregory-burrus
https://patch.com/users/gregburrus

Interview with Bobby Mahoney (Quarantine Edition)

By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Bobby Mahoney and The Seventh Son have been working tirelessly since first emerging from New Brunswick, NJ back in 2012. In the past few years alone, the group has toured the East Coast and Midwest, released a handful of EP’s and singles and even opened up for Bon Jovi at the Prudential Center. Most recently, the group released an acoustic version of their track “Called It Quits”, recorded in New York just before the shutdown started last year. 

When the pandemic first hit a little over a year ago, any lover of music knew it was going to be a little while before they were out seeing live music in any “normal” capacity. While some bands headed to the studio and others dissolved, Bobby took this time to help bring people together during this isolation. His livestreams have helped create an online music community that both inspires and connects musicians and listeners all around the world. I absolutely love what he has been doing with this somewhat new livestream medium and Bobby was kind enough to talk to me about what he's been up to the past year with The Seventh Son and the year of the livestream.

When and where was your last show before the venue lockdown?

B.M.: Our last full band show before the lockdown was at The Saint on February 20th with Latewaves, Lake Lilies, and Earth Telephone, but I also jammed with Matty Carlock at The Stone Pony on Feb. 22nd, played acoustic at Langosta Lounge with Joe Rapolla on March 7th, and then I was on a float with Williams Honor in the Asbury St. Patrick’s Day Parade on the 8th. The next week, the school I teach at went virtual and things hit the fan.

How has the pandemic affected the band (i.e. practices, songwriting, release dates)?

We have definitely rehearsed less than we would have, and we definitely have spent less time in the studio to say the least. We have been able to record 5 songs as a full band so far, but we have more work to do. We have put out a few new videos, a new live track, and new acoustic songs in the meantime, which we are all proud of.

How has the pandemic affected your songwriting, if at all?

I have a lot of songs that I was working on pre-pandemic that have new context to the world we find ourselves in currently. I still write down fragments of ideas and record bits of voice memos most days, and am constantly revising ideas, but I find myself letting them marinade more, living in various states of completion. As we have been in the process of getting vaxxed up, we have been starting to get back in the swing of rehearsals and studio sessions to complete the next batch of songs that I’ve let marinade enough. 

When did you first premiere your Bloody Marys and Coffee show? How did you come up with it?

I believe it was March 22nd, 2020. It started as me feeling unsure of how to help the situation, feeling restless, and wanting to give people a distraction. Part of the restlessness was feeling the need to ‘stay relevant’ and active, which I am sure a lot of our peers can relate to. 

“Called It Quits (Acoustic)” on Bandcamp now!

How many live streams have you done since the pandemic? Did you ever expect this medium to take off the way it has?

I honestly haven’t been counting or keeping track in any way (laughs sheepishly). I didn’t think we would be doing this for this long, or else I would have kept a better record. I would approximate there have been around 50 solo acoustic ‘Bloody Marys and Coffee”, two successful full band live streams, one less successful one early early on before we asked more friends for help, plus many more benefit video contributions and streams over the last year. It's like putting a bandaid on a headshot, but we are making the best of the medium. The best upside is that I get to check in with my friends all around the world once a week, and that's been a gift, and the coolness of it isn’t lost on me. I’m very grateful for all my friends, old and new, who have tuned into any of the streams this year. Some people haven’t missed one. I’m also grateful to have been able to still play with my band in any capacity over the last year, so I will take what I can get. The safety of our friends, and families who could have been directly or indirectly affected by us playing music in a less-than-safe setting has weighed heavy on me, and it continues to. 

Have you been finding yourself writing more or less the past year?

Less in the overall volume of songs, but I still have too many songs that I want to work on. I’m excited to put the band back to work as soon as possible. The gears haven’t stopped turning but they definitely were slowed for a while when it really wasn’t safe to even be in the same room for too long. Now as things are starting to look up a bit (knocks furiously on wood) we can start to rev the engine and get the gears moving faster.

Plans for future releases? Currently working on anything?

Yeah, there will be a new Seventh Son record in the not so distant future. Will it be an EP? Will it be an LP? Will it be a Double Record? Not sure. I really am still figuring that all out. Time and the process will present that information to me when I am ready for it.

You can keep up with all things Bobby Mahoney and The Seventh Son here!

State Function – “Suspended Animation” (Interview)

By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Thursday, January 23, 2020

State Function is the solo project from Liam Frank, based out of Highland Park, New Jersey. His first release is a 4 song EP titled Suspended Animation. Released in November of 2019, this EP started its life in the fall of 2017. With the help of friends and the honing of his own skills as a songwriter, Suspended Animation is a strong debut release. After a couple listens, I reached out to Liam to ask him how this project came to be and what it means to him. Thanks again, Liam!

What is State Function to you? The band, name, etc.

State Function, to me, means individuality and being true to yourself, it means self-awareness, it means being human and being inspired by life around you. I came up with the name because I really enjoy science, and a State Function (or function of state) is a property in a thermodynamic system that matters solely on its present equilibrium state, and the past pathways it took and forces that acted upon it do not matter. I relate that a lot to my outlook on life as a whole. Making the most of your present and your present surroundings; all we have is right now.

When did you start working on your EP Suspended Animation?

I started working on the EP in the fall of 2017. I always had a vision for the project and for the sound, but I was never able to translate those ideas well on my own until I finished school. I lived with some friends in Asbury Park right after college, and they were always recording something in the living room. I was always playing my guitars, but the additional gear and resources I had at my disposal through them really facilitated my musical and eventually lyrical ideas. I was able to get a lot done in the next two years and link up with more people that helped with this project because of that and because of them.

What is your songwriting process like?

A lot of trial and error, fitting things together from past ideas, a lot of messing around on guitar between the hours of 10pm and 4am. I definitely need a melody or musical part first, though. Sometimes when the trial part for a new melody is successful, I'll finish a song altogether in a couple of hours. That's what happened with the songs “Snowing” and “Elsewhere” on the EP, and those are two of my favorites. I love words and metaphors a lot since I'm such a romantic person, and I really go for imagery as well. When it comes to songwriting, my brain is this chaotic windstorm of fragmented musical and lyrical parts, but when there's a moment of clarity, it's a beautiful thing and I can get a lot done.

Were the songs written for this release written around the same time or over time?

They were definitely written over time. Like I said, some developed sooner than others, but for the ones that took longer I had ideas and pieces in mind for months and sometimes years, and they didn't come to fruition until this EP felt finished. I didn't want to rush anything, though.

Where did you record? Who played on this release?

I recorded in a lot of different places, including my old living room on Fourth Ave in Asbury Park, with my friends Will and Kevin at their respective home studios in Hunterdon County, NJ, and with my friends Craig and Alex at Craig's home studio in Stockton, NJ. I wrote and played all musical parts as well as the lyrics, except for the synth part on “Elsewhere.” Kevin played on that, and it really brought out the sound on that track. All of these guys had a hand in production and post-production, and they were totally instrumental in delivering the sound I was going for.

Favorite song on Suspended Animation?

Favorite song has to be “Snowing.” First song on the album, first single I released and first thing altogether I released myself that was a huge deal. It's a song I think really does a good job describing me. It's a positive song about learning how to let go of your past, being ready for a bright future, but also learning how to stay in the moment and keep working hard and also how to better temper your expectations. That theme is repeated in the chorus, "My heart is set on spring, but it won't stop snowing." You're ready for something better, but you have to put in work in the present and let go of the past. Because after all, all we have is this moment, a metaphor I used in the naming of the whole project!

Last thing I'd like to add: a shoutout to my brother and my parents, especially my dad, for believing in me, my art, my passion, and supporting this project so much and giving endless love to me and to everything I do.

Interview with Jackie June

By Sonia Schnee | Posted Friday, October 4, 2019

South Amboy’s Jackie June is an alt-pop singer/songwriter who is set to release her newest music video for her single “Wildflower” later this month on YouTube. She will also be opening for ‘80s pop icon Tiffany at Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck, NJ on October 19th (click here for tickets).

We were fortunate to be able to connect with Jackie June and ask her about the inspiration behind her song, as well as her thoughts about her upcoming performance. Be sure to tune into Jackie June’s YouTube channel on October 16th when her music video for “Wildflower” goes live, and in the meantime head on over to www.jackiejunemusic.com to stay up-to-date on everything Jackie June.

What's your name, where are you from, where are you based now?

I am Jackie June and I am originally from Toms River, NJ but currently reside in South Amboy, NJ.

How would you describe your sound? Who are your musical influences?

I would say I am alt-pop, others might say singer/songwriter. I definitely have a pop vibe but with more moody, emotional lyrics, haha. My musical influences tend to come from the late ‘90s/early 2000s — Singer/Songwriters like Michelle Branch and Hanson. I am also influenced by more current artists like Lady Gaga, Marianas Trench, Pink, etc.

Congratulations on the release of your new music video for “Wildflower.” What's the inspiration behind the song? Which came first for you, the melody or the lyrics?

Thank you! I am super excited about this one. "Wildflower" is the title track off my debut EP. It's definitely my most fun, upbeat song to date. It's celebratory. I wanted to write a song about being misunderstood, but I didn't want it to be sad. I wanted it to be uplifting. Wildflowers are strong, vibrant and beautiful. Maybe not the most traditional flower or even the most perfect, but they grow wild and free in the strangest of places. Personally, I can relate to wildflowers and I think others can, too. For this song, the concept came first. I knew what I wanted to write about and had a few melody ideas and a few lyric ideas. I brought these ideas to Jes Hudak, who co-wrote the song with me, and she helped me make it the song that it is now! I am really proud of this one and it wouldn't be the song it is without her.

Tell us about the music video-making experience. What filmmaker did you work with, and where can we see more of their work? Who's featured in the video? Where was it filmed?

Oh man, it's SO much fun but also incredibly exhausting. Haha! I worked with Anthony Corvyx of Vyxen Visions. He is a brilliant artist, videographer, and director. You guys really need to check out his stuff. Joey Dean assisted with the video as well. He is also an insanely talented artist. Definitely check out his band called Pros & iCons! As far as the band in the video, we have Jon Loree on Drums, Chris Dubrow on Bass, Tre Davis on Keys, and Dominic Zamora on Guitar. We filmed the video at Fenix Studios in Staten Island, NY. They had the perfect big white room!

You also have a show coming up in Teaneck where you'll be opening for Tiffany. Very cool! What has your journey been so far that's led you up to this point?

Yes, I am opening for Tiffany at Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck on October 19th. This is probably my biggest gig to date, and I am so excited about the opportunity! I even found my Tiffany vinyl record from the late 80s!! This music journey has been a whirlwind. I released my first single in August 2018 and since then have been gigging a lot, did a small tour around the northeast, filmed 2 music videos, and release my debut EP. I spent a long time fighting this passion for music and I guess I am making up for lost time, haha. I just feel really lucky to be doing any of this. It's really a dream come true.

Do you have any words of advice for people who share a similar passion or have maybe faced similar obstacles/challenges?

Do it. Don't spend your life wondering "what if.” I have found the more I challenge myself and do things I am scared of, the more awesome things happen. It's worth the risk.

Finally, what are some ways that fans can connect with you online? (Website? Facebook? Spotify? Etc.?)

My website is www.jackiejunemusic.com. I am on Facebook and Instagram — JackieJuneMusicNJ. My EP is available on all streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, etc. I also have a YouTube channel!

Modern Chemistry - "Take A Second" (Interview)

By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Wednesday, October 31, 2018 

For fans of: The Menzingers, Turnover, Taking Back Sunday

Modern Chemistry is back and better than ever. After touring with Taking Back Sunday, Every Time I Die and Mayday Parade (to name a few), Modern Chemistry released their latest single, “Take A Second” with a very nostalgic music video as well. Having been a fan for a while, I reached out to lead singer and guitarist, Joe Zorzi, who was sweet enough to answer some questions about “Take A Second,” their music video and future plans. Thanks again, Joe!

Your latest single, “Take A Second” is great. When did you guys write that song?

Thank you! It was actually written a few months back. I had a little demo station set up at our practice space and wrote it one day before our band practice. It had a really fresh feel to it, so we started working on it as a band pretty soon after.  

What was the inspiration behind “Take A Second”?

It's really a hopeful song about dealing with anxieties. It's about those moments where things just don't really make sense and you're just rolling through it all. But also realizing or hoping that something's going to change soon.

Where was “Take A Second” recorded? Who produced?

We recorded it with Erik Romero. We've been friends with him for years, and it finally felt like the right time to work together on this concept. Erik is incredibly versatile. We explained the vibe we were going for and he completely understood that and pushed us in some cool, new directions with tones and layers.

The video for “Take A Second” fits so well. How did you guys come up with the concept?

Thanks! We knew we wanted to make this video ourselves and we knew that we were going to be filming it on a VHS camcorder. After moving through a few different concepts, things really started to take shape once we decided we were going to have a bunch of TVs streaming different pieces of our lives at the same time. The tone was more important than anything and the final result is pretty much exactly what we were hoping to achieve.  

What is the current Modern Chemistry lineup?

I'm Joe, I sing and play guitar. Jesse plays drums and Brendan plays guitar and also sings.

What is next for Modern Chemistry?

You'll be hearing some more music before the year is out. We've got a few shows lined up that are going to be really fun. (Past shows: October 12th at the Saint with Hodera, Blaise, and Mackenzie Brown. October 28th at the Bowery Electric with Toy Cars). We're constantly writing new music.  

Anything else you’d like to add?

We're just happy to be here and happy that people seem to be resonating with the new music. We're really excited about where we are as musicians right now and we're going to try and keep that going the best we can.