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!

Interview with Silent Tides

By Sonia Schnee | Posted Wednesday, October 30, 2019

On October 19th, Central Jersey indie trio Silent Tides released their debut EP Fruitless Enterprise. Check out our interview, below, with Liam and Gus to learn about the inspiration behind their music.

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

Our names are Liam Hughes and Gus Mirabella. Liam is from Westfield, NJ and Gus is from Milltown, NJ. We met while attending St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, but we’re now based in the New Brunswick area.

Who are the members of Silent Tides?

We are the members along with our friend Jesse Silva, who plays drums and sings backing vocals. We both write and sing lead on our own songs, so the band is a mix of our songwriting styles and personalities.

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

Our sound is a cross between indie, garage, and psych rock. Our influences are Tame Impala, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, The Smiths, and The Beatles to name just a few. 

Congratulations on the release of your debut EP, Fruitless Enterprise. What's the inspiration behind the EP?

The inspiration behind this EP was to make a succinct statement on what Silent Tides is all about. This is our debut EP, so we wanted to capture the wide range of sounds we play, as well as touching on different themes that have captured us in recent years—personal growth, independence, religion, the ever-changing social climate, etc. 

As we both write songs, there is an ebb & flow both in theme and style throughout the record. Fruitless Enterprise may very well live up to its namesake, but regardless, it is a statement of growth and has been anything but fruitless for us. 

Is there a song that's your personal favorite? What's the creative process like for you (which comes first, the melody or the lyrics)?                  

LIAM: For me, my favorite is “Who Knows.” It’s a song that means a lot to me and it took a few different sessions to get right. It starts as a series of questions like: What should I do with my life? Is following a dream a good idea? And the second half is a kind of self-assurance and love song. Basically saying that although there’s confusion, and things seem meaningless I can find peace and meaning in knowing how I feel and believing in that feeling, whatever it’s towards. 

I’ll start with a musical idea, record it, and listen back to determine how it makes me feel. I ask myself, what does this song evoke? and I find a subject that works with the music. 

GUS: My favorite song on this record is “Grey Eyes.” I had written the first section independently, but it wasn’t until Liam and I worked on it together that it took its current form . It is our most collaborative song, and you can hear it—both Liam and I sing lead in different sections. 

I don’t have one method, it differs from song to song. Sometimes it starts with a riff or a drum beat, then the other instruments and vocals/lyrics follow. Other times, I have lyrics that I want to use and so I base the music off of that. I think having a concrete method is dangerous so I try to let the song just happen without overthinking. 

What's next on the horizon for you? Do you have any shows coming up?

We [had] our EP release at FM bar in Jersey City 10/17 (https://www.facebook.com/events/561024154713558/), and after that we’re taking a break from shows to put our focus towards the second record. We are opening for Delicate Steve at the Stanhope House on December 21st. 

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

Well, we are in no position to give advice, but I would recommend finding other people with the same passions as you. Community is so important and having a group of people who can relate to you is one of the most valuable things in this world, don’t take it for granted.

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

We’ve got all the typical stuff. We finally got our website up—it’s still a work in progress but that’s our home base where you can find everything you need to follow us: SilentTides.com—nice and easy. We are on all streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.). Some additional links: 

Facebook: Facebook.com/silenttides 

Soundcloud: Soundcloud.com/silent-tides 

Bandcamp: Silenttides.bandcamp.com 

Instagram: @silenttidesmusic

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Support local music! Also, shoutout to the longtime friend of the band and my (Liam) personal mentor EJ Gaub. I would not be here in so many different ways if it weren’t for him. He recorded this EP for us, and was a tremendous help throughout the mixing process. 

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.