Music of New Jersey

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The

Mid-Atlantic
region.

Music of the United States

Official symbols

New Jersey does not have a state song.[1][2]

The square dance is "the American Folk Dance of the State of New Jersey".[3]

Indigenous music

See also: Indigenous music of North America § Eastern Woodlands

The

U.S. Government
resettled the majority of the Lenape in Oklahoma.

The

Powhatan Renape Nation are descendants of the Powhatan
people of Virginia. A group of the Powhatan migrated to present day southern New Jersey and are recognized as a tribe by the New Jersey, but not Federal, government.

Classical and operatic music

The

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, based at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the New Jersey State Opera, The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Ballet are all located in the Newark
area. These groups regularly travel to different venues throughout the state to give performances.

The Cape May Music Festival is held every year at the Mid-Atlantic Center for Arts and Humanities in Cape May, New Jersey, featuring classical and chamber music. The South Orange Performing Arts Center in South Orange, New Jersey, features classical soloists and ensembles. Other classical music performing groups throughout New Jersey include The Bay-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, the Garden State Philharmonic, the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey, and the Princeton Symphony Orchestra. These music groups perform throughout the state, as well as present shows at several universities which serve as home base for some of these groups.

American composer John Philip Sousa would perform concerts on the lawn of the historic Congress Hall (Cape May hotel).

World-famous opera singer Frederica von Stade was born in Somerville, New Jersey. Acclaimed operatic tenor Michael Fabiano was born in Montclair and still resides in the state.

In 1796,

Perth Amboy wrote the first professional opera in the United States
called, The Archers.

Folk and bluegrass music

The Folk and Bluegrass scene in New Jersey consists of performances at festivals and small venues throughout the state, mostly in small cities and college towns with more active music scenes. Some of these towns and cities are Montclair, Hoboken, New Brunswick, and Princeton.

There is little information about early folk music in New Jersey. One of the more documented regions for early folk music in the colonial era is from the

Pine Barrens and shore regions of southern New Jersey. It was there, in the sandy, dense forests and small shore towns, that the earliest settlers played musical elements of their home countries as well as sang stories of the new land they called home. Some examples ranged from Scots/Irish fiddle tunes to Yiddish and Lithuanian songs. It was in this region that stories were sung and legends like the Jersey Devil
were born.

Various workshops, music development institutions, and festivals throughout New Jersey have celebrated folk and bluegrass music for decades.

Sea Girt
.

John Dull, a

Newgrass composer. Another highly respected New Jersey folk artist is Meg Baird. John Gorka, a leader of the New Folk movement, was born in Edison. New Jersey folk singer and activist Catherine Moon has released several critically acclaimed independent albums. Atlantic City native and folk singer Jim Albertson sings songs that tell stories of South Jersey
. The variety of folk and bluegrass music reflects the cultural past of America and New Jersey, including stories of the widely varied ethnic groups in the state, as well as revivalist styles.

Jazz

In the early 20th century,

stride as well as other styles of jazz piano. Donald Lambert of Princeton was another famous jazz pianist. Jazz alto saxophonist Richie Cole grew up and began playing in Mercer County. Other famous New Jersey jazzmen include bandleader Count Basie, saxmen Hank Mobley, Wayne Shorter and James Moody, vocalist Babs Gonzales, trumpeter Woody Shaw of Newark, trumpeter Johnny Coles of Trenton, and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie
who lived in Englewood from 1965 until his death in 1993.

Newark was also the birthplace and home of the jazz singer

Viola Wells, also known as, "Miss Rhapsody," was a Newark native who began her career singing jazz, blues, and religious songs at clubs in Newark, and eventually throughout the United States and Europe. Bill Evans was born in Plainfield and attended North Plainfield High School. One of the more popular jazz venues in Newark in the first half of the Twentieth century was the Grand Hotel on West Market Street. Savoy Records
, an early important jazz record label, was located in Newark. Casa Blanca on Broad Street and The Cadillac Club are just two of the many Newark live jazz venues that have showcased performers in the Twentieth century.

The

Atlantic City, beginning in the 1920s, was a world-famous venue for jazz performers, as well as other music. The Paradise Club on Illinois Avenue was billed as the world's first nightclub and hosted a wide variety of famous artists. Since 1979, Newark has been home to WBGO
, the only 24/7 jazz radio station in the New York/Jersey City/Newark metro area.

Other well known jazz instrumentalists from the Garden State include Max Weinberg, drummer for Bruce Springsteen, Leigh Howard Stevens, a marimba musician who re-invented the way the instrument is played by pioneering the "Musser-Stevens Grip, "Nick Lucas, Joe Pass, Jimmy Lyons, Larry Young, Steve Swallow, George Van Eps, Buster Williams, Tony Scott, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, David S. Ware, Al Di Meola, and Steve Swell. Hundreds of jazz albums for Blue Note Records were recorded in Alfred Lion's home studio Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

The Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation (JSJBF) Festival ran annually in Red bank until 2004 when the local Chamber of Commerce turned it into a food festival. The JSJBF now runs free summer jazz and blues concerts along several shore towns. The Liberty Jazz Festival also occurs every year in Liberty State Park in Jersey City.

R&B

Formed in 1964 in Jersey City, Kool & the Gang is well known for their Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit, "Celebration", as well as various other singles such as "Ladies Night" and "Get Down On It", and the band has won many awards throughout their career.

Blues is still rich in New Jersey, and is supported by two blues societies—North Jersey Blues Society (NJBS), and Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation (JSJBF).

The North Jersey Blues Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, was founded to celebrate the heritage of blues music through the unity of fans, musicians, society members, venues, and business owners who will collaborate and promote the blues in Northern New Jersey. NJBS priorities include: Promoting the performance of local and national blues musicians in the Northern New Jersey; Offering blues artists and audiences artistic programming and venue opportunities; and Providing educational opportunities to increase awareness of blues music and art.

The Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation (JSJBF) not only organizes up to three free music festivals every summer, but it is also involved in the free weekly Sunday evening outdoor summer blues concerts in the West End section of Long Branch, and the monthly year-round blues venue in the Red Bank Woman's Club.

The Moments' big hit "Love on a Two Way Street". Paul Kyser produced Soul Generation and Jimmy Briscoe & the Little Beavers
.

Hip-hop

Hip hop group

Sugar Hill Gang, artists behind one of the earliest major commercial hip-hop songs "Rapper's Delight" is from Englewood, New Jersey.[4] Rapper Lauryn Hill, born in East Orange and raised in South Orange, has been noted as one of the best female rappers of all time by magazines like Billboard, winning the most Grammys of any female rapper. Hill's band, The Fugees, was formed in South Orange along with Wyclef Jean and Pras Michael. Rapper Redman was raised in Newark.[5] Hip-hop trio Naughty by Nature originated in East Orange, New Jersey in 1987, under the group name the New Style.[6] Rapper/Singer and Actress Queen Latifah was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby East Orange. Rapper and actor Ice-T was also born in Newark, and grew up in Summit, New Jersey. Rapper Apache was born in Jersey City. Rapper Coi Leray was raised in Hackensack. Rapper Fetty Wap, best known for his Billboard Hot 100 #2 single "Trap Queen", was born and raised in Paterson. Rapper/R&B artist Akon moved to Union City as a child, but had also lived and grew up in Newark and Jersey City
.

House music

See

New Jersey house

EDM

Electronic music group Cash Cash formed in 2008 releasing their hit song "Take Me Home" in 2013. The song peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100.[7] A collaboration with American singer P!nk earned the group a No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart from the song "Can We Pretend".[8]

Rock

Rock & roll and classic rock

"Jersey Shore sound" redirects here. For the house music genre, see New Jersey sound.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons were rock and roll stars in the 1960s, scoring hits with "Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry", and "Walk Like a Man".[9] The Shirelles, formed in Passaic, were a boy band popular in the early 1960s. Garage rock band the Doughboys formed in Plainfield in 1965; The Critters were also from Plainfield and formed in 1964; other New Jersey garage bands included Richard and the Young Lions from Newark, and the Myddle Class from Berkeley Heights. Figures of Light were a garage rock band formed in New Brunswick
in 1970.

the E-Street Band became one of New Jersey's most successful rock groups with the release of their Born to Run album in 1975. Springsteen's friends and fellow Jersey Shore natives, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, also saw commercial success.[10] Donald Fagen of Steely Dan was born in Passaic and grew up in South Brunswick. New Brunswick band Looking Glass scored a number one hit with "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" in 1972.[11]

The term Jersey Shore sound is sometimes used to categorize musicians from the Jersey Shore region. The musicians within this scene span a wide range of genres, from doo-wop inspired artist and group Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons to heartland rock musician Bruce Springsteen and his band the E Street Band (with some of its members being lumped into this sound as well), as well as punk rock band the Gaslight Anthem (who collaborated with Springsteen on their newest album).

Punk and alternative

Punk rock and hardcore have played an important role in the music of New Jersey, with many prominent artists in these genres originating from the state. This included many figures from the punk and

Passaic. The Feelies were formed in Haledon
in 1976.

Arguably the most famous and influential punk band from New Jersey is The Misfits[17] founded in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey, by singer and songwriter Glenn Danzig, who in 1983 broke from the band and formed Samhain and in 1987 Danzig. Among the early hardcore bands was Rosemary's Babies. also from Lodi, whose drummer Eerie Von, would become bassist for both Samhain and Danzig. Adrenalin O.D. is usually credited with igniting the early N.J. hardcore scene at the dawn of the 1980s. A.O.D. were the first New Jersey hardcore band to release their own records (on the punk indie label they formed called Buy Our Records), tour extensively and be featured on some of the biggest compilations in punk. U.S. Chaos influenced North America for Skinhead and OI Predating as The Radicals in 1978. All Hailing from East Paterson, Bergen and Passaic counties. Emerging in 1983 after the breakup of three-piece Impossible Task, seminal skate punk band Hogan's Heroes[18] was founded in South-Central New Jersey in 1984. Indie rock and punk band Titus Andronicus formed in Glen Rock, New Jersey in 2005.

Several prominent

Anything, Anything" fame) and Westfield's Whirling Dervishes, saw success during the 1980s and 1990s.[20][21] Indie rock band Yo La Tengo formed in Hoboken in the mid-1980s. Power pop band and New Jersey natives Fountains of Wayne based their name on a shop from their hometown of Wayne.[10][22]

Jersey Shore sound popularized by Bruce Springsteen, The Gaslight Anthem came together in New Brunswick in 2005 and released 5 studio albums to a mix of critical acclaim and high chart positions, including two Top 5 records with Handwritten and Get Hurt.[24]
The
New Brunswick, New Jersey music scene is heavily influenced by alternative rock and hardcore punk. The city has been home to a large number of rock bands
.

Hard rock and heavy metal

Hair metal group Bon Jovi has been one of the most popular bands in the world since the mid-1980s. Beginning in the 1990s and continuing into the 2000s, Bon Jovi has experimented with other genres, such as country rock. Skid Row is a New Jersey-based heavy-metal band formed in the mid-1980s and reached the height of its success in the early 1990s. Sebastian Bach, formerly of Skid Row, is a Canadian singer who has lived in New Jersey for almost two decades and still fronts bands. Since the early 1980s, the New Jersey bands Overkill and Hades have been recording and performing thrash metal around the world. Trixter is a glam metal band also from New Jersey. Monster Magnet is a very well known stoner rock metal band from Red Bank with releases on labels such as elektra. Ripping Corpse is a well known Thrash Metal band from Red Bank. Blues Traveler was formed in Princeton
in 1987.

In the early and mid 1980s the New Jersey nightclub culture realized tremendous popularity with various live acts playing hard rock, heavy metal and dance oriented New Wave music. Some of the more notable acts touring the club circuit was Twisted Sister fronted by lead singer Dee Snider.[citation needed]

In 1984 the

Jackson, New Jersey. Jersey City is the birthplace of both hard rock band Rye Coalition and psychedelic rock group The Black Hollies. New Jersey Stoner rock band Core had success with two albums in the 1990s. Hard rock band The Parlor Mob is from Red Bank. Soulfly guitarist Marc Rizzo grew up in Carlstadt
.

Pop

Pop music had no shortage of artists from New Jersey. One of the

park named after him in Hoboken, various buildings in universities named after him, as well as various streets named after him throughout the country. Frank Sinatra's daughter, Nancy Sinatra
, also went on to become a successful pop artist, peaking in popularity during the 1960s.

Whitney Houston, one of the best selling artists of all time with over 220 million records sold worldwide, was born in Newark but primarily raised in East Orange. Houston's style was a combination of pop, R&B, soul, and gospel music, and became one of the most influential artists of all time as a result of her success and musical techniques. She had 11 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and is the only artist to have seven consecutive number-one singles on the chart. She has won dozens of awards in her career, and has been inducted into various Halls of Fame.

The Jonas Brothers, consisting of Joe, Nick, and Kevin Jonas, are a pop rock band formed in 2005. The brothers were all raised in Wyckoff and moved to Little Falls. The trio had a Disney Channel show and starred in Camp Rock. Halsey, a successful pop artist emerging in the mid-2010s, was born and raised in Edison.

Live venues

The State of New Jersey has a diverse population that produces a significant number of music institutions, events, and live music venues.

Large live NJ venues

Large live venues: List of New Jersey music venues by capacity (1,000 attendees or greater).

Small live NJ venues

Small NJ venues (capacity less than 1000)
Year Venue City Capacity
1910 White Eagle Hall Jersey City 800 standing / 400 seated
2020 The Vogel Red Bank 800 (standing room)
1962 (renovated 2017)
Asbury Lanes
 Asbury Park 700
1959 D'Jais Belmar 700 (standing room only)
2021 Anchor Rock Club Atlantic City 650
2019 New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (Elizabeth Ross Johnson Theater) New Brunswick 463
1991 QXT's Nightclub Newark 450
2021 The Underground at Carteret Performing Arts Center Carteret 500
1973 The Stone Pony Asbury Park 800 (indoor)
1996 The Crossroads Garwood 200
2004 Dingbatz Clifton 200
2019 Avenel Performing Arts Center Avenel 198
2012 Hamilton Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center Rahway 199
1993 The Saint Asbury Park 175
2016 Clement's Place Newark 80
2008 The Loft at Mainstage Rahway 65
2014 The Lizzie Rose Music Room Tuckerton 70 (seated)

Additional information on venues and events

The State of New Jersey has a diverse population that produces a significant number of live music performances and venues.

Rock, indie and punk live music

As of 2023, focal points of live local rock include:

Other venues

Living on a Prayer" in 1987. Whitney Houston (died 2012) had 11 #1 Hot 100 hits in the 1980s and 1990s, including "I Will Always Love You" in 1992. P.M. Dawn had one #1 hit with "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" in 1991. Lauryn Hill of the Fugees had a #1 Hot 100 hit with "Doo Wop (That Thing)" in 1998. Akon (who moved to Jersey City) had 2 #1 Hot 100 hits in the 2000s, including "I Wanna Love You" in 2006. The Jonas Brothers had one #1 Hot 100 hit with "Sucker" in 2019. Halsey has had 2 Hot 100 #1 hits like "Closer
" with the Chainsmokers, in 2016.

Audio broadcasting

Further information: List of radio stations in New Jersey

Music is broadcast in New Jersey by

networks, satellite and the Internet
.

Radio stations WFMU from Jersey City, WSOU from Seton Hall in South Orange, New Jersey (winner of awards from publications such as Friday Morning Quarterback, the College Music Journal and Album Network) and WPRB from Princeton are three of the most well known independent/college radio stations in America. Newark's WBGO is one of the country's most important independent jazz stations. WRPR in Mahwah has also gained relevance for its rock programming. WDHA-FM "The Rock of New Jersey," is located in the Dover area and has a long history of providing North Jersey with both classic and modern rock. Madison, New Jersey native Eddie Trunk worked at WDHA early in his career. WGHT Radio is located in Northern New Jersey, and is a spring board for a long list on On Air Radio Talent. WGHT, formally known as WKER-AM, has been broadcasting at 1500-AM since the early 1960s. Jimmy Howes is currently WGHT's morning show host and Program Director. WNNJ in Newton, New Jersey, provides rock music to the Skylands Region of the state. WMGM (FM) in Atlantic City broadcasts rock music to South Jersey. WWNJ in Toms River, WWCJ in Cape May, and WWFM at the West Windsor campus of Mercer County Community College all broadcast classical music. The long running free form program Anything Anything with Rich Russo airs on both WDHA-FM and WRAT-FM. WDVR is a community radio station based in Sergeantsville, NJ broadcasting a variety of music, talk, and educational programming.

Internet radio stations also contribute to New Jersey's music scene. For example, Blowupradio.com, an Internet station devoted to underground Jersey rock,[26] has been contributing to New Jersey's music scene since 2000.[27] Other internet radio stations in New Jersey that contribute to New Jersey's music scene include ThePenguinRocks.com and AltrokRadio.com and DJJD's Metallicave on NuclearRockRadio.com[27]

See also

References

  1. ^ [1] Archived March 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ [2] Archived February 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ [3] Archived March 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Sugar Hill Gang bio". AllMusic. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
  5. ^ "Redman: "I Am Officially A Wu-Tang Member"". Xxlmag.Com. 2010-11-19. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  6. ^ "Naughty by Nature celebrates 25 years in N.J. Hometown". 6 July 2016.
  7. ^ Morse, Katie (July 11, 2014). "Cash Cash Talks Growing Up, Dishes on Hit 'Take Me Home' With Bebe Rexha". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  8. ^ Murray, Gordon (September 26, 2019). "P!nk & Cash Cash's 'Can We Pretend' Tops Dance Club Songs Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  9. ^ Lustig, Jay (16 March 2012). "N.J. Rock & Pop Hall: The Four Seasons". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  10. ^ a b c Wise, Brian (8 February 2004). "Eclectic Sounds of New Jersey, Echoing From Coast to Coast". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2022-05-17. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  11. ^ Breihan, Tom (6 March 2019). "The Number Ones: Looking Glass' "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)"". Stereogum. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  12. ^ Kuperinsky, Amy (30 September 2019). "Blondie's Debbie Harry on her journey from Jersey dreamer to New York icon". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  13. ^ Biese, Alex. "Blondie drummer Clem Burke talks Empty Hearts". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  14. ^ "Intersections: Patti Smith, Poet Laureate of Punk". NPR.org. NPR. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  15. ^ Dargis, Manohla (5 August 2008). "Godmother of Punk, Celebrator of Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  16. ^ "Patti Smith". Starling.rinet.ru. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  17. ^ "The Misfits | New Music And Songs |". Vh1.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2002. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  18. ^ "Angermiller, Michelle. For The Times, August 14, 2011". Nj.com. 14 August 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
  19. ^ Kuperinsky, Amy (21 October 2019). "The Smithereens at 40: From a garage in Carteret to the N.J. Hall of Fame". The Star Ledger. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  20. ^ Deming, Mark. "Dramarama | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  21. ^ Acambora, Rob (29 November 2011). "Jersey Band Forever Tied to Character Who Turns 45 This Year". SoJO 104.9. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  22. ^ Fallon, Scott. "Archive: Adam Schlesinger talks about how Fountains of Wayne got its name". North Jersey. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  23. ^ Vincent, Jackson (6 June 2016). "For Hammonton's The Early November, the 2nd act is the charm". The Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 23 Sep 2021.
  24. ^ Napoliello, Alex (4 Oct 2009). "The Gaslight Anthem 'Beyond the Court Tavern'". The Waster. Retrieved 23 Sep 2021.
  25. ^ Stone, Drew. "The NYHC Chronicles LIVE! Ep. #58 Jeff "JJ" Janiak (Discharge / Broken Bones / Dead Heros") YouTube, uploaded by stonefilmsnyc, Streamed live on 9 Sept 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oExCPVUjUYk . Acsessed March 26, 2021
  26. ^ Rose, Lisa (March 16, 2003). "For these Logs, the pipes are calling Indie angst and eclectic flair". The Star-Ledger. p. 1.
  27. ^ a b "Old Bridge Internet benefit fights disease". Home News Tribune. October 15, 2010.

Sources

  • Andrea Witting, (2007) All Grown Up The Movie, U.S. Chaos cited interview, extensive.
  • ISBN 0-922915-71-7
    .

External links
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