Blues Societies

United Jersey Blues Network Musicians, fans,club owners and business owners working together to keep the Blues alive and well in the Tri-State area and especially in New Jersey.

Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation is a non-profit 501c(3) corporation whose mission is to preserve, promote, and perpetuate Jazz and Blues in the northern New Jersey shore region through performance and education.

New York Blues and Jazz Society is a not-for-profit, all-volunteer organization that exists through membership and donations. NYBJS is dedicated to educating the public about blues and jazz music, and supporting area musicians who perform these important cultural genres.

Downstate NY Blues Association is dedicated to preserving the Blues in the Lower NY Area. It recognizes the Blues as an American art form by providing workshops and educational programs in its area. It celebrates Blues excellence and opportunities for fans and blues lovers to see quality local and national acts.

Music Web Sites

Mary4Music.com Since 1998, your Internet Portal for Blues, Indie and DIY Music Links, Musician's Resources, Band Links, Club & Festival Listings and CD Reviews.

DaddyOProductions.com A great web site and blog with advice and information on drumming and drummers, run by Styles (aka Russ DiBona) a drummer in NJ.

Our Favorite Bands

Magic Red & The Voodoo Tribe Red is a guitarist extraordinaire and a prolific songwriter with three CDs to his credit. He's also a real road warrior, having played all over the U.S. and Canada. Check him out sometime, but be prepared to be blown away!

Philadelphia Funk Authority These white boys and girls got funk! Huge horn arrangements, great vocals, and an incredible repertoire of the best funk songs from Parliament, Earth, Wind & Fire, and lots of others. You WILL dance!

Jobonanno & Godsons of Soul Music at the Jersey Shore is alive and well with this band. Veterans of years of the bar scene, JoBo & the GOS have the spirit and sound that put Jersey on the musical map, so much so that The Boss himself has sat in with them. They're also TV regulars, appearing on NJN's Lee Leonard's programs and the Bobby Flay show on Food-TV.

Nasty Ned & The New Conqueroos Ned and the boys have been belting out some of NJ's best blues/rock for many years. The musicianship is incredible in this band. Ned puts on a great show!

Stir Fried Jan London's "other" band, Stir Fried has been impressing audiences and critics with their unique, jam band style originals for years. Their recordings have featured world class musicians like Vassar Clements, Buddy Cage, and Tony Trishka. With a nationwide following of loyal, enthusiatic fans, Stir Fried is the real deal.

The Detonators Sean, Martin, Uncle Louie, and Pat have been blowing away local club-goers with their high-energy music all over north NJ. Great originals and tasteful covers give them plenty of quality material to draw on. They may not take themselves too seriously, but their music is seriously good!

Morningwood Brothers You just never know what these guys are going to surprise you with at their gigs. From 1960s soul to classic rock with the occasional TV theme thrown in, this 4-piece band combines great musicianship, electic musical tastes, and good-natured humor in a mix that guarantees you a night of fun and entertainment.

Carlos Colina & Straight Up Blues Band The blues is alive and kicking in the NJ/NY area, thanks to guys like Carlos. He's an outstanding harmonica player and excellent vocalist who heads up an all-star band with style and grace. Like all of us who love the blues, Carlos is doing his best to make sure it doesn't disappear from the club scene here.

Fred F. Hopper Whenever someone starts ranting about how there's no new music worth listening to, I think about this band. All in their early 20s, the members of Fred F. Hopper bring a fresh vision to what music can be like in the 21st century. Mixing eclectic musical styles like hip-hop, bebop jazz, funk, and rock with big globs of humor and originality, this Philly-based band proves that there are huge untapped sources of great music waiting to be discovered. That mainstream record labels and radio conglomerates haven't done so just proves how shallow and timid the corporate music world has become.

Lil Bastad My favorite NJ bar band! Covering an incredible range of songs and musical styles, these guys just leave me speechless everytime I see them. Mark Bowers, the lead guitarist/vocalist, is as talented a musician as you will find anywhere, including in any pro venue. That you can see them for free in small neighborhood bars is either a statement of how good the music scene is in NJ, or an indictment of how great talent is under-appreciated in this state.

Hazmat Modine is one of New York’s most original bands. The band delivers a rustic, deliriously Dionysian blend of whorehouse Blues, Reggae, Klezmer, Country and Gypsy-tinged music. Wade Schuman is lead singer. He also plays a very original style of harmonica. The band's instrumentation ranges from slide guitar to hammered dulcimer to tuba to Chinese folk instruments and, well, you get the picture. Check them out at one of their frequent appearances at Terra Blues on Bleeker St. in the Village..

Music Gear and Stuff

DonBurke.com Don Burke is a Certified Piano Technician and an associate member of the Piano Technicians Guild. With over 16 years of experience, Don is the guy to go for to get your piano fixed right the first time. Check him out!

Good Guys Bass & Guitar Traders Purveyors of All That's Cool! The Good Guys intend to be world renowned as the good guys in the vintage bass and guitar business. We strive to have the coolest gear in our inventory at fair prices. We treat all customers with respect, class and dignity, as well as provide unparalleled customer support and service. Our reputation is without reproach. So when you ask anyone in the business about Good Guys Bass & Guitar Traders, they will nod and acknowledge “Hey, those guys are really good guys to do business with!"

Le Cover Manufacturers of custom covers for musical equipment. They do really good work and turn it around quickly. Larry, the owner, is very responsive and committed to doing a good job. I have two of their padded covers: one for my Premier Twin 8R and another for my Fender RI Deluxe Reverb. Once, on my way to a gig, I got rear-ended by a teenage girl in a Lexus SUV. My Premier, with its LeCover, was undamaged whereas my Deluxe Reverb, which still had the standard Fender vinyl cover, suffered cracked knobs. That convinced me to get a LeCover for that amp as well.

Recording/Rehearsal Studios

Hickory Street Studio in Blauvelt NY is a great place for recording and mix-downs. Lenny Post, the owner/engineer, is an accomplished musician himself. He's got excellent equipment, multiple sound rooms, but most importantly, he knows how to use it to get high-quality results. Definitely check it out for your next project!

Fields Music - NYC Music Production Studio provides original music for custom commercial jingles, TV and film score and interactive media, created on demand or from the Fields Music Online Music Library.

The Black Bird Rehearsal Studio complex is the premiere rehearsal facility in New Jersey. It's run by experienced musicians who know what you need. Forget about those other dives that have crap equipment and stink of smoke. You NEED to go here!!

Web Design Services

Hurricane Graphics - Custom Web Design Description Custom graphics, search engine friendly web site design, web site optimization, flash animation and affordable web hosting.

Humor

www.rathergood.com OK, I'll "try" to explain this: Viking kitties sing about gay bars and alcoholic monkeys scream about the first drink of the day. Though Joel Veitch is best known for his Quizno ads, his most outstanding work here defies description. You've just go to see it for yourself!

Homestar Runner A cross between a fluffy marshmallow and Lionel Ritchie (or so he says), Homestar Runner heads up a cast of animated characters that will have you howling with laughter. There are dozens and dozens of high quality toons here. Take a week or so off and watch them. Don't forget to play the games. Do this until your family starts to worry about you. And remember: Strong Bad rules!

The Onion America's Finest News Source. Tongue-in-cheek "news" stories that are so well done, a lot of people think they're for real - and won't you just pee your pants watching their righteous indignation!

T-Bones Blues Humor Page Who says the Blues can't be funny? The fun stuff here includes comic biographies, stories, and a lecture by Dr. T-Bone on the different types of blues. There are jokes, too, including ones written by some moron harmonica player named Jim Le Maire!

www.misternicehands.com Pop art meets poop poop humor. Click on the fingers to provide "flatulent" accompaniment to the guitar soundtrack. The results will just re-enforce women's opinions of men as crude children. Us guys will be fascinated with this web site for hours!

Liquid Generation Edgy cartoons, videos, games, and joke "surveys". Check out the George W. Bush Torture Chamber game and the "The Mystery of Britney's Breasts". Some of the features are bandwidth-intensive, but they're worth the wait. Great stuff.