NJ DISCOVER LIVE RADIO SHOW – 8pm Monday Dec. 2. OUR FIRST HOLIDAY SHOW ON LOCATION AT THE JERSEY SHORE  With RICHARD HOYNES – Photographer & Author of Great Jersey Musicians AND His Special Guests:ZARA PHILLIPS & TOMMY PIPES MC DONNELL & GEORGE MEYER & PAMELA MOORE with hosts Tara-Jean Vitale & Calvin Schwartz

FOR MONDAY’S LIVE RADIO SHOW TUNE IN HERE:     http://www.spreaker.com/show/the_nj_discover_radio_show

Great Jersey Musicians – go to link

Join Cal & TaraJean at Listen Right Here to all your favorite podcasts of NJDiscover RADIO

AND NOW ALSO LIVE  STREAM AT: http://hamiltonradio.net/     HAMILTON RADIO GROUP!!!!

ALSO ALWAYS available on Podcast at same link

Great Jersey Musicians: By Richard Elliott Hoynes: A Few Thoughts on a Cold November Sunday Afternoon.  By Calvin Schwartz

For the past two years, I’ve been exploring the haunts, venues and stages of central Jersey music. Often there was a common denominator present; an affable, energetic, enthusiastic man with a camera; Richard Elliott Hoynes. It was a given presumption to bump into Rich while he’s absorbing the essence of great Jersey musicians. Always quiet, smiling and purposeful but he was on a mission. If you gently flipped the calendar pages of musical time, all of a sudden, a wondrous book of his photographs and words and musician’s quotes appeared one fine day; Great Jersey Musicians.

Cut to right now, a week before Thanksgiving. Remembering I rushed to get a copy of his book which embraces our music here in Jersey, I opened it to a visual extravaganza, of sometimes surreal, sentimental, beautiful and historic photos. His words and the musician’s quotes take the reader on a special journey, seemingly to wonderland and that party with Alice. The book transcends the traditional coffee table and becomes part of our history now.

I’ve been intent these months to examine New Jersey and its place in the world. No longer are we that exit between New York and Philadelphia. We’ve got our culture and unique sociology. Examine the plethora of television shows with Jersey themes or the long running Broadway play ‘Jersey Boys.’ Or note that President Obama, Prince Harry came running here; same with the Super Bowl. Great Jersey Musicians captures this energy and spirit; perfect timing.  And yes, especially if you live in Jersey and like its music, the book is a wonderland for you.

Calvin Schwartz    11/24/13    4:44PM   32 degrees

Spotlight Interview with Richard Hoynes and special guests musicians Tommy “Pipes” Mcdonell of the Blues Brothers and singer, playwright  Zara Phillips and George Meyer and Pamela Moore  of the Blackberry Blues band and  the band “One Came Down”.

Buy on Amazon: Great Jersey Musicians

Grand Opening Press Conference  ‘Asbury Park Musical Heritage Foundation.’ An Amazing Historic Place!

January 14, 2013    By Calvin Schwartz

As a journalist who gravitates to music these days, there are events to cover and then every once in a while, I alight from my Conestoga wagon of discovery ( I wish I was around  when the first Conestoga wagons were coming off the assembly line in Detroit) and walk into a magic world of music history and relevance. Such was yesterday at the opening press conference for the Asbury Park Musical Heritage Foundation headquarters on Cookman Avenue, Asbury Park’s hip business address. I started my love affair to remember with Asbury Park exactly a year ago when I hooked up with NJ Discover TV and some unknown universal energy dispatched me to Asbury and the rest is a personal history and words you’re reading now.

Asbury’s music past, present and future swirl around my soul; I know that Asbury Park will one day find itself as an international music presence and destination much like Memphis or Nashville. Asbury Park belongs on the global stage; so many of us who frequent the diverse, rich cultural heritage of this evolving city know this; the music is so good and plenty here.

At the beginning of last summer, I was walking down Cookman Avenue; the sun was setting surreally on a pastel blue house across the street. A young boy was standing in his backyard, with a guitar and an amp, playing incredibly well. He couldn’t have been more than twelve; I dream; maybe I found a way back to the future; it was Bruce Springsteen, no, Vini Lopez, no, Southside Johnny or Clarence Clemons or a hundred other angels who contributed to the rich history of this music town.

Tom Gilmour (director of Economic Development for Asbury Park) opened the press conference and introduced Susan Pellegrini  as the new Executive Director of Asbury Park Musical Heritage Foundation. “We were not ready to take the leap to open this yet for another year, but Sandy made us pick up the pace,” Susan said. They plan to have exhibitions, lectures, live broadcasts and to be that special international destination for people. She continued, “The focus is for us to be a connector for different aspects of music in Asbury Park.”  The inaugural exhibit will be a Light of Day retrospective tour with four photographer’s work.

Next Saturday (January 19^th) they’re showing a film ‘Asbury Park Musical Memories,’ with 1930’s through 1970’s dealing with what is was like to be in Asbury during that time. There’s a three year plan and the ultimate goal is to move to a 30,000 square foot “architecturally significant building, at the Crossroads on Lake Avenue.”

I like the notion that Asbury Park has a sister city in Italy, Casalgrande, giving it even more of an international flavor. The mayor of Casalgrande, Andrea Rossi was here in September and is coming back in May. Indeed the Asbury Park connections grow. So does the dream for global musical relevance and awareness.  John Cavanaugh, official photographer of the Stone Pony since 2000 and Light of Day since 1998 spoke about his contributions of photography and memorabilia on display which constitute phase one. The Heritage Foundation is looking for financial and materials donations and loans of art, photography and memorabilia.  More phase one activity includes an Asbury Park Musical Story Teller series where there are live performances as well. Soon Black History Month, Jazz month and a new artist’s series.

The hours are Friday 12-7  Saturday 12-8 (except 12-10pm during First Saturday events)  Sunday 12-6pm.

Of course during the summer they’ll expand to seven days.

And then Kimmee Masi, operator of Confections of a Rock Star, on Cookman Avenue  invited guests to a feast of cupcakes and confections. I grabbed (inconspicuously, I assumed) a chocolate cup cake.  She saw me. I exclaimed as I consumed in one festive satisfying bite, “wow, wow, wow.”  She said, “Only three wows?”  I brought one more “wow” to auditory channels.

I timed myself. I walked around gazing and reminiscing for 44.4 minutes. It was magic to be there. It was only the first day. Oh and the front door is only 44 feet away from the historic Upstage Club. I like that too.

Asbury Park Musical Heritage Foundation   708 Cookman Avenue Asbury Park   732-775-8900

http://asburyparkmusiclives.org/

Calvin Schwartz