Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes In The Star-Ledger's Hall Of Fame

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By Jay Lustig / The Star-Ledger: New Jersey ranks 11th among the states in population, and 47th in physical size. But in terms of musical importance, it’s second to none.

The state where the phonograph record was invented by Thomas Edison has produced a long list of musical giants. Seeking to honor the state’s greatest talent — and, frankly, annoyed that the national Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has not seen fit to honor some of the most prominent artists that New Jersey has produced — The Star-Ledger and its website, NJ.com, have created the Rock & Pop Hall of Fame. It will live permanently at NJ.com/rockpop and induct a new class annually.

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The Westside Sounds Of Asbury Park - Panel Discussion at the Atonement Lutheran Church in Asbury Park (8 Videos)

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Panel Discussion on the history of race and music in Asbury Park, NJ. Nicky Addeo, moderator Daniel Wolff, Bobby Thomas, Southside Johnny Lyon and Bruce Springsteen (Note: The video sounds are a little low) Video by: stzapper

Reported by Stan Goldstein of The Star-Ledger: Bruce Springsteen was a surprise special guest at a panel discussion on Saturday afternoon at the Atonement Lutheran Church in Asbury Park. The roundtable talk was on soul, rhythm & blues and the history of race and music in Asbury Park. It featured author Daniel Wolff (4th of July Asbury Park) who was the moderator with guests: Southside Johnny Lyon, Bobby Thomas, Nickey Addeo and Springsteen who was not advertised as part of the panel. Continue reading →

Asbury all-stars convene to celebrate city's music history at New Harmonies concert

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Published: Monday, March 14, 2011, 3:25 AM – by Jay Lustig / The Star-Ledger

It was called a curated concert, and it certainly had an educational component, with historical readings between sets of music.

But Sunday’s New Harmonies concert at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park ended the way any concert attempting to honor Asbury Park music should end: with a stage full of musicians taking part in a freewheeling jam session. Every attempt to educate should feel so good.

There was Southside Johnny, barking out classic rock and blues lyrics and wailing on harmonica. There was his longtime musical partner Bobby Bandiera, trading stinging riffs with Asbury guitar heroes Sonny Kenn and Billy Hector, among others…

Read the whole article at: NJ.com

Southside Johnny returns with hard-rocking album, 'Pills and Ammo'

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Southside Johnny is getting in touch with his inner Mick Jagger.

“Pills and Ammo,” the new album he is releasing with his longtime band the Asbury Jukes, is a collection of lean, Rolling Stones-oriented rock ‘n’ roll — arguably the hardest-rocking set the band has released in its 35 years of recording. On a beautiful mid-May afternoon, I talked, by phone, with the 61-year-old Shore rock legend and Ocean Grove resident about the album, his career and his upcoming shows.

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Big Band Amps Up Evening Of Tom Waits

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By Jay Lustig, The Star-Ledger Sunday October 26, 2008, 9:16 PM

NEW YORK — There has never been a Southside Johnny concert like the evening of Tom Waits songs he presented at the Nokia Theatre on Friday. There has never been a Waits show like it, either.

On his September album “Grapefruit Moon,” John “Southside Johnny” Lyon recorded 12 Waits compositions, with backing by a big band led by Richie “LaBamba” Rosenberg. Many big band members, as well as LaBamba himself, are or have been members of Southside Johnny’s usual backing group, the Asbury Jukes.

On “Grapefruit Moon,” Southside Johnny and LaBamba thoroughly reinterpreted Waits’ songs rather than presenting faithful covers of them. Capitalizing on the size and power of the big band (and its large horn section in particular), they made songs like “Down, Down, Down,” “Please Call Me Baby” and “Yesterday Is Here” swing and swagger in ways the originals didn’t.

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Southside Johnny records Waits tribute

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By Anthony Venutolo/The Star-Ledger
August 29, 2008, 2:53PM

NEW COAT OF PAINT: “Grapefruit Moon: The Songs of Tom Waits” Southside Johnny with La Bamba’s Big Band (Leroy/Redeye)

You can’t beat Tom Waits at his own game. In other words, it doesn’t make much sense to sing his songs in an approximation of his inimitable growl, or with the kind of clattering musical arrangements he prefers. It’s better to find a new slant.

Wisely, John “Southside Johnny” Lyon approaches Waits’ material, on this album, with a different sensibility. He records 12 of them, including “New Coat of Paint” (which he first covered in 1984), with La Bamba’s Big Band, rather than his usual backing group, the Asbury Jukes. The 18-piece big band, led by longtime Jukes trombonist (and current Max Weinberg 7 member) Richie “La Bamba” Rosenberg, brings a swinging, swaggering feel to many of the songs, such as “Down, Down, Down,” “Please Call Me Baby” and “Yesterday Is Here.”

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Southside Uncensored

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Southside Johnny Interview by Jay Lustig – The Star-Ledger

Q. So are you in Ocean Grove now?

Yes I’m in Ocean Grove, back in the old hometown.

Q. How long have you been back there?

A year and a half.

Q. How do you like being there?

I love it, it’s great. Everyone leaves me alone. I guess they’ve learned over the years.

Q. Does you spend any time hanging out at the Shore clubs?

I don’t go to clubs that much anymore. When Bruce does his charity things at the Pony of course I go over there and make my little appearance. I have gone to see a couple of bands here and there, but I don’t go out that much. I’ve spend my entire adult life in clubs, so it’s not really something I want to do.

Q. So, obviously, I want to focus on the boxed set. Is that something you’ve wanted to do for a while — just clean out the closet, and get that stuff out there? Continue reading →

Bobby Bandiera - A Tribute To Pop Harmony

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THE NEW JERSEY STAR LEDGER – Monday, August 08, 2005 – BY JAY LUSTIG – Star-Ledger Staff

At some recent shows by veteran Jersey rock band Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, longtime guitarist-vocalist Bobby Bandiera has been replaced by former Joan Jett & the Blackhearts member Ricky Byrd. Meanwhile, Bandiera was spotted playing with the Bon Jovi band at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia on July 2, and backing Jon Bon Jovi at an acoustic benefit in Amagansett, N.Y., on July 6.

What’s going on?

Southside Johnny provided some answers last week, posting on his Web site (www.southsidejohnny.org) that Bandiera is still a Juke, but has been asked — along with another Juke, keyboardist Jeff Kazee — to join Bon Jovi’s touring band. Bon Jovi releases a new album Sept. 20, and will presumably be on the road for much of the fall. Byrd will sub at Jukes shows Bandiera can’t make.

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