(LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- The Third Annual Makin Waves Jam ‘n’ Groove Fest on Sunday, May 19, a the co-sponsoring Brighton Bar in Long Branch will feature some of Jersey’s best jam bands in 50th anniversary tribute to the highly influential Allman Brothers Band, The Meters and Little Feat. With performances of such classic songs as “Statesboro Blues,” “Melissa,” “Hey Pocky Way,” “Spanish Moon,” “Done Somebody Wrong,” “Jessica,” “Cissy Strut,” “Skin It Back,” “One Way Out,” “Africa,” “Dixie Chicken,” “Elizabeth Reed,” “Ramblin’ Man,” “Time Loves a Hero,” “Hot’lanta,” “Just Kissed My Baby,” and “Whipping Post,” the local all-star tribute show will include Secret Sound, Dogs in a Pile, Dark City Strings, The Inflatable Head, Fungkshui, Ten Foot Tall, Mike Montrey Band, and The Green Planet Band. 

The first two Jam ‘n’ Grooves respectively paid tribute to the late, great Gregg Allman and then Parliament-Funkadelic and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Admission to Jam ‘n’ Groove Fest is $10. Partial proceeds will benefit Makin Waves, New Jersey’s influential music column produced since 1988 and now also part of two radio segments. 

Taking place from 2:00pm to 10:00pm, Jam ‘n’ Groove also will include drink specials from co-sponsor Tito’s Handmade Vodka, gourmet sliders from the co-sponsoring Outslider food truck, chair massage from co-sponsor Massage by Design, and sponsor promotional giveaways. Other sponsors include The Aquarian Weekly, Light of Day Foundation, Wave Resort, AsburyMusic.com, Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, Blowup Radio, New Jersey Stage, The Pop Break, Radio Jersey and Danny Coleman’s Rock on Radio.

Makin Waves has covered NJ arts and entertainment since 1988 in New Jersey Stage, The Aquarian Weekly, NJArts.net, MyCentralJersey.com, Home News Tribune, Upstage Magazine, Courier News, and East Coast Rocker. The column appears every Thursday at NewJerseyStage.com, monthly in New Jersey Stage magazine at njartsmag.com, and first Wednesdays at theaquarian.com, as well as in print in The Aquarian Weekly, where it started 31 years ago. Also, the Makin Waves Report on Radio Jersey and the Song of the Week on AsburyMusic.com appear weekly. Song of the Week also is featured on a Spotify Playlist and on YouTube.

Makin Waves has won five New Jersey Press Association Awards and been nominated for 17 Asbury Park Music Awards. Producer Bob Makin also has been nominated for two Jammy Awards by JamBands.com for his coverage of the jam scene. 

During the past 30 years, the Makin Waves Concert Series has produced more than 100 shows, never taking a dime more than expenses. Many of those events were benefits that raised or donated $144,000 for local charities, including the Jersey Jams Fund of Bergen County United Way, which was the beneficiary of two CDs and several benefit concerts co-produced by Makin and co-sponsored by Makin Waves. The CDs included “Jerry Jams, Jerry Cares,” a three-disc set in tribute to the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia that included Railroad Earth, David Grisman, Dark Star Orchestra and much more. That project donated $30,000 to the Grateful Dead’s Rex Foundation. For Jersey Jams Fund, Makin Waves helped raise a total of $100,000 that also went to the Little Kids Rock inner-city after-school music mentorship program, the at-risk music programs of seven New Jersey Abbott school districts, music scholarship to New Jersey students, and several music enrichment events for children. Other charities Makin Waves has benefitted include Coalition for the Homeless, Elijah’s Promise, Food for Thought, Asbury Park Music Foundation, Light of Day Foundation, Boys & Girls Club of Monmouth County, and Embrace Kids Foundation.

This year’s Jam ‘n’ Groove Fest will benefit Makin Waves in order to sustain itself due to a lack of revenue and income. Despite this Save the Wave effort, all artists will be paid thanks to the generosity of presenting sponsors The Aquarian Weekly, Light of Day Foundation, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and Wave Resort.

Makin Waves is hoping to record the Allman, Meters & Feat tribute songs for a digital charity release to benefit the Jersey Shore office of Clean Water Action, an environmental organization based down the street from the Brighton. To volunteer services for that, contact Bob Makin at makinwaves64@yahoo.com or 732-998-9339. 

Jam ‘n’ Groove Fest is part of the inaugural Makin Waves Fest also at the Brighton Bar, as well as the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park. The Brighton Bar is located at 121 Brighton Ave., Long Branch, New Jersey.

PHOTO BY BOB MAKIN