By Gary Wien
originally published: 01/28/2011
Ken Shane grew up in both North Jersey (Springfield) and South Jersey (Atlantic City), but it’s clear his heart remained at the Shore. His memories of the beach, boardwalk, and summers spent at his Grandparents’ house on South Ridgeway Avenue were the inspiration behind this wonderful collection of songs.The album begins with “Summer And Smoke,” a beautiful tale of a beach town moving into the off-season. He’s singing about Atlantic City, but the story remains the same for every beach town. The end of the summer is a time of sadness, a moment when time seems to stop and the world goes into hibernation. Ken describes it perfectly.
Summer has ended again this year
The carousel’s run out of steam
September is always so bitter sweet
The beginning and end of a dream
-- “Summer And Smoke”
His songwriting reminds me of artists like Jackson Browne and Warren Zevon. A fine cast of musicians including Walt Stacey, Herb Maitlandt, Jerry Cordasco, Rich Bunkiewicz, Chris D’Amico, and Jim Brown were enlisted for the album; together they lift the music from its singer-songwriter origins to that which sounds like a veteran band whose played together for years and years.
South Ridgeway Avenue is a soundtrack for the lives of those who have grown up along the Shore. The album contains tales of love and loss (“When I Loved You”), undying hope for the future (“World Without End”), memories of places which sadly no longer exist (“Disappeared”), and simply growing older (“Invisible”).
If Bruce Springsteen is the bard of Asbury Park then this album should warrant Ken Shane a nomination for Atlantic City’s title.
Highlights include those already mentioned plus the amazing title track.
From the book
Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists by Gary Wien
Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of
Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and
Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station
The Penguin Rocks. He can be contacted at
gary@newjerseystage.com.
FEATURED EVENTS
Narrow results by date, categories, or region of New Jersey.
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Thursday, November 21, 2024 @ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: music
View event page for full information
Randall Goosby Returns: Renaissance Quartet
Thursday, November 21, 2024 @ 7:30pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theater)
91 University Place, Princeton, NJ 08540
category: music
View event page for full information
Marshall Crenshaw - Up Close & Personal
Thursday, November 21, 2024 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music
View event page for full information
More events
Event Listings are available for $10 and included with our banner ad packages
EVENT PREVIEWS
Renaissance Quartet Brings Bold Innovation and Classical Mastery to McCarter Theatre on Thursday
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Prepare to be captivated by the Renaissance Quartet, featuring violinists Randall Goosby and Jeremiah Blacklow, violist Jameel Martin, and cellist Daniel Hass. Graduates of the Juilliard School and mentored by the legendary Itzhak Perlman, the Quartet brings a unique blend of classical mastery and innovative flair to McCarter Theatre on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 7:30pm. Known for reimagining chamber music traditions, this New York based ensemble combines technical excellence with a bold, forward-thinking approach that appeals to a diverse audience.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Rod Wave - Last Lap Tour comes to Prudential Center in December
(NEWARK, NJ) -- This Fall, AG Touring and Mammoth, Inc. proudly present the Rod Wave - Last Lap Tour. This large-scale multi-city outing will feature Rod Wave headlining 36 of North America's top arenas coast-to-coast. The tour will kick off on October 19 at Desert Diamond Arena in Phoenix, AZ visiting major markets across the country, including Newark’s Prudential Center on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 with special guests Moneybagg Yo, Toosii, Lil Poppa, Dess Dior and Eelmatic.
