A quick internet search will yield several results about accomplishments and successes that have taken place in the great Garden State of New Jersey, but its musical roots are particularly strong. You’ve heard about that crooner, Sinatra, who came from Hoboken and—of course—there were those Jersey Boys, Whitney Houston, Bon Jovi, and no conversation about New Jersey music would be complete without the Boss.
However, there’s a hidden history, too. A deep dive into the milk crates and cardboard boxes of NJ’s garage and estate sales reveals some fabulous music that didn’t reach the lofty heights of the superstars mentioned above. There were several R&B and soul singles and albums released by names that might not be immediately familiar to you. The music is excellent, but it can be tough to locate the tracks and find a convenient way to enjoy them.
So, thank goodness for folks like Graham Wallace who have taken an interest in some of those tracks and had a vision to create a record label and compilation shining a light on these rarely heard tracks. Graham’s new label is called Continued Sound and—being that Graham was born in NJ—his first release is titled, The Soul of New Jersey, Vol. 1. This first volume of tracks focuses on the work of two composers and producers who were creating tracks in the ’60s and ’70s: George Kerr and Paul Kyser.
Graham discusses his reasons for beginning this new label, the technical hoops he jumped through to get these songs sounding their best, and the ideas he’s got for future releases. New Jersey has a lot to be proud of, but one of its strongest exports has been its music. Let Graham Wallace steer you away from the familiar stars and play some records for you that you may not have heard before.
Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.
