The Young Monkeymen were a  Trenton Rock and Roll band that had a strong following in the 1960s. According to Chris Bishop of Garage Hangover, they  were known for “playing in a cage at the Satellite, getting in fights with soldiers over their long hair, and riding motorcycles on stage!” Their lineup consisted of Al […]

Wind was a 70s rock band that included Trenton musicians Ernie White, Sam Masiello, Jeff Guenther, and Ed Karwatske. Image credit: Tom Krawiec

Reginald Dash (1958-2012) was a percussionist and actor who toured with many local and nationally-known artists. the following biography is from his online obituary:  Reginald Lamont Dash TRENTON – Reginald Lamont Dash (Harrison), 54, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, at the University of Princeton Hospital surrounded by his loving family. Born in Trenton, […]

Russell Chell is the Hamilton, New Jersey-born guitarist for the popular Brooklyn-based band, The Skins. He is a 2010  graduate of Hamilton High School and attended Mercer County Community College as a music major. He joined The Skins in 2012.  In its November 17, 2016 issue Rolling Stone listed the Skins as one of “10 […]

Charles Laurita is a Hamilton, New Jersey native who leads “The Mischief,” a band that describes its music as a fusion of alternative rock and funk. In November 2015, Laurita gave an interview to Trenton Makes Music student researchers Will Franklin and Kurt Gruninger in which he describes the challenges he and his bandmates face […]

Tom Krawiec has spent decades collecting photos and stories about Trenton’s rock-and-roll era. He created the original Trenton Makes Music (since discontinued)  site and still has a Facebook page under that name.  He also curated this selection of vintage rock songs by Trenton artists, as well as this YouTube channel:

Steve Burgh was a respected guitarist and producer whose credits included work with such luminaries ad Jimi Hendrix, Gladys Knight and Billy Joel. His career began as a teenager in Trenton with the band Jacob’s Creek, which also included fellow Trentonians Lon and Derrek van Eaton, and Bruce Stephen Foster.  He also founded a recording studio, Baby […]

Ernie White is a guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and educator who achieved major-label success, and who continues to attract loyal fans who support not only his music, but also his charitable initiatives for poverty stricken residents of Mercer County. In addition to his own band, White has become known for his work with Sam the Band […]

Bruce Stephen Foster is a renowned songwriter and composer who has played for, written for, and collaborated with some of the most respected people in the music industry. With fellow Trenton native, Tom Marolda, he penned the Grammy-nominated song, “Look Out for Number One,” for the soundtrack of the 1983 film, “Staying Alive.”  He had […]

From its Wikipedia website: City Gardens was a nightclub located at 1701 Calhoun Street in Trenton, New Jersey. It opened in 1979 and closed in the early 1990s.[1] The Nalbone family of Trenton and Lawrence, New Jersey, owned the building several years before it became a legendary rock club . The “City Gardens” moniker was […]