NJ

Riverview Jazz Secures $15,000 Grant to Bring Avant-Garde Musician Tim Berne to Jersey City

Riverview Jazz, a Jersey City-based non-profit dedicated to world-class straight-ahead and Latin jazz, has been awarded a $15,000 grant from Chamber Music America (CMA). The funding is designated for two upcoming performances by esteemed avant-garde jazz musician, composer, and educator Tim Berne.

The grant is provided through a Chamber Music America Presenter Consortium for Jazz grant in collaboration with Pet Shop Jersey City. This initiative is a component of the Doris Duke Jazz Ensembles Project and is funded by the Doris Duke Foundation.

Performance Schedule and Lineups

The grant will support two distinct events in late May:

• Tuesday, May 26: Tim Berne will lead the Tim Berne 4 at Pet Shop in Jersey City starting at 8:00 p.m. This ensemble includes John Hèbert, Gregg Belisle-Chi, and Tim Angulo.
• Saturday, May 30, 2026: The Tim Berne 6 will perform at 2:00 p.m. On the RWJBarnabas Plaza Stage as part of the annual Jersey City Jazz Festival. This group will feature Tom Rainey, Gregg Belisle-Chi, John Hèbert, Hery Paz, and Aurora Nealand.

While tickets are required for the Pet Shop performance, admission to the Jersey City Jazz Festival is free.

Pushing Musical Boundaries

Tim Berne is recognized for his specialization in improvised music, creating a style that balances compositional rigor with fluid group improvisation. His work is described as a blend of new voices and ideas, where hypnotic rhythms and long melodies meet jagged dissonances and textural shifts. His performances often feature a lush blend of clarinets and saxophones, layered with percussion, accordion, and guitar.

Bryan Beninghove, Founder and Executive Director of Riverview Jazz, highlighted the significance of the funding and the artist’s contribution. “Tim Berne is a visionary artist that is constantly pushing the boundaries of music and sound,” Beninghove said. “Thanks to this wonderful grant from Chamber Music of America, we are able to present these innovative sounds to our audience at our annual Jersey City Jazz Festival. Thank you CMA!”

About the Organizations

Chamber Music America is a national network of ensemble music professionals founded in 1977. The organization supports the chamber music community through funding programs, consulting services, and its quarterly publication, Chamber Music magazine. Its membership spans a wide range of musical traditions, including musicians, educators, and artist managers.

Riverview Jazz operates as a non-profit organization producing year-round jazz events in Jersey City, including the Jersey City Jazz Festival, to bring the community together through music.

Novodo Gallery in Jersey City will host a new group exhibition titled Object Permanence, running from May 9 through June 6, 2026. The exhibition, curated by Nicole Basilone and Daniel Morowitz, features a collection of works from 14 artists exploring the boundaries of sensory perception and existence.

Exploring the Phenomenon of Object Permanence

The exhibition centers on the concept of object permanence, described as the understanding that an object continues to exist regardless of whether it can be sensed. Rather than providing definitive answers, the show seeks commonality among diverse visual strategies used by contemporary artists.

The curated works examine how surface, identity, and material construction interact. The gallery serves as both a physical and metaphorical space for a conversation that the curators describe as more of a spiral than a circle, where ideas loop back at changing vantage points.

Diverse Visual Strategies and Artistic Approaches

The exhibition highlights a wide range of techniques. Paige Beeber utilizes mark-making and impasto to approximate New Mexico’s desert landscapes, while Ray Hwang employs an airy glow and a black square to represent the removal of space.

Representation and surrealism also play key roles. Nicole Basilone uses floral patterns and fall colors in a piece titled autumn, and Christl Stringer presents a surreal look at contemporary privilege through images of lobsters walked on leashes.

Other artists focus on the intersection of the mundane and the classical. Sarah Mueller and Emma Hapner present table-scapes inspired by Manet and Matisse, while Song Watkins Park pairs her own body with a cabbage to explore the limits of identity.

Identity, Mythology, and Materiality

The theme of identity is further explored through mythological lenses. Paul Anagnostopoulos places Greek heroes in vulnerable settings, while Daniel Morowitz reimagines a mirror selfie as a colossus, reflecting shifting societal tides.

Materiality is pushed to the forefront in the works of Rachel Cohen, who uses fabric, sequins, and flowers over her paintings, and Judy Giera, whose operate uses pink tones and domestic references to explore femininity.

The exhibition concludes with the work of Christine Romanell, who uses 15 layers of 3/8 inch birch plywood to reconstruct mathematical geometry into objects that exist between painting and sculpture.

Future Implications for the Gallery

As Novodo Gallery continues to present programming designed to challenge conventions, this exhibition may establish a framework for future group shows focusing on intellectual and emotional depth. The gallery’s use of artist talks and panel discussions could further bridge the gap between these complex conceptual themes and the general audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the “Object Permanence” exhibition taking place?

The exhibition runs from May 9 through June 6, 2026, at Novodo Gallery, located at 110 Morgan Street in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Who are the curators and how many artists are involved?

The show is curated by Nicole Basilone and Daniel Morowitz and features the work of 14 artists.

What are the visiting hours for Novodo Gallery?

The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 11:00am to 7:00pm, and Saturdays from 11:00am to 6:00pm, or by appointment.

How does the idea of something existing without being sensed change the way you view the objects in your own daily environment?

Jersey City-based singer Eddie Skuller will perform a tribute to the songwriting of Tom Waits on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the 503 Social Club in Hoboken, New Jersey. Skuller, described as a skilled and masterful singer, intends to offer a moving experience through interpretations of Waits’ classic songs.

A Unique Interpretation

Skuller views Tom Waits as the “ultimate folk storyteller” and approaches the material with “reverence, restraint, and emotional intelligence.” He aims to allow audiences to hear the songs anew, offering interpretations guided by his own expressive voice rather than attempting vocal mimicry.

The performance will feature songs from Waits’ extensive catalog, including “I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You,” “San Diego Serenade,” “Ol’ 55,” “Downtown Train,” and “Jersey Girl.”

Accompanied by New York Music Masters

Skuller will be accompanied by Joe McGinty on keyboards and Jeremy Chatzky on upright bass. Both musicians are described as masters of the New York music scene and have performed with Skuller as part of The Losers Lounge, a tribute series appearing at Joe’s Pub and City Winery.

According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Skuller “embraces the dark and moody but injects the tender promise of hope.” Constant Listener’s Jim Testa stated that Skuller’s vocal performance is “intimate and nostalgic and beautifully sad.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What date is the performance?

The performance is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2026.

Where will the performance seize place?

The performance will take place at the 503 Social Club, located at 503 3rd Street in Hoboken, New Jersey.

What time will the doors open and the show start?

Doors will open at 7:00pm, and the show will start at 8:00pm.

Will Skuller’s interpretation of Tom Waits’ music resonate with audiences seeking a fresh perspective on these classic songs?