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Get to know the reporter behind Bruce Springsteen coverage

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3 months ago

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Get to know the reporter behind Bruce Springsteen coverage

3 minute read

Today’s cover story on the economic impact Bruce Springsteen has had on Asbury Park was written by entertainment writer Chris Jordan, who has been covering the New Jersey music scene for decades.

Regular APP readers know that Chris writes about the Boss on a regular basis. He also writes about local talent, who’s coming to Shore-area clubs and venues, as well as the latest on Bon Jovi and the “Jersey Shore Family Vacation” cast.

Chris has a passion for the job, so when news breaks, he’s on it. Expect to read stories in the coming days about Sea Hear Now – the big music, art and surfing festival, coming to Asbury Park on Sept. 14 and 15. The headliner on Sunday, Sept. 15? Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Here’s an opportunity to get to know Chris a little better.

Tell us about your background. Where are you from? How and why did you get into reporting? How did you get to the Asbury Park Press?

I’m a Jersey Shore native who grew up in Neptune, Ocean Township and Matawan, and hung out on the Asbury Park boardwalk.

Growing up, I’d read multiple daily newspapers, and I eventually got a job in the Asbury Park Press sports department.

I then switched to the Home News Tribune to cover a very thriving entertainment scene in New Brunswick, and came back to the Asbury Park Press in 2011. My stories have also appeared in USA Today, the Bergen Record, Seattle Times, Chicago Sun-Times, the Arizona Republic, Billboard, MTV, AOL, Yahoo and more outlets in the U.S. and around the world.    

You cover Bruce, Bon Jovi and the music scene at the Jersey Shore and beyond. What is your background in music? Who are your favorite performers?

I tried and failed to learn how to play guitar as a teenager. Songs I learned included “Complete Control” by the Clash and “Itchykoo Park” by the Small Faces, and I wrote several long-lost songs. The result is I have a rudimentary knowledge of music notation, and can at times recognize performed notes and chords.

I’m a fan of all music styles, as there are quality songs in all genres. My favorite song is “How Can I Be Sure” by the Rascals, and my favorite album is the compilation “Jerry Blavat presents for Ladies Only,” which includes classic tracks from Dinah Washington, Carla Thomas, Etta James and more. I enjoy dancing to Goth rock, ’80s music and ’60s R&B and soul. My favorite songs to dance to are “But It’s Alright” by J.J. Jackson and “London Dungeon” by the Misfits.  

Is there one story in your career that really stands out? What was it and why?

About 20 years ago when I worked for the Home News Tribune, I interviewed Billy Brown of the million-selling R&B groups the Moments, and Ray, Goodman and Brown. I said that I didn’t know he had lived in Perth Amboy. He said he’s was a Jersey guy – he used to perform in Asbury Park.

The interview led to a revelation for me about the cultural richness of the West Side of Asbury Park. In addition to Brown and his group the Broadways, Springwood Avenue was formerly a vibrant center of music in Asbury Park, where greats like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Fats Waller, Sonny Greer, Lenny Welch, the Broadways, Bobby Thomas of the Orioles, Clarence Clemons and more either came up in or played the avenue’s clubs.

I grew up in the area and I had no idea. The local media, including the Asbury Park Press, did not sufficiently cover the scene during its glory days. When the music came to an abrupt halt during the summer of 1970 after riots tore apart Asbury Park and specifically Springwood Avenue, little was written about it or spoken about it for decades. The clubs that weren’t burned down in the riots were bulldozed. Blocks remained empty for decades.   

In 2011, I asked the members of the Springwood Avenue scene to meet me for interviews and photos to tell their story. It was a great time, and since then a movement has arisen with groups like the Asbury Park African-American Music Project and Springwood Avenue Rising working to reclaim the legacy and tell the story.

I still regularly write about the scene and the friends I’ve made there, and with new redevelopment in the area, including several new concert lineups, Springwood Avenue is indeed rising.  

What is one thing about yourself that would surprise people?

If I’m not at a concert, dancing in a nightclub or sitting at a computer, chances are I’m in a gym. I started lifting weights many years ago with the hope of entering the Mr. Xanadu contest at the former Club Xanadu in Asbury Park. The spot at 911 Kingsley is now Porta, and it was formerly the Student Prince, where Bruce Springsteen played in the early ’70s.

I didn’t enter the contest, but I’ve stayed with the weights. My best non-competition lifts are 350 pounds in the bench press, 405-pound squat and 415-pound deadlift. I don’t come near those totals these days due to injuries such as a torn pectoral, but I still enjoy my gym time. I’ve lifted in just about every gym at the Jersey Shore.

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