Milwaukee-born pianist Lynne Arriale studied as a classical pianist into her twenties, until one day she had a notion - an inner voice, suggest to her she should study jazz. There she found a new freedom she didn't know she'd been seeking.

She went on to tour Japan with the likes of Cedar Walton and Kenny Barron, and spent time in New York as well as the Thelonious Monk Institute in Aspen. For more than a decade she's taught at the University of North Florida, and has had a consistent output with 11 albums as a leader.

The GroundUP Music Festival, which just wrapped its fourth edition in Miami, aims to dissolve the barrier between musician and fan.

With a scarcity of VIP badges, famous artists mingling with festival goers, and jaw-dropping curation of unfamiliar international talent, this annual musical gathering cultivates an ethos of inclusivity.

Legislative leaders in New Jersey canceled a scheduled vote Monday on a plan to legalize recreational marijuana, citing a lack of support from members.

State Sen. President Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said the Senate specifically did not have enough votes to pass the legislation, but the Assembly also called off its planned vote.

“I might’ve underestimated the challenge in getting this passed,” Sweeney said. “We’re postponing today. But that does in no way mean that we have failed or that we’re walking away from it.”

Tom Brady. NyQuil. Blue Magic.

New Jersey law enforcement authorities are urging heroin users to ditch their drugs if they see any packages stamped with these logos.

“Please, please, stay away from it. Your next fix could very likely be your last,” said Attorney General Gurbir Grewal at a Thursday press conference.

The unusual warning followed what authorities said was a major bust of a heroin production facility at a luxury apartment in Harrison in North Jersey.

Officials estimated it was churning out 15,000 doses of fentanyl-laced heroin every day.

One revival is less than perfect but better than all the new shows he’s seen this season, and a very different revival is the best show he’s seen (so far). 

Theater critic Michael Bourne reviews Merrily We Roll Along, and Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish.

Click above to hear both reviews.

Ever since The Blair Witch Project in 1999, the indie art-house horror film has been making a steady comeback. Get Out in 2017, by actor turned director Jordan Peele, was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, Director, leading actor, and won Best Original Screenplay. Peele’s back. Our Film Critic Harlan Jacobson went to the SXSW Fest in Austin to see his new film, US, which opens this weekend.