Albert Music Hall's "Back to Our Roots" Benefit to Support Preservation of Pinelands Music History

WARETOWN, NJ — Albert Music Hall will present Back to Our Roots, a special fundraising concert on Sunday, July 19, inviting music lovers to enjoy an afternoon of live performances while helping preserve an important piece of New Jersey's musical heritage.

The afternoon will begin with an update on the Society's archive projects and traditional songs performed by Redbird, followed by extended performances from Billy T Midnight & Friends, Billy Penn & The Inside Drivers, and Josh Werner & Friends, before concluding with an on-stage jam session. Every admission and donation helps support the preservation of the Pinelands Cultural & Historical Preservation Society's growing archive of music, photographs, recordings, films, and documents spanning more than 50 years of New Jersey history.

Over the past two years, PCS volunteers have renewed their efforts to organize and digitize thousands of aging audio and video recordings, photographs, and documents before they are lost to time. Along the way, they've uncovered remarkable pieces of local history, including interviews with Society founders, footage recorded after the original Albert Music Hall was destroyed in a fire in 1992, and other rare materials that capture the people and traditions that helped shape the Hall's unique legacy.

"Albert Music Hall has quietly documented the music of hundreds of local musicians over the past five decades," said Danielle Marrone, President of the Pinelands Cultural & Historical Preservation Society. "Many of those performers are no longer with us, making these recordings an irreplaceable record of a unique part of New Jersey's musical history. Our goal is to preserve as much of this collection as possible and make it accessible to the community. That's a huge undertaking, and this fundraiser will help us continue that journey."

The archive's significance has recently been recognized beyond Ocean County. Earlier this year, materials from the PCS collection were contributed to the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, helping document New Jersey's rich musical heritage and underscoring the importance of preserving local music history alongside nationally recognized artists.

As word of the project has spread, community members have also begun donating photographs, recordings, and memorabilia from their own collections, expanding the archive with materials that might otherwise have been lost. Among the most significant is the only known footage from inside the Albert brothers' cabin during one of their jam sessions, the informal gatherings that eventually led to the creation of Albert Music Hall.

Funds raised through Back to Our Roots will support the next phase of the project, including continued digitization of historic audio and video recordings, preservation of photographs and documents, and the purchase of equipment and archival supplies needed to protect the collection for future generations.

Doors open at 1:00 p.m., with music beginning at 2:00 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $1 for children ages 11 and under (cash only). Free parking and wheelchair-accessible seating are available. The Snack Booth and Gift Booth will also be open throughout the afternoon.

For more than five decades, Albert Music Hall has celebrated the music and traditions of the New Jersey Pinelands. Back to Our Roots offers visitors an opportunity not only to enjoy an afternoon of outstanding local music, but also to help ensure that the stories, recordings, and history behind that tradition continue to be preserved and shared for generations to come.

For more information, visit www.alberthall.org.