Journalist Al Muzer, a champion of Jersey music, has died
Apr 19, 2018Photo: Camille Thomas)Al Muzer, a long-time beacon of support for Jersey bands, passed away April 11 at the Veterans Affair New Jersey Health Care System in East Orange.He was 60. His heart and lungs failed due to a sudden unknown illness, said Camille Thomas, his significant other for 27 years. Muzer’s reviews and stories in the Aquarian Weekly, East Coast Rocker, Music Paper and more in the 1990s and 2000s, and gave hundreds of musicians and bands a moment in the spotlight. He did much to define the music scene at the time.More: Bon Jovi in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 'It's about time'“I had never met anyone who was a bigger champion of music,” said Michele Amabile, disc jockey for 107.1 The Boss (WWZY-FM) in Long Branch and a correspondent for Variety. “When he loved a band he really gave them love with every word in his review. You felt like you heard the music in his reviews. He painted the sound so well with his words.”Muzer was a native of Monroe and a long time Toms River resident. He served in the Army, including a tour in the Sinai, and his duties included specializing as an illustrator and photo journalist.He was a manager of the Fast Lane nightclub in Asbury Park before entering music journalism and publicity.“Everybody respected his reviews,” said Lenny “Lounge” Lelinko, a Jersey Shore DJ and show promoter. “He shot from the hip and he didn’t lie about anything,” Muzer received several “Top Journalist in Support of Live Music” Asbury Music Awards and a “Living Legend” award.Muzer and Thomas met on a blind date.AutoplayShow ThumbnailsShow CaptionsLast SlideNext Slide“I got to his music collection,” Thomas said. “It kind of freaked me out. Our libraries were preternaturally in synch. He had a copy of the Long Ryders “Two Fisted Tales” and I had a copy of their “State of Our Union.” He had a copy of Rosanne Cash’s “Seven Year Ache” and I had “Interiors.” He had R.E.M.’s “Document” and I had “Green.” We had each other’s missing pieces.”More: Bruce Springsteen symposium: Talking that guy and that band at Monmouth Uni... (Asbury Park Press)
