Community Calendar

BRICK – Looking for a relaxing afternoon of music? Fred Lehotay and the Ragtimers will perform at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 18 at the Brick Branch of the Ocean County Library.

Join this popular quartet for a sentimental journey through the Roaring Twenties with classic ragtime songs that are upbeat and timeless. Sing along or tap your toes while the band whisks you away with patriotic songs, Jazz Age melodies, and rollicking ragtime tunes.

The Ragtimers have been introducing this music to new generations since 1968. The current band lineup includes bassist Gary Nokes, guitarist Bob Estler, banjoist Tom Rittenhouse, and bandleader/alto saxophonist Fred Lehotay.

Registration is required for this free program. To register, visit tinyurl.com/RagtimeBrick, call 732-477-4513, or stop by the branch at 301 Chambers Bridge Road.

LAVALLETTE – Transport yourself back in time with “The Music that Defined the Big Band Era” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 29 at the Upper Shores Branch of the Ocean County Library.

Listen to Ortley Beach’s own Tony Corrao as he brings the audience to an era of sophistication, swing, style, and Sinatra. Corrao blends classical appeal with modern flair, using his captivating voice and magnetic stage presence. He was selected by the Count Basie Theatre in 2012 as a cast member for the Sinatra Birthday Bash. In 2015, he won first place in the Sinatra Idol competition in Hoboken.

This program is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Upper Shores Branch. The Friends are volunteers who help preserve, strengthen, and support the library through supporting branch activities, sponsoring fundraisers, and attending community and civic events as library advocates. Visit theoceancountylibrary.org/oclfriends or stop by your local OCL branch to learn how to get involved.

Registration is required for this free program. To register, visit tinyurl.com/BigBandOCL, call 732-793-3996, or stop by the branch at 112 Jersey City Avenue, Lavallette.

Boston-based British/American modern blues powerhouse Bees Deluxe are buzzing back into Tuckerton New Jersey with their electrifying live show, landing at The Lizzie Rose Music Room on Friday July 31st at 8:00 PM. Fresh off advancing to the semi-finals this year at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.
The Lizzie Rose Music Room is a special stop for the band. “It feels like home to us,” says guitarist Warre. “We’ve made so many friends there, and we always look forward to playing the Lizzie Rose."

An intimate, world-class listening room the Lizzie Rose is an intimate live performance venue in a beautifully restored 1860 Sea Captain’s House, located in the small coastal borough of Tuckerton that hosts every kind of music genre: blues, folk, jazz, rock, bluegrass, and singer-songwriters. .
Bees Deluxe is a four-piece electric band touring relentlessly from Maine to Miami and as far west as the Cleveland House of Blues. Regulars at premier venues including Daryl’s House Club, The Lizzie Rose Music Room, The Bull Run, Black Eyed Sally’s, and Boston City Winery, the band seamlessly blends classic blues (Etta James, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Otis Rush) with modern icons like Robert Cray, Jimi Hendrix, and ZZ Top—plus striking originals of their own. Founding member Warre was in a high school band with Paul Kossoff, of the band Free. He toured Europe with Joe Jackson and The English Beat, then moved from London to New York where he became a fixture on the stage at the legendary CBGB’s. In Boston, he formed Bees Deluxe to celebrate the music he fell in love with while touring and playing legendary London clubs like Rainbow Theatre, Ronnie Scott's, Dingwalls, The Music Machine and the Moonlight Club. Before forming Bees Deluxe he was Production Manager for Rykodisc the first music audio CD company in the States where he worked directly with Frank Zappa, Yoko Ono, Richard Thompson, David Bowie, Mickey Hart and others. Carol Band is a classically trained pianist who was recruited while playing jazz in Boston’s club scene. She also writes tunes and wows audiences with her blazing harmonica solos.

Opening the evening is Eclipse - Original Progressive Jazz Fusion, the Cape May based eclectic ensemble at 7:30 pm.

BAY HEAD – The Ocean County Library is excited to present “Navesink Brass Concert – 250 Years” from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, July 31 at Centennial Park outside the Bay Head Borough Hall, 83 Bridge Avenue.

Celebrate 250 years of American music and culture with Navesink Brass, a professional brass quintet with a wide and varied repertoire, including classical, jazz, rock, pop, and patriotic selections. They will begin the show with an arrangement of Revolutionary War tunes followed by a spotlight of American culture, including jazz, pop, Broadway, television, and cinema songs.

Please bring a blanket or chair for seating.

The rain date for this event is Friday, August 7 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Registration is required for this free program. To register, visit tinyurl.com/BrassBH, call the Bay Head Reading Center at 732-892-0662, or stop by your local OCL branch.