LINCROFT — The Brookdale Big Band will celebrate Brookdale Community College’s 50th anniversary with a special concert at 8 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the college’s Performing Arts Center, 765 Newman Springs Rd.
Founded by Brookdale music professor Joseph Accurso in 1985, the band features a revolving lineup of acclaimed jazz and swing musicians from Monmouth County and across New Jersey. The current group includes Fair Haven resident and Brookdale instructor Gary Mazzaroppi, who played bass alongside legendary guitarist Les Paul in the Les Paul Trio, and renowned Broadway trumpeter Joe Mosello.
The Big Band currently features 18 musicians in total, representing towns such as Asbury Park, Atlantic Highlands, Colts Neck, Fair Haven, Freehold, Hazlet, Marlboro, Rumson, Sea Girt and Tinton Falls. Vocals are performed by speech professor Barbara Baron.
Performing the repertoire of jazz greats such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and Benny Goodman, the Big Band specializes in live improvisation and eclectic set lists from the 1940s and 1950s. The group has performed more than 250 shows in the last 30 years.
The concert is one in a series of events scheduled throughout the 2016-17 school year celebrating Brookdale’s 50th anniversary. For a full list of events, visit www.brookdalecc.edu/50.
Tickets for the concert are $17, with discounted admission offered to seniors, local high students and Brookdale students and alumni. To purchase tickets or learn more information, call the Performing Arts Center Box Office at 732-224-2411 or visit www.brookdalecc.edu/pac.
