Embury Avenue block party. Paul Goldfinger. photo. 2013. Ocean Grove, NJ
Saturday, September 15, 2013.
This year, the Embury Avenue block party once again featured a series of big bands and ensembles performing in driveways and porches while the neighbors chowed down in the street.
This is an impressive event, with high quality jazz, dixieland and big band music. It’s a shame that this could not have been shared with the whole town somehow. Anyhow, it was a wonderful happening in the Grove: unique and marvelous. Congratulations to the organizers. —-Paul Goldfinger, Editor Blogfinger.net
BELOW IS WALT TORIE’S DIXIELAND BAND playing on Gail Shaffer’s porch. Video by Eileen Goldfinger
Suzie Neustadter entertained the Cabaret audience downtown. 9//28/19 Paul Goldfinger photos and videos. Click image to enlarge the scene.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor@Blogfinger.net
For a long while, it seemed that the Chamber of Commerce only had eyes for the blues when it brought the same musical groups downtown for their various festivals.
But this time, seemingly out of the blue, came a wonderful musical program at Main and Pilgrim Pathway, with no street closures, only music of the sort that we have not heard before here: Broadway, Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, jazz, Gershwin, Amy Winehouse, Beatles, and others, and it was so refreshing and professional.
An Ocean Grover, Lou Parisi, brought the program that included well known jazz pianist Art Topolow and a variety of terrific Jersey singers and musicians. We’ll try to get their names.
And this is the sort of programming that we at Blogfinger have been craving: something joyful and personal that could connect with a small crowd of locals and without the parking glut and tourist mob scene that we usually see in the Grove.
I often criticize the Chamber of Commercials, but there was nothing commercial about this 3 hour program which was relaxing and great fun. Even the traffic going by seemed to add a sense of spontaneity to the music, and that is a desirable quality.
I tried to find out from a Chamber member as to what bright light ignited this wonderful surprise, but all he could say was, “We wanted a change.”
I’d like to think that this program reflects a new awareness of our community of residents and its needs.
Sunday, August 28, 2016. A remarkable musical event occurred tonight at the Great Auditorium where Elijah, by Felix Mendelssohn, was performed by the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra, the Great Auditorium Choir, Dr. Gordon Turk on the Hope Jones organ, 4 soloists including Monica Ziglar (soprano), Martha Bartz (mezzo soprano), Ronald Naldi (tenor) and Justin Beck (bass-baritone) with Justin Gonzalez (tenor section leader.) The entire ensemble was conducted by Dr. Jason C. Tramm, Director of Music Ministries in Ocean Grove.
The sound of the combined components was spectacular as it all came together resonating off the wooden walls and rafters of the 122 year-old Great Auditorium. Musically it is all very dramatic, and the music soars with beauty and emotion. The oratorio is quite long, but it is considered to be one of the greatest choral musical compositions. It was completed in 1845.
The story of Elijah, of course, is taken from the Old Testament about the life of the prophet as he struggles to deal with the idol worshipping Israelites back in the day. The six page program spelled the composer’s name wrong on the cover and never mentioned his first name. But Mendelssohn, who was born into a prominent German Jewish family and was converted to Christianity at a young age, would probably have been pleased with this remarkable event in Ocean Grove. Unfortunately, he died at age 38; they say he was exhausted from writing this piece.
I was up in the balcony, near the choir, when Jason Tramm began the performance with the bass soloist and the orchestra. After a big opening, things got somewhat quiet, and I was lulled by it. All of a sudden there was a huge roar, and I jumped and then realized that the choir, a sleeping giant, had come to its feet, and its sound was big and dramatic, sufficient to wake up anyone dozing after dinner (the concert began at 7 PM.) All the soloists were wonderful, and none of the participants seemed to need amplification.
After climbing down from the rafters, I wandered outside, trying to figure out the source of a buzzing sound that distracted from the performance.. It quickly became apparent that the loud buzzing was originating in the trees—probably a swarm of insects trying to hum along with the music.
I reentered the GA all the way in the back to try and appreciate the sound of music at that location. The acoustics were successful even there, and quite a few people chose those seats. As Jason Tramm moved the oratorio along (It was divided into two parts) I noticed that there was a nun sitting back there, a local retired music teacher, a few African-Americans, and an infant who would intermittently squawk but not cry. I also noticed that cell phone bright lights, provided by some members of the audience and one choir member, to read the programs, was a source of distraction. But to balance that, Jason Tramm did not allow applause during the performance–only at the end.
By some miracle created by the Camp Meeting, this remarkable event was free. There was an offering requested.
Outside the GA, there were some fans on the lawn seats, and there were no people noises. Sea breezes floated around, and those who walked by seemed amazed by the pageant inside.
Over at Days a small line had formed. One woman berated the guy she was with for daring to suggest that she not get whatever she pleased, like a big hot fudge sundae. A couple with two small red headed children had to leave the line because “Daddy needs to drive home now and we can’t wait on line. We’ll go to our special no-wait place.”
Two guys moved forward and were discussing this family’s bailing out: “There is nothing I would rather wait for than Days ice cream.” It didn’t seem like anyone there was aware that Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah was being performed in the big wooden building across the park. I bet John Phillip Sousa, whose portrait hangs in the museum next to Days, probably woke up to hear that glorious music come wafting in his direction.
PHOTO GALLERY FOR THE MENDELSSOHN EVENT: I recommend that you start the music and then begin the photos. Click on one image and then follow the big arrows. Click on the little X at the left side to return here:
By Mary Walton, Editor Blogfinger.net . Re-post from 2012. Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
After four hours spent checking every nook and cranny of the Great Auditorium’s 11,358-pipe Hope-Jones organ on Monday, curator John Shaw pronounced it “fine.”
Many organ devotees had expressed their concern that the damage to the Auditorium roof might have had consequences for the celebrated instrument. “I was worried,” Shaw said following his examination.
Shaw had to wait for the return of power to provide light in the pitch-black chambers where the pipes and windboxes are lodged. His examination required “a lot of climbing and a lot of walking on very narrow boards, some 20 feet off the floor.”
Shaw said the nor’easter expected Wednesday is “my next concern — that they get everything closed on the roof that’s on the main building.” Several years ago, he said, solder joints on the roof gave way under the force of a nor’easter and wind blew water into the cracks. The water seeped downward, causing $30,000 in damage to the organ. Shaw is worried that something like that could happen again.
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“Keep your fingers crossed,” he said.
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SOUNDTRACK: Gordon Turk plays the Hope- Jones organ in his album of Ocean Grove organ music. This piece is a favorite of Grover music lovers.
Maestro Jason Tramm will conduct the Verdi extravaganza in the GA
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor Blogfinger.net. Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Jason Tramm and the new MidAtlantic Opera will present “Verdiana,” a concert and multi-media gala celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Giuseppe Verdi’s birth. The event will be presented in Ocean Grove’s Great Auditorium on Saturday, September 21. It is attracting a great deal of press interest.
Maestro Tramm is no longer with the NJ State Opera. He is launching this new opera company with the goal of bringing high-quality professional opera productions to the region.
We all know Jason Tramm as the Director of Music Ministries in the Grove each summer, but, when not working here, he keeps busy teaching and conducting at Seton Hall University.
The concert on Sept 21 will feature six renowned soloists, a choir from Seton Hall and a 40 piece orchestra. Arias, ensembles and choruses from a variety of Verdi operas will be performed. Among the soloists is our own Ronald Naldi, a tenor who performs with the Metropolitan Opera.
Soprano Christina Major will be one of the soloists.
Noted author, filmmaker and Verdi devotee August Ventura will speak about the composer during the performance.
Saturday night, summer 2011. Doo Wops at the Great Auditorium. Paul Goldfinger aerial photo. Blogfinger.
Paul Goldfinger, Blogfinger.net.
We got this from Shelly Belusar (CMA) who knows where to find these ancient stars and the young people who are filling in, sometimes with startling and revelatory interpretations of this music, which always tries to answer the perennial question, “Why can’t I be a teenager in love?” Or, a close second, “When do we get a slow dance?”
2015 Doo Wop lineup:
June 27– Jay Siegel’s Tokens, The Chantels, Cleveland Still’s &The Dubs, Vito Picone &The Elegants.
Sept. 5– Gene Chandler (The Duke of Earl), The Crystals, Lenny Coco & The Chimes, Bill Haley Jr. &The Comets.
Here’s a taste of what’s coming: It’s the TOKENS: Try to clap along. See if you have music in your soul.
THE DUBS:
THE TOKENS. “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” See comments.
Trombone soloist with the Summer Swing big band. Embury Avenue block party comes alive with Glenn Miller’s “American Patrol” (below). Photos by Paul Goldfinger. Videos by Eileen Goldfinger. Blogfinger.net
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor Blogfinger.net
It was Saturday, September 15, at 5 p.m., 2012, and the neighbors on Embury Avenue, near the beach, were about to enjoy their annual block party. But this year they planned something very different; in fact,so different that it undoubtedly was a first in the history of the town. They arranged to have seven live bands perform while the neighbors ate, danced and enjoyed the show until late in the evening.
Audience begins to assemble for the largest block party musical event in OG history. Left click for full view
The prime mover for the event was Embury resident Cheryl Parker, a vocalist who performs with many of the groups that she recruited for the block party. There were three “big bands” and four jazz combos. The big bands specialized in “swing” music, mostly from the 1940’s, and they set up in a driveway. The small combos performed on a porch, while the audience sat at tables in the street and on front lawns, which are common on the beach blocks.
We got to talk to some of the members of “Summer Swing,” a band from the Redington, New Jersey area, near Flemington. They’ve been together for 17 years, and their instrumentation consists of five saxes, four bones, four trumpets, piano, bass, guitar and drums. John Nobile is the leader. He has some contemporary arrangements, but the sound of the big bands is their main concern. — Paul Goldfinger
The song being played by “Summer Swing” below is “The American Patrol.”
Jason Tramm, Director of Music Ministries for the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. 2014. By Paul Goldfinger . Blogfinger.net.
Being a conductor, Maestro Tramm often has his back to the audience so here he is in a rare frontal view. This image was obtained at the September 1, 2014 annual Camp Meeting Association Labor Day public summary* of the season’s successes.
Jason Tramm is a young man who is considered a rising star in the music world. In Ocean Grove he manages an ambitious program of choral, orchestral and oratorial works. He believes that adding music to inspirational words creates a powerful combination, so he plans even more great choral works in the Great Auditorium next season.
But Maestro Tramm, like all great musicians, appreciates music that crosses over the genre divides.
To hear Itzhak Perlman play klezmer or Dick Hyman crossing over from classical to jazz, or, as in this case, the great late operatic soprano Eileen Farrell performing pop music shows how that works.
And so it is with Jason Tramm who brings us all sorts of music in the Grove. Hopefully he will be able to cross those divides regularly in the Great Auditorium so that a variety of audiences can enjoy his versatility.
EILEEN FARRELL: What music can we post to go with Jason’s photo? Putting up an opera aria is too easy.
Here is Eileen Farrell with “The More I See You” by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon.
* 2022: Note that the CMA did not have their public meeting this past Labor Day. We can speculate on that change, but not now.
And we noted above that Jason Tramm is a strong believer in enhancing words with music. We feel the same way on Blogfinger, so most of our posts are coupled with music, just as music always enhances movies.
In our case, the pairing of music with still photography, poetry and even opinion pieces is still an original idea of ours, and we will continue.
At one point in Blogfinger history, one of our editors complained that we were posting too much music, but I believe that music is something that we humans naturally appreciate, somewhere in our brains, so we will keep it up, and many of you have told us that you love the music.
PAUL ANKA BRINGS VEGAS TO THE GREAT AUDITORIUM. SUMMER 2011. Blogfinger reports:
Paul Anka in the Great Auditorium. Photo by Tracey James, Blogfinger staff.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor Blogfinger.net
Shelley Belusar, who books the acts for the CMA, was amazed when Paul Anka’s crew arrived at the GA on Saturday morning. He brought a synchronized production team that included sound, lighting and staging personnel. They set up a massive backdrop of drapes that turned out to be dazzling light reflectors. They placed small platforms around the auditorium for Anka to stand on as he moved through the room, and they prepared a multimedia presentation that recreated Vegas.
When Anka came on stage, he was surrounded by a 12 piece orchestra. The allocation of musicians was a bit peculiar: 2 trombones, 1 sax, 3 trumpets, synthesizer and a bongo player—in addition to the mandatory piano, bass, drum and guitar. But they were a superb stage band with a big brassy sound. The show was a model of professionalism, showmanship and glitz. The program included a wide array of musical styles, performed with great zest and skill; it was a satisfying show in terms of musicianship. Among the best songs were Mack the Knife, For Once in my Life, Jump, She’s a Lady, It Doesn’t Matter Any More, and many other famous hits.
We tend to think of Paul Anka as a rock and roll kid whose friends included performers like Buddy Holly and Annette Funicello, but those years passed and Anka became a show business great whose mentor was Frank Sinatra and whose friends included the big stars of that Copacabana, Las Vegas, New York-New York and Hollywood era. Over the last half century, in addition to performing, he wrote music for many stars besides himself, including the theme song for the Tonight Show.
Last night, Paul, dressed in a dark three piece suit, shirt and tie, was a dynamo for 1 1/2 hours of pure energetic entertainment. He is tan, trim and fit, and his voice is still magnificent. You couldn’t avoid imagining Frank Sinatra on stage, because Paul Anka is built like Frank, sounds like him and even has mannerisms like “old blue eyes.”
A remarkable element to Anka’s performance is his enthusiasm. He seemed to be having a wonderful time as he went out into the audience and interacted with the crowd in a way that had a few thousand people standing, shouting, whistling and even running up and down the aisles.
Paul Anka works the large crowd in the GA. Photo by Tracey James
The show was less about his famous hits (“Diana, Put Your Head on My Shoulder, etc.”) than it was about music from his entire career. He paid tribute to Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Van Halen and Sammy Davis, Jr.
A giant screen came down several times to show photos of himself as a chubby kid and then a teen-age heart-throb. He showed a movie performance of Sammy Davis singing an Anka song, “Let Me Try Again,” and then, in a brilliant staging maneuver, the band and Anka seamlessly joined in that performance from fifty years ago . It was thrilling.
Here’s Paul Anka with a song from his album “Live in Las Vegas.” He sang “For Once in My Life” last night in the GA.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Shelley and the CMA for bringing this exciting show to the GA. It should be noted that Paul Anka, like Tony Bennett, remarked on the uniqueness of the Great Auditorium. Performers love the structure, the crowd and the acoustics. Parking gets tight on such a Saturday night, but the concerts tend to be only about 2 hours long.
Did you ever dream of traveling around the country in a van with a rock band? Well, Daniel Hickman of Tennessee, currently of Ocean Grove, did just that for five years when he was in his twenties. But he wasn’t a musician. He was a technician who made sure that the group’s guitars were fit as a fiddle. Daniel loved the experience; is there any doubt? ——– especially if you read Keith Richards biography.
Daniel has trained for years working on guitars—-repairing them and building them. He continued studying his craft with experts along the way as he traveled all over America with the Latin Rock group “de Sol.” He calls himself a “luthier” (definition: “a maker of stringed instruments such as violins or guitars.”)
Daniel comes from an artistic family and he probably inhaled guitar music living near Nashville. His career as a luthier has been progressing since 2005. After that rock gig, he moved to New Jersey and found himself with a very special business opportunity at the Jersey Shore Arts Center in Ocean Grove (66 South Main Street in Neptune) where he has had a workshop/studio since 2015 called “Don’t Fret Music.”
Daniel is grateful to the late Herb Herbst and the staff at the JSAC for providing him with a rare situation. He not only builds and repairs guitars and other stringed instruments,, but he has begun a program to provide lessons in guitar, piano, and uke. Dan has recruited a talented young teacher to work with students of all ages, and the lessons are given in a separate space off Dan’s workshop. He also repairs amps and he is moving into “retail.” Daniel plans to develop a “full service guitar shop and music store.” His shop is downstairs off the parking lot, with a private entrance to the left.
At the age of 32, Daniel is ambitious and enthused. “We are in the infancy of Don’t Fret Music.”
Daniel’s workshop/studio is a fascinating place, and to watch him work, you get the impression that he is highly competent. He worked on my guitar–he is an exacting craftsman.
Daniel is excited about the future of the Jersey Shore Arts Center. “There is a lot going on here,” he says; “The venue is full of talented artists in residence ,some of whom paint, do screen printing, social media, and photography.” There also is an acting ensemble “La Strada.” He wants to be supportive of his artist colleagues at JSAC.
One of his ambitions is to see a variety of new music performances in the JSAC theater. He hopes for bluegrass and jazz among the choices. This ambition seems very real given the recent downsizing of the secular programming in the Great Auditorium and the real need for some musical variety to satisfy OG’s diverse demographics and to balance against the music scene in Asbury Park.
Blogfinger will help promote new music and arts programs in Ocean Grove. It sounds like the JSAC may be on the threshold of something more than yoga and children’s ballet. Currently there is an arts show going on. Call them for details.
Daniel’s shop is open Tuesday through Saturday 3 pm -7 pm except Saturday which is 11 am to 5 pm. Call 732 361 5060 or DontFretNJ@gmail.com or the web site: DontFretNJ.com.
And, for the record, Daniel lives in Ocean Grove and he “loves the town.” It makes him happy because he knows his neighbors, people say hello, and the town is charming. Daniel knows most of the business people in the Grove and he feels at home here.
de Sol “Blanco y Negro.”
Here is a link to a 2018 piece about “Don’t Fret.”
