Cape May Court House – Linda Gentille & The Jersey Shore Pops have signed a contract with The City of Ocean City to open their 2014 season with a Memorial Day Weekend concert celebration. The orchestra music director Linda Gentille, the orchestra’s President Dr. Nick Holland and several orchestra members attended a council meeting in July to request to perform at the famous Music Pier. The city agreed to give the Jersey Shore Pops 2 dates in 2014. The dates and the concerts that the popular orchestra is performing are:
Saturday, May 24 at 7:00 PM: “AMERICA” starring Linda Gentille & The Jersey Shore pops. This big band concert will tribute America Heroes with mainly music Glenn Miller & George Gershwin.
Saturday, July 26 at 2:00 PM: “COUNTRY DIVAS” starring Jacklyn Buckingham & the Jersey Shore Pops. This concert wills tribute the great ladies of country music including Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood,
Dolly Parton and many others. Jacklyn Buckingham has become a regular popular guest entertainer with the orchestra and will break from her traditional Broadway style of singing for this country themed show.
The board members of The Jersey Shore Pops are very excited to expand their fan base with this Ocean City debut. The president of the orchestra Dr. Nick Holland adds, “We are grateful to the City of Ocean City for giving us this opportunity to bring our music to the city. Our music director and conductor Linda Gentille has performed in Ocean City for years with her solo concerts and now our orchestra has many Ocean City attendees. We know that they will be happy to welcome the orchestra to the city for the first time. We feel our orchestra style with a conductor at the piano is quite different from the Ocean City Pops. There is room for both of us at the Music Pier and we welcome them to our home theater of the Middle Township PAC anytime.”
Jersey Shore Pops is a New Jersey non-profit corporation and is comprised of professional musicians from all over South Jersey the orchestra was founded in 2009 by conductor and music director Linda Gentille. Although they have only been in operation for 4 years, they have been able to support their concert budget with ticket sales. Music Director for the orchestra Gentille comments, “We are very proud of the orchestra members for their dedication and commitment to keeping the momentum going this season. We had over 5000 tourists and residents attend our shows this season and the guest artists and soloists received such thunderous ovations throughout the season. We look forward to bringing our high energy shows to residents and visitors in Ocean City next year.”
The Jersey Shore Pops has become a mainstay of entertainment at the shore. The popular orchestra is comprised mainly of New Jersey professional musicians. In 2011, The Jersey Shore Pops appointed the position of concert mistress to Susan Elsayed, former concert mistress for The Ocean City Pops. She and her daughter Amina are featured guest duet artists with the Pops all season. Recently added to the roster was special guest Broadway vocalist Jacklyn Buckingham. Some of the other talented Jersey Shore Pops orchestra members include Clifford Buggs, (Trumpet), renowned trumpet soloist and former leader of the Coast Guard Band in Cape May, John Drechen, Band Director at Lower Cape May Regional High School (Trumpet), Jim Hines (Bass), Ray Deeley, (Percussion) Angela Guido, Ted Blohm and Jim Tangney (Trombone), Paul Butler, Cindy Yenloevich, Christopher Kobuk and Walter Palmer on Saxophone, Clarinet and Flute. The newly added string section includes: Susanne Di Vincenzo, Sandy Miller, Susan Elsayed, Amina Elsayed, Mary Jo Zahradnik, Briana Sadler, Heain Kim, and Edward Lin.
What has made the Jersey Shore Pops the most successful new big band orchestra at the Jersey Shore is the conductor Linda Gentille’s her unique on stage showmanship. As a major headliner, she has performed on stages around the world. Pops president Dr. Nick Holland sums it up:” Gentille’s unique musical style of conducting while performing amazing feats on the piano has made this a must see show in Cape May. Her unique and original orchestrations set her apart from all the other pianist conductors in the nation.”
As an in-demand performer in her own right,Gentille dazzles audiences around the world with her beauty, charisma and musical virtuosity. Growing up in Pacific Palisades, California, Linda began her musical studies taking classes with her Father at Roger Williams’ studio in Los Angeles.
When not conducting The Jersey Shore Pops, Gentille arranges music and performs with her own big band orchestra on luxury cruise lines and in performing arts centers across the United States. Gentille conducts and performs over 75 concerts each year with hundreds of different musicians nationwide. Her unique ability to adapt to various music styles from Classical to Jazz has made her a sought after concert act in performing arts centers around the world.
Tickets for both shows are already on sale now because the orchestra likes to plan their season far in advance. The orchestra is still in negotiations with the Middle Township PAC for the 2014 summer concert series. Tickets for the shows at the Music Pier start at $20 for children under 12 and range from $25-$40 for adults. There will be a season pass for the 2 concerts available for only $50 that will include a VIP reception and the prime front section seats. To order tickets for either show or the 2014 Ocean City Season Pass, call 1- 609-628-4544 or go online at www.JerseyShorePops.org. You can view the seating chart online and all seats are reserved seating on a first come first serve basis.