Mt. Sinai Congregational Church, UCC, 233 North Country Road, Mt. Sinai will host a Chicken BBQ on Saturday, July 27 from 3 to 6 p.m.Catered by Tuscany Market, the meal includes 1/2 chicken, corn salad, potato salad, and corn bread for $19.99. Popular, traditional, and some original music will provided by Eddie & Bob, Bluegrass Buddies, and Hunter Caiazzo.Bring a chair, water and enjoy vendors, raffles and more. For more information including being a vendor at this event, call 631-331-2535.
Just Sixties takes the stage outside the Stony Brook Post Office. Photo by Katherine Kelton
By Katherine Kelton
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization held the first of its summer concert series events July 7, at Stony Brook Village Green.
The large crowd spanned much of the green and parking lot, with their lawn chairs and picnic blankets in tow. Families, adults and pups enjoyed their own food and drinks. And for those without food on hand, Sweet Mama’s ice cream parlor was the go-to spot.
As the event caters to older crowds, the first band Just Sixties showcased a medley of music from the influential decade: the 1960s.
Just Sixties is reputed to be the longest-running ’60s tribute band in the United States, and is a Smithtown-based group. They performed under the beloved eagle of the post office, whose wings flapped to commence the concert.
Immense community spirit was felt, as people danced, swayed and took videos of the performance.
Just Sixties is a true blast from the past, with an introduction featuring famous news stories from the decade — from the moon landing to the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The messages served to remind people of the tumultuous decade while, simultaneously, embracing its history.
The drummer in the band, Rob Gerver, spoke with TBR, saying, “In between songs, the culture of the times are told as stories to the audience, making the show an educational and informative retrospective, as well as a magical musical event.”
Popular with the crowd were renditions of “Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival and “California Dreamin’” by the Mamas & the Papas. According to Gerver, the band is versed in different genres from “bubblegum pop to heavy metal.”
There will be a total of seven Sunday concerts through Aug. 18 at 7-8:30 p.m. New York’s Martini Garden, described as “the Eagles meet Stevie Wonder,” are scheduled to play July 14.
Sweetbriar Nature Center heads to Stony Brook Village for a Pop-Up Saturday event on July 13. File photo by Serena Carpino
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) has announced the return of Pop–Up Saturdays in Stony Brook Village! This six-part series of family-friendly events will take place every Saturday from July 13 to August 17, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Filled with animals, music, art, and magic, these events promise fun for all ages and will be held rain or shine. Pop–Up Saturdays are free to the public and will be located in Stony Brook Village’s Inner Court, near Crazy Beans and the Waterfall Garden.
2024 Pop–Up Saturdays Lineup:
• July 13: Sweet Briar Nature Center – Enjoy interacting with a variety of animals.
• July 20: Johnny Cuomo “Tales & Tunes” & the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF)– Johnny Cuomo is a musician and storyteller. ARF will be hosting an adoption event from 11am – 2pm.
• July 27: Pixie Dust Storytellers – Delight in entertainment from fairytale characters.
• August 3: Magic of Amore – Be amazed by a captivating magician show.
• August 12: Caricatures by Marty – Receive a free caricature drawing from a professional artist.
• August 17: Uncle Tony’s Reptile Shack – An interactive, fun, and educational presentation featuring snakes, lizards, tortoises, and more.
Sponsors: The 2024 Pop–Up Saturdays are generously sponsored by Apple Bank, Armor Pest Control, and NY Life Insurance.
Join WMHO for a summer filled with interactive and engaging activities for the whole family. For more information, visit wmho.org or contact 631-751-2244.
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) in Stony Brook awarded $1000 scholarships to ten graduating students from across Long Island at an awards ceremony on June 30. Also, for the second year in a row a Pat DeRosa Memorial Scholarship was awarded in memory of LIMEHOF inductee Pat DeRosa.
The following students received scholarships: Cooper Arbisi, Massapequa High School, Massapequa; Stephen Buff, Center Moriches High School, Center Moriches; Cody Chelune, Island Trees High School, Levittown; Jocelyn Chiu, Herricks High School, Albertson; Giuliana Gallone, Kings Park High School, Kings Park; Dara Gordon Commack High School, Dix Hills; Emily Helbock, Sayville High School, Sayville; Ryan Loughlin, Farmingdale High School, Farmingdale; Aidan Passaro, Mt. Sinai High School, Mt. Sinai; Julian Zuzzolo, North Shore High School, Sea Cliff; and Peter Hoss (Pat DeRosa scholarship winner)Harborfields High School, Greenlawn.
“We are thrilled to award these scholarships to such talented and dedicated young musicians,” said Tom Needham, LIMEHOF’s Educational Programs Director. “Supporting the next generation of music students as they embark on their college journeys is at the heart of our mission. These scholarships not only recognize their hard work and passion but also reinforce our commitment to nurturing musical talent and education within our community. We can’t wait to see what these young people will accomplish in their musical careers.”
Participants from last year's concert.
Photo courtesy of Dan Ker
Dan Kinney will perform on the church's tracker organ. Photo from Dan Kerr
Deborah Hauser will be one of the featured poets at the event. Photo from Dan Kerr
Ford Fourqurean will perform at this year's event. Photo from Dan Kerr
Ric Statler will perform at the event. Photo from Dan Kerr
Historic All Souls Church, 61 Main Street in Stony Brook Village presents monthly Saturdays at Six concerts, Second Saturdays poetry readings, and Native American Drumming to the community. Each of these programs brings its own unique mix of visitors to the Stanford White-designed national landmark chapel. Their latest event, Conversations on the Sacred on Saturday, July 6, will combine, music, poetry and drumming into one unique performance.
Local poet Carolyn Emerson selected the sacred readings for the program and assigned them to local poets. She also collaborated with Stony Brook University Director of Concerts Ford Fourqurean, All Souls organist Dan Kinney, and Native American Elder and Drummer Ric Statler on the musical interludes that follow each reading. The tracker organ at All Souls, built by Henry Erben of New York in 1854, will be part of the program, responding to readings with appropriate hymns.
One of the poets that will be reading is Suffolk County Poet Laureate Deborah Hauser. She shared “I’m grateful to All Souls Church for the invitation to join this sacred conversation and am looking forward to a transcendent evening.”
The selection of poems and religious texts includes works that are widely regarded for their technical virtuosity and lyrical beauty.Each reading includes a specific conversation with the sacred but offers at the same time a way into the life and sensibility of the poet. Christian and Judaic religions are in conversation with Taoism, Zen Buddhism, Islam, and the Native American tradition.
One of the poets that will be reading is Suffolk County Poet Laureate Deborah Hauser. She shared “I’m grateful to All Souls Church for the invitation to join this sacred conversation and am looking forward to a transcendent evening.”
From a Native American perspective, sacred conversations are ongoing. This is because all life (be it two-legged, four-legged, winged, finned, slithering, crawling, plant people, earthly matter, heavenly mater) is sacred and valued. The most often missed of sacred conversation is the listening part of the conversation. Native American culture recognizes the listening to nature, wind, animals, heavens, people’s hearts, as they all have something to say. Drummer Ric Statler states “when we listen to what God/Creator says, shows or makes us feel, we can respond from a holy place within us, and conversation becomes sacred.”
All Souls organist Dan Kinney observes “Music and poetry are often bound together in sacred conversations. This can be seen in the iconography of King David singing psalms and accompanying himself on the lyre. David is represented as a poet, composer, and musician. The organ has played a role in sacred music for centuries–witness the traditional image in art of St. Cecilia, patron saint of music, seated at the organ conversing musically with heaven.”
“Conversations on the Sacred brings together a wide variety of poetry from different cultures, ideologies, and styles and the music we pair it with will reflect so many different eras from Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) to more contemporary composers like Linda Catlin Smith,” commented Fourqurean. “The audience is invited into so many different artistic sound worlds.”
The concert will begin promptly at 6 p.m. will include a 15-minute intermission and conclude by 8 p.m. The event is free. For further information please call 631-655-7798.
The community gathers for free outdoor concerts at the Stony Brook Village Center every summer.
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) has announced the much-anticipated return of the Summer Concert Series. The concerts will be held at 7 p.m. every Sunday from July 7 to August 18 in front of the Stony Brook Post Office.
Concert Lineup:
• July 7th: Just Sixties – Enjoy the timeless tunes of the longest-running sixties tribute band in the United States.
• July 14th: Martini Garden – Described as the Eagles meeting Stevie Wonder, this band offers an eclectic mix of Rock and Roll, Blues, R&B, Jazz, and Country.
• July 21st: Common Ground – Travel back in time with classic hits from the 1980s MTV Generation.
• July 28th: The Equity Brass Band – A vibrant six-piece ensemble performing in the tradition of New Orleans Brass Bands.
• August 4th: One Step Ahead – A high-energy band with over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry.
• August 11th: The Precisions – Relish the golden age of rock and roll with this vintage rock group.
• August 18th: The Rustlers – A dynamic group delivering classic and contemporary country and rock and roll hits.
In the event of rain, the concerts will be canceled. Concerts are generously sponsored by Tantillo Auto Group, Camco Services of NY, Inc., Realty Three LLC, Affordable Cesspool Sewer & Drain, and Stony Brook Harbor Kayak and Paddleboard Rentals.
Join WMHO for a summer filled with music, community, and fun. For more information, visit wmho.org or contact 631-751-2244.
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson will hold an open cast call for strong singers/actors/dancers ages 8 to 13 (must be under 5 feet tall) for roles in Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical on Sunday, July 7 at 6 p.m., and Monday, July 15 at 7 p.m. Rehearsals begin on Sept. 2 and performances will be held from Sept. 14 to Oct. 20. For full details, please visit https://theatrethree.com/auditions-page.
The Ed Travers Band heads to Northport Public Library on July 2.
Dave Clive's Nawlins Funk Band heads to Northport Public Library on July 9.
Paige Patterson heads to Northport Public Library on July 16.
The Dedications head to Northport Public Library on July 23.
The Rustlers head to Northport Public Library on July 30.
Summer concerts return to Northport Public Library, 151 Laurel Ave., Northport this July. No registration is required. Seating will be provided, or you may bring a blanket and find a spot on the Library Courtyard lawn. In the event of inclement weather, the concerts will take place on the rain date listed. Visit www.nenpl.org for updates.
Ed Travers Band
Tuesday, July 2, 7:00 p.m. (rain date: Wednesday, July 3)
Come enjoy a taste of Margaritaville with one of Long Island’s premier Jimmy Buffet tribute bands.
Dave Clive’s Nawlins Funk Band
Tuesday, July 9, 7:00 p.m. (rain date: Wednesday, July 10)
Experience the best of New Orleans party music from the 1950s to the sounds of today, featuring traditional rhythms combined with modern blues, jazz, and funk
‘Pure Joy’ with Paige Patterson
Tuesday, July 16, 7:00 p.m. (rain date: Wednesday, July 17)
Restore your faith in the timeless power of music as you listen to songs from Sinatra to Santana, Bon Jovi to Broadway, ’70’s rock, classic soul, and much more.
The Dedications
Tuesday, July 23, 7:00 p.m. (rain date: Wednesday, July 24)
Led by singer John Zollo, this vocal group performs ’50’s and ’60’s harmony, rock and roll, and ballads, as well as classic rock of the ’70s and ’80s, all with great musical accompaniment.
The Rustlers
Tuesday, July 30, 7:00 p.m. (rain date: Wednesday, July 31)
This talented country band takes the stage to deliver an unforgettable evening of the best classic and contemporary country music.
The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook will present three special performances of Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite on Thursday, July 11, Friday, July 12 and Saturday, July 13. All three concerts begin at 7 p.m.
Duke Ellington, Courtesy The Jazz Loft, Burt Goldblatt Archives
The Far East Suite is a 1967 concept album by Ellington, inspired by his group’s 1963 tour of Asia. Ellington and longtime collaborator Billy Strayhorn wrote the compositions. The album won the Grammy Award in 1968. The concerts are sponsored in part by the Olivia and Harlan Fischer Concert series and a grant from New York State Council on the Arts.
“Here at the Jazz Loft, we are always striving to bring our audience unique and significant works of Jazz and to keep those works alive and well,” said Tom Manuel, founder of the Jazz Loft. “Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite is the result of an ambitious tour that the band undertook in 1963. Syria was Duke’s first stop on a State Department sponsored “hearts and minds” tour of the Near and Middle East and India that took the band to Jordan, Afghanistan, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey in no particularly sensible order. Ellington’s ability to communicate points of contact and conflict between cultures, assimilating the blues to Eastern modes… never sounds unduly self-conscious. This remains a post-war peak and we are excited to be sharing this work nearly 60 years after it won a Grammy award for the album it produced.”
For tickets, visit www.thejazzloft.org or click Tickets.
John Monteleone with Four Seasons, 2002-2006 now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and being loaned to the Long Island Museum.
Radio Wave, 2004, loaned by Dan Stanton. Photo by Rod Franklin
Super Chief, 2011, loaned by Albert Vontz. Photo by John Monteleone
Marc Knopfler playing a Monteleone Radio City. Photograph by Vincent Ricardel. Courtesy of Rudy Pensa.
Eric Clapton holding a Monteleone Eclipse with John Monteleone. Photo from LIM
This summer, don’t miss Musical Masterworks: John Monteleone’s Guitars and Other Instruments — a must-see exhibition for any music lover! Currently on view at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook, this major retrospective and groundbreaking show celebrates the life and work of one of America’s most talented and renowned makers of archtop guitars, John Monteleone.
John Monteleone in his workshop in Islip, New York. Photo from LIM
From his 2,400-square-foot workshop in Islip, Monteleone has crafted one-of-a-kind masterpieces of functional art, coveted by leading rock, jazz, and folk guitarists of the late-20th and early-21st centuries: Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Ben Harper, Julian Lage, and Anthony Wilson, to name just a few. Monteleone also has lifelong connections to Long Island, growing up in Islip and maintaining his workshops here, initially in Bay Shore, in 1976, before opening his current shop in Islip, in 1990.
Renowned for his perfectionism and his intense concern for materials, and for facilitating versatile performance, Monteleone has made an extraordinary lifetime journey as a craftsman of his signature guitars, mandolins, and other instruments. The master luthier has garnered international acclaim for his exquisite craftsmanship and innovative designs.
Musical Masterworks is the largest-ever exhibition of John Monteleone’s musical art assembled and offers visitors a rare opportunity to explore the artist’s extraordinary journey, beginning in the early 1970s as a repairer and maker of mandolins, to producing some of the most sought-after guitars in the world.
Featuring nearly 50 guitars, mandolins, and other instruments crafted by Monteleone between 1971 and 2023, the exhibition showcases the stunning beauty and unparalleled craftsmanship of his creations.
“It is always my great honor and pleasure to create the resonating sonic beauty of these instruments and to hear them finally sing and speak to me,” says Monteleone. “From the trees in the forest to pulsating maple and spruces on my workbench, it is my way of giving process to unleashing the songs within the wood.”
Highlights include the famed Four Seasons guitar quartet (2002-2006), on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and pictured above; Monteleone’s groundbreaking Rocket Convertible guitar (1997); his beautifully ornamented Radio Wave (2004); and many examples of special model guitars and mandolins: Eclipse, Radio City, Grand Artist, the Train series, and more. Featuring guitars from private collections in Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Vermont, the exhibition will also be displaying iconic and historic guitars from Gibson, John D’Angelico, James D’Aquisto, and Selmer-Maccaferri.
“This exhibition showcases the artistry of an American original, a luthier with deep Long Island roots,” says Joshua Ruff, Co-Executive Director and curator of this exhibition. “John is an innovator, an artist craftsman with the needs of the guitarist and music listeners truly at heart, and our visitors are in for a treat to see all these beautiful instruments up close and all together for the first time ever.”
Musical Masterworks: John Monteleone’s Guitars and Other Instruments be on view in the History Museum at the Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook through October 13. Major support for this exhibition was provided by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation. Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of musical craftsmanship.
For more information, visit www.longislandmuseum.org.
This article originally appeared in TBR News Media’s Summer Times supplement on June 20.
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