(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- Opera fans might remember "The Three Tenors," but in the jazz world, there are "The Three Louies"— Armstrong, Jordan, and Prima! On September 21, 2025, longtime Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon favorites Swingadelic will return to pay tribute to these three legendary artists with a program guaranteed to put attendees in a good mood. The afternoon will also feature the sensational vocals of Vanessa Perea, who will inhabit the role of Louis Prima's wives, Keely Smith and Gia Maione. The show takes place on the Grunin Center's Main Stage (Building 11A) at 3:00pm.
Swingadelic is a jazz/blues ensemble founded in 1998 by bandleader and bassist Dave Post in Hoboken, NJ. Initially, the band played jump blues in the style of Louis Jordan, Big Joe Turner, and Louis Prima to ride the neo-swing craze, but by 2002, the band was maintaining a residency as an eleven-piece “little big band” at Maxwell’s in Hoboken. As the dance craze waned, the band kept busy with concerts, corporate and casual engagements, and recording. The band now holds down Monday nights at Swing 46 on New York City’s Restaurant Row in the theatre district and has performed at festivals from Maine to Atlanta, including Bele Chere in Asheville, MusikFest in Bethlehem, and Lincoln Center’s Mid-Summer Night Swing.
A few words from the bandleader: “Some years ago, Frank Mulvaney, ex-officio president of the New Jersey Jazz Society, called and asked if we could do a tribute to Louis Prima for the 2012 JazzFest. Since Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan were major influences on Prima, we gave it a bit of thought and got back to Frank saying why not include Armstrong and Jordan, and call it A Tribute to the Three Louie’s due to the current popularity of The Three Tenors. Popular is a key word here. Unlike many of today’s jazz artists, these three great performers produced much of the popular music of their day, and their hits were routinely charted in Billboard. We had a great time learning some of these tunes that were not in our repertoire, and we are sure that for those of a certain age, there will be an enjoyable nostalgia factor.”
Tickets are $28 for adults, $24 for seniors, and $16 for students. Tickets are available for purchase online or by calling the Grunin Center Box Office at 732-255-0500. Grunin Center for the Arts is located on the campus of Ocean County College in Toms River, New Jersey.
Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon is made possible through funding from the Wintrode Family Foundation, the Ocean County College Foundation, and support from the New Jersey Jazz Society.
For 60 years, Ocean County College, a public two-year community college sponsored by Ocean County and the State of New Jersey, has provided area residents with the opportunity to benefit from higher education. OCC is an innovative academic leader offering affordable, student-centered, high-quality educational experiences that empower diverse learners to achieve their goals while enriching the communities we serve.
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