Full Count Big Band and More to Continue Bickford Summer Jazzfest

Following the sold-out opening for Bickford Summer Jazzfest, the party continues with three more great concerts on July 20, July 24, and August 3. The hot swinging jazz will be combined with the area's best Food Trucks on-site for tailgate picnics before each concert.

The always-popular Full Count Big Band takes the spotlight on Thursday, July 20, with"A Night in Las Vegas," celebrating singers who headlined on the Strip. The talented vocalist Joe Ferrara will front the big band as they swing their way through songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Sammy Davis Jr., Elvis Presley, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Louis Prima, Buddy Greco and Dean Martin. With an approach that incorporates many different influences, Joe Ferrara is not only a great big band singer, but also a talented performer who has worked with the likes of Manhattan Swing, Lou Pallo, and the Red Bank Jazz Orchestra. The 17-piece Full Count Big Band has been entertaining metropolitan New York/New Jersey audiences for more than a decade.

Before the concert, everyone can enjoy a tailgate picnic with the acclaimed Dark Side of the Moo, Yummy Food Truck, and Cupcake Carnivale. Cupcake Carnivale is consistently rated as one of the top food trucks in the whole country and Zagat's put them on the list of Top Ten Food Trucks You Must Try in the whole country.

Then on Monday, July 24, singer, composer and trumpet player Bria Skonberg comes in with her Quintet. She has been called "the shining hope of hot jazz" for good reason. She is one of the most exciting young stars on the jazz scene today and is scooping up awards, critical acclaim and fan accolades for both recordings and performances. She is the 2017 JUNO winner for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year and was recognized last year by DownBeat Magazine as one of "25 for the Future." Some of her other recent awards include Best Vocal and Best Trumpet Awards from Hot House Jazz Magazine, Outstanding Jazz Artist at the New York Bistro Awards and a DownBeat Rising Star Award. She and her group will feature tunes from her just released "With a Twist" CD as well as popular favorites from her vast repertoire.

Bickford Summer Jazzfest will conclude on Thursday, August 3, with Danny Bacher & Friends featuring a new young talent on the swing jazz scene, sax player and vocalist Danny Bacher. His extensive theater experience has made him an engaging stage presence where he mixes his silky smooth singing with hot jazz saxophone and comedic storytelling. Danny brings with him an equally talented group of musicians including drummer Mark McLean, pianist Alan Farnham, bassist Dean Johnson, and saxophonist Charlie Caranicas who also plays with the great Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks.

Before each concert, the Bickford Theatre will have food trucks on-site from 5:00 to 7:30 so concert patrons can enjoy a tailgating picnic prior to the music. The food trucks will also be open to the general public so everyone is invited to the picnic.

Tickets for Bickford Summer Jazzfest range from $17 to $25. Tickets may be purchased online at morrismuseum.org, by phone at (973) 971-3706, or in person at the Bickford Theatre Box Office. The Morris Museum's Bickford Theatre is located at 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ, and offers free parking and full accessibility. Box office hours for phone sales are Monday through Friday, 10:00am to 5:00pm. Walk-up hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11:00am to 5:00pm.

The Bickford Theatre is a professional theater that produces and presents year-round entertainment, including a Main Stage Series, two Children's Theatre series, a Jazz Showcase Series, and other concerts. The theatre is an Equity Producing Theatre member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, a not-for-profit organization of 30 professional theaters throughout the state, and works in conjunction with Actors' Equity Association (AEA) and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). From its beginnings in 1994 to the present, tens of thousands of theater-goers from across the tri-state area have enjoyed the Bickford Theatre's many entertaining and diversified offerings in theatre, music and dance.

Founded in 1913, the Morris Museum is an award-winning, community-based arts and cultural institution which serves the public through high-caliber exhibitions in the arts, sciences and humanities. The Museum also offers educational programs, family events, and is home to the Bickford Theatre and its wide range of performing arts offerings. Continuously serving the public since 1913, the Morris Museum has been designated a Major Arts Institution and has received the New Jersey State Council on the Arts' Citation of Excellence, among other awards. The first museum in New Jersey to be accredited, the Morris Museum was re-accredited in 2013 by the American Alliance of Museums. The Morris Museum is a Blue Star Museum, offering free admission to active duty military personnel and their families, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The Museum is located at 6 Normandy Heights Road (at the corner of Columbia Turnpike) in Morristown, NJ, and is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday, 12:00 to 5:00pm. In addition, the Museum is open evenings from 5:00 to 8:00pm on the second and third Thursday of the month. Admission to the Museum is $10 for adults and $7 for children, students and senior citizens. Admission is always free for Museum members. For more information, call (973) 971-3700, or visit www.morrismuseum.org.

Pictured: The Full Count Big Band will perform on Thursday, July 20. Photo courtesy of John Patterson.