Jersey Shore Pops Conductor Cruises Away for the Winter

COURT HOUSE – Linda Gentille, music director and conductor of the popular summer orchestra, The Jersey Shore Pops returns to her winter time job of headlining on major cruise lines. She left March 2, for Bangkok, to board Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise ship in Asia, Mariner of the Seas. Gentille has been a favorite headline entertainer on not only Royal Caribbean, but Princess, Regent, Oceania and Celebrity Cruise Lines. This season she works on all of them, as well as the luxury Japanese cruise line, Asuka, which owns Crystal Cruises.
Many of the musical arrangements that the orchestra performs comes from her down time on the cruise ships. Gentille never travels without her computer, and spends up to 8 hours a day working on these complex arrangements. Gentille comments, “I seem to accomplish so much for the orchestra with the musical arrangements because I turn my phone and internet off on the ship and can concentrate. It is the quiet time on the ship which allows me this luxury to be able to compose and arrange music. I only perform one headline show a week on the ship, which leaves the other 6 days of the week for me to work.”
In addition to the music she arranges on the ships, Gentille is always on the lookout for quality headliners that she can bring back to the summer concert series with the pops. This season, 3 of the 4 shows features headliners that Gentille saw on the ships and impressed her. Gentille continues, “All three of the guest artist headliners I have hired for the 2014 Summer Concert Series were acts I saw on the ships. All three of them knocked my socks off along with the rest of the audience. But I never hire an act that I have not seen in person. Our audiences and season ticket holders trust my opinion on the quality of the artists, and I feel it is my duty to truly vet each performer. Often times, videos, which are sent to me by the dozens each month, are not a true representation of a live performance. A 5 minute clip of the best of an artist is not the same as seeing the entire full length show.”
Gentille began performing on cruise ships in 2007 when an executive from Princess Cruises saw her performance and made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. Her shows were so successful, word quickly spread in the cruise ship industry. She was soon receiving offers which now keep her out of the country for at least half of the year. As an entertainer, Linda dazzles audiences around the world with her beauty, charisma and musical virtuosity. Music has always been in the family for centuries. Linda’s great grandmother, Anna Louise Deal was one of America’s first female published ragtime composers. She wrote numerous ragtime compositions including “ Come to Chicago” for the World Fair in 1933.
Growing up in Pacific Palisades, California, Linda began her musical studies taking classes with her Father at Roger Williams’ studio in Los Angeles. Her immediate grasp of complex and advanced music, her inherent technique, and her incredible ability to quickly and accurately memorize lengthy musical scores, soon endeared Linda to even her most senior instructors. After advancing quickly through the Roger Williams program, Linda then studied under Julliard trained Richard Kohfeld of Santa Monica and won numerous piano awards and accolades as a young pianist.
Recently Linda completed her 15th concert tour of China where she holds the world record, according to the Chinese Ministry of Culture, for performing more concerts (over 125 to date) in China than any other Artist…truly an incredible achievement and the envy of the international entertainment industry as China becomes an ever increasing destination of strong interest for entertainers from all corners of the globe.
Linda has recorded over a dozen CD’s and DVD’s and successfully runs her own production company. Her CD’s enjoy worldwide popularity, and she has sold over 5 million copies in China alone.
The Jersey Shore Pops 2014 Summer Concert Series will include 4 concerts with a focus on variety entertainers from around the United States and Canada including the following:
July 12 at 7:00 p.m.: Mark Preston of The Lettermen
July 19 at 7:00 p.m.: Sinatra Sizzles
Aug. 9, at 7:00 p.m.: Broadway on Tap
Aug. 23 at 7:00 p.m.: Great Balls of Fire, Legends of Piano
The Jersey Shore Pops is a big band orchestra with string section, modeled after the orchestras of the Frank Sinatra era which featured a string section along with the bid band sounds. The orchestra was founded by entertainer and conductor Linda Gentille in 2009. The orchestra features 25 of the finest New Jersey musicians either born or based in New Jersey and has become the most popular orchestra at the shore and an attraction for tourists from all over the east coast for the past 5 years. Many Philly Pops fans patronize the Jersey Shore Pops Summer Concert Series when the Philly Pops is on vacation during the summer months.
The assistant music director for the orchestra is John Drechen, Band Director at Lower Cape May Regional High School for many years. Since 1994, he has been the Pit Conductor for musicals at Lower Cape May Regional High School, conducting for 12 musicals, including; “Funny Girl”, “Bye, Bye, Birdie”, “Sweet Charity”, and several others. Assistant musical arranger for the orchestra is Clifford Buggs, renowned trumpet soloist and former leader of the Coast Guard Band in Cape May. The concert mistress for the 2014 season is once again Susan Elsayed. Before becoming the principal concert mistress for the Jersey Shore Pops, Elsayed had an impressive performing resume. Elsayed studied with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra and earned her violin performance Bachelor`s Degree from The Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts. She was the Concertmistress of the Ocean City Pops during the 80`s under the leadership of Frank Ruggieri and currently is also violinist with the Masterworks Choir/Ensemble . Elsayed has performed as a principal violinist in the main show rooms of the casinos for such headliners as Frank Sinatra, Josh Groban. Andrea Bocelli and Tony Bennett and many other stars.
Other talented members of the pops orchestra are: Angela Guido, Ted Blohm and Jim Tangney (Trombone), Paul Butler, Cindy Yenloevich , Christopher Kobik, Paul Butler, Gene Teece, Brian Height and Walter Palmer (Sax, Clarinet and Flute) , Dominic Scalfaro ( Trumpet) Susanne Di Vincenzo, Briana Saddler, Heain Kim, Emily Ip (Cello) Sandy Miller, Susan Elsayed, Amina Elsayed, Mary Jo Zahradnik, Elizabeth Maxfield, Tamara Dement, Amada Dupras (Violins) Karen Kessler ( Viola) Ray Deeley and Sandy Eldred and Jim Hines (Bass).
This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The funds were administered by the Cape May County Culture and Heritage Commission, under the authority of the County Library Commission, for the Board of Chosen Freeholders.
The price of the season pass is discounted at $100 for all 4 Saturday evening shows in the series and is on sale only until May 24, 2014. This price will also include a ticket to the opening night “ After Concert Champagne Reception” at the Avalon Golf Club as well as other after concert receptions at both The Avalon Golf Club and The Bellevue Tavern. Season ticket holders will save $60 for the pass compared to regular orchestra center VIP seating which is $40 a ticket. To purchase tickets to the 2014 Jersey Shore Pops Summer Season, please call the JSP Ticket Office at 800-838-3006 or 609-628-4544. You can choose your own seats online by going to www.JerseyShorePops.org.
Tickets are now going to be available once again at the PAC for walk up purchases for individual ticket sales which will not begin until June 2, 2014. The theater is located at 212 Bayberry Ave, off exit 10 off the Garden State Parkway. There is convenient and free parking at the facility and it is handicapped accessible.