Rob Stoneback Big Swing Band is first in Centenary's Jazz in July concert series

Hackettstown — The 2011 Jazz in July Series at Centenary Stage Company launches this summer with the Rob Stoneback Big Swing Band performs on Saturday, July 9 at 8 p.m. at the Lackland Center on the campus of Centenary College in Hackettstown. Veteran Trombonist Rob Stoneback will lead a 17-piece band with vocalists Dennis Jeter and Robin Work as they perform popular swing standards and contemporary hits. The band has four major recordings, most notably the “Simone on Simone,” where they back Simone, the daughter of Nina Simone. This band has performed all over the Mid-Atlantic, including the Berks Jazz Fest, the World Café in Philadelphia and Lincoln Center. Rob Stoneback has individually performed with the likes of Sonny and Cher, Don Rickles, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Clark Terry, Urbie Green, Bobby Watson, and many more. He is an alumnus of the Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, and Harry James orchestras. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the concert. The Jazz in July Series will also include performances by The Four Freshmen, The Al & Zoot Tribute Band and The Dan Levinson Dixieland Bash. All four concerts may be purchased in advance for a subscription package price of $95. To reserve tickets, call the CSC box office at (908) 979-0900 or visit the website at www.centenarystageco.org.