UNICO sponsors Sparta concert

On Friday, Aug. 9, Sparta UNICO National will sponsor the Sparta Summer Concert performance of jazz rock ensemble "Swingadelic."

The organization, a longtime supporter of the program, will hold a 50/50 raffle at the show to benefit their many charitable causes, the music series and the lucky winner. UNICO is a 96-year-old Italian-American Service Organization principled on the motto of "Service Above Self," Serving the Sussex County Community since 1998, UNICO promotes the heritage, culture, art, music and contributions of the Italian community to the USA. Focused on helping children and adults with rare cancer disease, high school scholarships and supporting Sussex County cultural events like Friday night concerts.Swingadelic began in 1998 as the neo-swing movement was cresting. Upright bassist Dave Post gathered his jazz & blues playing friends together to play engagements at New York City's Supper Club, Swing 46 and Windows On The World, the former restaurant atop of the World Trade Center.

As the swing scene waned the band was able to turn to swing dance groups, concerts, festivals, schools and private engagements to keep active.Swingadelic has performed at Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing, NJPAC, and at many festivals, including Bele Chere (Ashville NC), MusikFest (Allentown PA) the CD 109 Jazz & Blues Festival (Red Bank, NJ) and the sanofi-aventis JazzFest (Madison NJ). The band plays about 100 dates per year and has traveled from Maine to Atlanta. Swingadelic has maintained a residency for six years at Swing 46 in NYC where it performs every other Monday as a ten piece "little big band."

Swingadelic has seven CDs and has been recording for the ZOHO Music label since 2011. Swingadelic CDs have been in the JazzWeek Radio charts top thirty and garnered many critically acclaimed reviews in jazz publications such as Jazz Times and All About Jazz. Our newest ZOHO release (April 2017) is called "Mercerville" a collection of songs written by the legendary Johnny Mercer who was not only an iconic figure as a lyricist and composer for the American Songbook, but he was a celebrity and entertainer throughout the 40's and 50's, with a popular radio show during the war years had gigs with a lot of the big bands of the era, hit records of his own and winner of four Academy Awards for Best Song as well as two Grammys for Song of the Year.

Medrock is a classic rock and roll band with a mission: “bring the world together though music and make it a better place through philanthropy." The band has been together for 4 years, toured internationally and has played/organized benefit concerts raising tens of thousands of dollar for many charities. They launched the first original tune “Dream Hotel” and raised money for Teen America Cancer (the Who’s charity), partnered with L.E.A.D to help raise awareness, education and solutions for opioid crisis while opening up for the Marshall Tucker Band in Manchester,Vermont, and put on a benefit concert in Turks and Caicos, raised money to purchase musical instruments and supplies for a primary school. Medrock band members are: Ken Freirich on drums, Mark Warrington on guitars (a former Spartan), Cliff Barone on guitars, Al Hreha on bass, and lead singer, Chandler Mogel. The concert is free and starts at 7 p.m. at the Nicholson Pavilion in Dykstra Park, 22 Woodport Road, Sparta, NJ.

All concerts are rain or shine, moving inside the Mohawk Avenue School if weather demands. Come out and hear great music while supporting UNICO in their admirable efforts. Visit www.spartaarts.org or SpartaArts@Facebook for more information and updates.To learn more about UNICOm write to Sparta UNICO P.O. box 328, Sparta NJ 07871, or call 862-266-7039.