Press Releases

Image: http://www.algonquinarts.org/cc/press/SweetWhiskey_Promo.JPG
Caption: Maggie Worsdale (center) and Sweet Whiskey.

MANASQUAN, N.J. (Feb. 3, 2016) � Sweet Whiskey serves up the most romantic songs ever written on February 13 at Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan.

Sweet Whiskey's sound blends traditional and international jazz, blues, pop and a splash of country. An all-star lineup from the New York area jazz scene, the band includes John Colianni on piano, Nick Russo on guitar and James Cammack on bass.

They back the vocals of Maggie Worsdale, who was selected in 2009 and 2010 as a top jazz singer in the tri-state area and features in the annual Sinatra Birthday Bash in Red Bank.

Worsdale and Colianni, co-founders of Sweet Whiskey, have worked and toured with stars that put love songs on the map including Bob Hope, George Burns, Mel Tormè, Lionel Hampton, and Les Paul just to name a few.

Though not known for crooning love songs, Bob Hope was the first voice to make the standard "I Can't Get Started with You" by Ira Gershwin and Vernon Duke was first heard in the theatrical production Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 where it was sung by Bob Hope. Fast forward 50 years and Worsdale sang this song to Hope at his 90th birthday celebration!

Worsdale is no stranger to the Algonquin stage, appearing as Bloody Mary in the 2015 production of "South Pacific" and earlier featuring in "Songs & Letters of World War II."

Colianni has been a force on the music scene since first working with famed bandleader and vibraphonist Lionel Hampton for three years, at the tender age of 19, as Hampton's band pianist. Add five years and six albums as Mel Tormè's personal accompanist and then being chosen by guitar legend Les Paul to become a part of the Les Paul Quartet and you have an idea of what Colianni brings to the table with musical chops. In the words of Mel Torm�, "he's the best you'll ever hear."

Tickets are available starting at $29 for adults, $26 for seniors and $20 for students and can be purchased online at algonquinarts.org, by phone at 732-528-9211 and at the Algonquin Box Office at 173 Main Street in Manasquan. A $2 per ticket processing fee is added to all tickets.

This concert is sponsored by Judi and Stephan Leone.

Algonquin Arts Theatre Dining Partners including The Mill at Spring Lake Heights, The Blend on Main in Manasquan, and Waypoint 622 in Brielle will be offering special Valentine's menus for dining prior to the show.

About Algonquin Arts Theatre
Algonquin Arts Theatre (AAT) is a 501c(3) non-profit center for performing arts, providing cultural enrichment and arts education for residents and visitors of Central New Jersey and the Jersey Shore through high quality performances and programs in theatre, music, dance and film.

Located in Manasquan, N.J., AAT is an integral part of the Shore Region, offering broad access to arts experiences across multiple disciplines. Deeply committed to education, AAT serves students of all ages not only through art and music instruction, but also through the unique communal conversation that exists between audience member and performer. The theatre provides a platform for local and regional performers to showcase their work and offers audiences the opportunity to engage very directly and personally in the arts, fostering gr eater participation and providing an engaging means for exploring personal and societal issues through the world of the stage.

Algonquin Arts Theatre's programs are 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. Funding is also provided by Manasquan Bank, the Paul F. Zito, M.D. Educational Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Freed Foundation, the PNC Foundation, the Horizon Foundation of New Jersey, the OceanFirst Foundation, the Investors Bank Foundation, the Provident Bank Foundation and the generosity of our patrons.