Current Press Release

JACKSON – Kick off your festive season with “Swinging Jazz and Holiday Favorites” by Deb Lyons and John Bianculli, 2:30 PM Thursday, December 1, at the Ocean County Library Jackson Branch.

Enjoy heart-warming cold-weather favorites such as “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “Winter Wonderland,” and standards like “Dream A Little Dream of Me” and “Cheek to Cheek.”

Deb Lyons is familiar to theatergoers for her starring role in the Broadway and West End productions of Smokey Joe’s Café, her portrayal of “Lucy” in the first national tour of Jekyll & Hyde, and roles in Hairspray, Side by Side by Sondheim, and many others.

The versatile song stylist toured the world as a member of The Mamas & The Papas, with founders John Phillips and Denny Doherty. She has sung with the Ottawa Symphony and performed alongside Rick Springfield, Carrie Underwood, The Chieftains, Martha Reeves, and many others. Her CD Dream A Little is available on iTunes and her website.

Pianist John Bianculli, founder of the New Brunswick Jazz Collective, scored the film Lit’l Boy Grown. He opened for Céline Dion at Newark’s Prudential Center in 2020, and has accompanied jazz stars such as Jeanie Bryson, Steve Nelson, Regina Belle, Bobby Watson, Cassandra Wilson, and many more.

John appeared in United Nations concerts honoring Lionel Richie and PBS’s Judy Woodruff. He has filled clubs including the Blue Note, Jazzmania, and Rainbow Room in New York, as well as Washington D.C.’s One Step Down and Blues Alley.

Registration at www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events is required for this free program, sponsored by Jackson Friends of the Library. For more information, visit the Branch, 2 Jackson Drive, or call (732) 928-4400.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

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