Summer Sounds A Q&A with the musicians of Cape Resorts

Summer Sounds

There are sounds that will always be associated with Cape May. The sound of the ocean waves crashing along the shore. The sound of kids laughing, playing games on Congress Hall’s Grand Lawn. The foghorn from the ferry, announcing itself across the bay. Real music, pouring out of restaurant windows, a sure sign that people are gathered, enjoying a good time together.

Live music has been an integral part of Cape Resorts’ history since its founding back in 1816, from John Philip Sousa’s performance at Congress Hall in 1882, to nightly music in the Brown Room today. Music is as important as the brick and mortar holding the buildings together, and the musicians themselves are an important part of our team, making memories and building traditions.

We thought it would be fun to share more from the talented lineup of performers that grace the venues of Cape Resorts, so we asked them a few questions.

Above John Phillip Sousa with the US Marine Corps Band at Congress Hall, 1882

What They Had to Say

“When I was little, I would lay on the floor by my grandmother’s piano while she played. Then she would let me sit on the organ bench while she played at church,” said Tom Naglee, Jr., a violinist who performs on the Veranda at Congress Hall or at Beach Plum Farm. Tom was fascinated by his grandmother’s piano and his grandfather’s violin. “I would sneak into his study and get it out of the closet to look at it. He passed away in 1966 and left me his violin if I would learn to play it!” Tom went on to study Violin Performance and Piano Technology at Shenandoah Conservatory, eventually making his way back home to Cape May, where he performs solo and with other musicians.

Geno White is also a Cape May native, who remembers playing guitar on Congress Hall’s veranda in the 1990s. He would skateboard up and down the long driveway which existed from the 1950s to the 1990s. Geno first got “the bug” to play from listening to his grandfather. “I wanted to play guitar after seeing and hearing my grandfather play in his basement.” He also credits Jimmy Hendricks as a big influence.

For others, the instrument was not easily won. Billy D. Light, whose rock n’ roll trio has been playing in the Boiler Room for fifteen consecutive years, also inherited his musical talents (and instruments) from his grandfather. Billy’s grandfather, Al Boggs, was a professional guitar player with a rather extensive guitar collection. “Pop had just died and no one in the family played guitar, so in his will he left them to his friend Don. Don never showed up for them. I felt it was my duty to learn to play guitar.” His grandmother agreed to let him buy his grandfather’s collection, claiming that she “needed the bread,” but also taking the opportunity to teach Billy the value of ownership from a young age.

Greg Jones, who has performed

with the likes of Amos Lee, Richie Havens and Six Pence None the Richer, still credits Girlando Titone, his grandfather, as his greatest influence. “He was a Naval jazz trumpet player during World War II. We still have old records he performed on, entertaining for the USO, performing on Major Bose Radio Show out of Hoboken, NJ.” Today Greg performs at The Rusty Nail, in the Boiler Room and occasionally in the Brown Room.

And still other local performers found inspiration from the community itself. Local band the Bastard Sons of Captain Mey got their start in 2015 thanks to the year-round residents who have supported the trio throughout their lives. “All of us grew up listening to music and playing in garages and basements as kids. Cape May provides many outlets for musicians looking to be heard.”

What are some of your favorite memories as a performer?

Camille Perulto was on American Idol in 2015, where she had the opportunity to work with Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr., Keith Urban and Adam Lambert (to drop a few impressive names). “It was something I always wanted to accomplish since I was very young, so being on the show felt very full-circle.” Throughout her career, Camille has had magical moments but says that she gets just as much joy out of performing on summer nights at The Rusty Nail. “At my gigs, I experience people that love and appreciate what I do, and I know that my music has made a positive impact on their night.” In 2019, Camille gained a significant following in Singapore. Her original song “Silver Linings” went viral that year, after it was streamed more than 1.2 million times, gaining her an international

Above The Bastard Sons of Captain Mey take to the shores audience.

Magical nights in Hollywood are among the favorite memories for Edgardo Cintron. Edgardo has performed all over the world with his Latin jazz group Cintron, and today brings the music of Carlos Santana to the Boiler Room with Incaband. He began his career performing with his father, who traveled internationally as an upright bass player. At the age of eighteen he went into the Army. Following his military service, Edgardo began working professionally as a musician, putting together bands, recording albums and gaining a following on the radio, with some of his music hitting the charts. In the early 2000s, he got a call to go on tour with the Funk Brothers, following the release of the documentary, Standing in the Shadows of Motown, which

follows the history of the legendary musicians. He played fifteen shows all over the country over the course of a month, his favorite one being in LA when all the executives from the film came to the concert. Another favorite memory was “opening for Eddie Palmieri at the Cape May Jazz Festival. We made this new arrangement, and when he came out to take the stage, he said how much he loved it.”

For Ken “StaxXX” Richardson, one of his fondest memories comes from the world stage as well. Ken met his wife, Lisa, while attending New York’s famed High School for the Performing Arts. His freshman year of college, former South African President Nelson Mandela went on a world tour to celebrate his release from prison. Ken was able to get tickets for Lisa to see the political icon from the nosebleed seats at Yankee Stadium. The next day, he got a call that would change his perspective of the stage. “Stevie Wonder asked me to play with him as an opening act for the great South African President. When they say what a difference a day makes, that was a surreal moment! I was not only performing with one of my childhood musical heroes but doing so for a world leader.” Ken is a prolific performer who has graced the stages of Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. He travels from New York to play piano at the Ebbitt Room.

What were some of your most memorable moments performing at Cape Resorts?

For Darin McDonald, who’s been inspiring sing-alongs in the Brown Room since 2009, it was the memory of a snowstorm several years ago that has stayed with him.

“We were snowed in, and everyone was stuck at the hotel without power for the weekend. They used a generator to power me up. Only candles were lit in the room, which made it even more intimate. It was like we were camping. Music took on a real meaning and there was a real sense of family.”

A snowy night in the Brown Room is also a favorite memory for Don Evans, a guitarist, vocalist and recording engineer whose had an incredible career playing with the likes of Billy Joel and Eric Bourdon. “My first time in the Brown Room

WELCOME BACK, KEN!

We’re delighted to welcome our beloved Ken Richardson back to the Ebbitt Room this season.

was a Christmas Eve in the midst of a snowstorm and there was a very warm comfortable feeling in the room. It felt like a safe haven in the storm, with lots of Christmas Spirit.”

But not every holiday is so warm and cozy. John Byrne’s first time playing St. Patrick’s Day in the Boiler Room was pretty much in keeping with Murphy’s Law. Not only is John a talented performer, originally hailing from Dublin, Ireland, but he sure has the Irish knack for storytelling. When asked what his favorite memory was, he painted a picture of a perfect night traveling from the Boiler Room to Perry Street and back again.

“On this particular night we had a packed house, all singing along with us, when all of a sudden the fire alarm went off. The room was evacuated, and we grabbed our instruments for fear that they might be damaged. As we and the crowd waited on the street, the local fire company arrived to check out the alarm. It was chilly and we could see that people were at the point where they might start to drift off to find a warm spot to continue their evening. Since we had our instruments, I turned to the band and said, “Let’s start playing.” So, in the middle of the street, we launched into a tune and the next thing we knew the whole crowd was gathered around us again. A few minutes later we got

Pictured Camille Perulto was on American Idol in 2015, where she had the opportunity to work with Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr., Keith Urban and Adam Lambert

the all clear to return to the Boiler Room and we literally led the crowd back into the venue second-line style, jumped back on stage and continued the same song to uproarious applause. It was an incredible moment.”

Speaking of things not going according to plan…

Considering that the pandemic made live performance nearly impossible, what are ways you continued to work (or didn’t) during this time?

This was a tough question to ask, and the answers proved what we knew all along. The musicians who share their work with Cape Resorts are not only incredibly talented, they are creative, gracious, resilient people.

Dane Anthony has been performing since he was three years old when he appeared on the Steel Pier in Atlantic City for “Tony Grant’s Stars of Tomorrow.” He has made his living for decades with his group the Dane Anthony Band and starring in the stage show Shaboom. If you’ve seen the episode of Friends, the one with Monica and Chandler’s wedding, then you’ve seen Dane Anthony perform. But when lockdown hit in March of 2020, Dane stayed away from the stage for fifteen months. Instead, he found a new partner to work with, his son Isaac, who now performs with him regularly. They made videos together and posted them to his website, where you can still watch them. Dane says these performances kept him active and hold special significance for him.

Many performed virtually, from makeshift studios in spare rooms, bedrooms, garages and closets. “At first I was doing it to make people feel better,” says Greg Jones, who streamed performances on Facebook from his basement. “But I quickly learned I needed to be doing it for my own sanity as well,” he admits. “We all learned that music is not only important, it’s essential. It holds a deeper value.”

A sentiment that was echoed by John Byrne, who has been a fulltime musician for almost fifteen years. “Playing virtual concerts saved me both financially and mentally. Having (music) pulled away like that was devastating. The support I found through virtual shows is something I will never forget.”

Others found the time at home to be a time to create something new. “While being stuck at home was upsetting at first, it gave me time to write new music and record new demos, which actually led me to record a new full-length album in 2021. If it weren’t for the extra time, I might not have created Perfect Visions, says Camille Perulto, who also had hundreds of family, friends and fans

show up for select virtual concerts and an album launch in 2021. Edgardo Cintron is also releasing a new album this year, called Bon Apetit, which is accompanied by a cookbook full of his favorite Caribbean and Italian recipes. Pete Devine is a guitarist, composer and music educator. He began playing on the Veranda four years ago, filling in for a friend, and has continued to be a part of the Cape Resorts family of musicians. His first performance back in person was at Congress Hall, an experience he describes as “being able to breathe again.”

“During the lockdown there were no gigs, and it took commitment to stay musically active and inspired,” Pete admits. He describes the first night coming back in person as “a beautiful night” where everyone was so grateful to hear live music. Pete performed at Congress Hall and out at Beach Plum Farm when outdoor

Above Franny Smith and the Atlantic City Jazz Band are regular headliners at Congress Hall’s annual Fourth of July Celebration.

events opened back up.

Beach Plum Farm also became a home for John Byrne. “I can’t begin to describe how great it felt to perform there.”

“Things are still tough,” he adds. “My band and I have had to pivot and find other forms of revenue, but we are keeping our fingers and toes crossed that 2022 will be another step forward. In the meantime, we are grateful to be here, grateful for folks like Cape Resorts who maintained their commitment to live music at a time when others saw it, quite reasonably, as a luxury they could not commit to. We feel very lucky.”

From the perspective of those of us who get to experience the work of these artists every day, we can honestly say, the feeling is mutual.