BARNEGAT – Old time tunes filled a usually quiet library meeting room recently at the Barnegat Branch of the Ocean County Library.
According to a press release from the Ocean County Library, classic ragtime favorites from the 1920s would be performed at various library branches. This is part of a Summer Concert series hosted by the library system with live music inside a climate-controlled environment.
Fred Lehotay and The Ragtimers performed with a four-piece band. The band had matching outfits, like the performers would wear in the 1920s.
“The Ragtimers have been performing old-time sentimental melodies and rousing ragtime favorites since 1968,” according to the press release. “They keep alive the music of the Roaring Twenties and introducing new generations to music of a bygone era.”
This event was billed as “Commemorating America’s 250th Birthday.” The event lasted one hour, from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m., but the band will play up to 2 hours at a clip.
Fred Lehotay, of Jackson, spoke before the event about his long career. “The band was organized in 1968,” he said. “We’re all senior citizens in the group. We’ve been playing up and down the Jersey Shore for years.”
Lehotay, the only original member of the band, said they have performed in 18 parades a year, along with playing in New York and the Christmas Parade in Long Beach Island for 35 years. They also have performed in the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade as well as the Fourth of July Parade in Staten Island.
“This year we’re doing the library circuit. We’re playing in 10 different libraries this summer,” he said. “Four of them are in Ocean County.”
Lehotay and The Ragtimers are no newbies to playing along the Jersey Shore. They play all sorts of venues with summertime at the shore being popular. From outdoor scenes along the glorious Jersey Shore to indoor meetings rooms at local libraries; the music from over 100 years ago can be enjoyed by the young and the older.
“We just finished our finale in Avon, August 14th,” said Lehotay. “We were there for 36 summers, since 1990. We’re setting a record there.”
Lehotay also said the music is family fun, and people can bring their kids to his shows. Moving around, singing and dancing is encouraged by the band during their performances.
The current band lineup includes Fred Lehotay on alto saxophone and vocals, Gary Nokes on banjo and vocals, Bob Estler on guitar and vocals, and Tom Rittenhouse on keyboard.
The band opened their set with the National Anthem, a long-standing set opener for the group. They then went into playing the first song, titled “Hindustan,” a 1918 American foxtrot/jazz song. Another song from the first part of the set was called “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby” from 1925. A crowd favorite came soon after with “On The Way To Cape May,” a classic New Jersey hit.
The band often switched off between slow songs and more upbeat tunes. “Sweet Georgia Brown” came about halfway through the set, with this upbeat recognizable tune being a crowd pleaser. Right after that came a classic from Dean Martin called “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You.” Another popular songs from back in the day included “Puttin’ On the Ritz” from Irving Berlin.
The Ragtimers then went into a military medley with songs geared toward our armed forces. The 1941 classic: “Bless ‘em all” was roused up, with “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “Over There” rounding out the military portion.
Then came the patriotic segment of the performance. Songs such as: “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “America the Beautiful,” and “You’re A Grand Old Flag” were belted out for a happy crowd. The final song of the day was “God Bless America,” thus ending the performance.
These songs can be new to some, since most of the songs were written many years ago. With popular renditions being covered by newer talents, songs from way back when can still be enjoyed by all. The patriotic section of the performance is always welcomed by any genre of music lover. Since these performances are focused on America’s 250th birthday, the last part was reserved for such songs.
Lehotay said the band plays from a few different music books on one sheet music stand. Each show is different from the last with some songs being switched in and out, depending on the theme.
He said the band has more shows upcoming through the Ocean County Library system. Future events include Wednesday, September 23 at the Long Beach Island Library.
All events are free but require pre-registration through the Ocean County Library website. More information can be found at: theoceancountylibrary.org. You can also see The Ragtimers perform outside of the library circuit most of the year round. Bookings can be reserved through contacting Fred Lehotay via phone at 732-928-0603.
