Special to Dorchester Banner/CBMM
The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels welcomes back The Shades of Blue Orchestra to its waterfront campus for this year’s July 2 Big Band Night[/caption] ST. MICHAELS — In celebration of Independence Day, the waterfront Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels is welcoming back The Shades of Blue Orchestra for a live performance at its July 2 Big Band Night. Two vocalists will join the 18-piece Shades of Blue Orchestra as they perform from the historic Tolchester Beach Bandstand. The rain date for the concert and fireworks is July 3. The orchestra first played at CBMM’s 2014 Big Band Night, with numerous requests from patrons for a return performance. With the performance beginning at 7 p.m., the public is invited to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets for an evening of music, dancing, and fireworks along the Miles River. Food, ice cream, and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase during the event, which is generously sponsored by Eastern Shore Tents & Events. Mixing together popular standards, a variety of musical styles, and dance-able rhythms, the Shades of Blue Orchestra combines brass, woodwind, and rhythm instruments to bring music from the 1930s to present to the museum’s 18-acre waterfront campus. The orchestra is conducted by Michael A. Walker, a military-trained musician of the Armed Forces School of Music and former member of the 229th Maryland Army National Guard Band. The Baltimore-based orchestra has performed at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, M&T Bank Stadium, Camden Yards, the Smithsonian Institution, the Baltimore and D.C. Convention Centers, Ocean City’s Sunfest, and more. Shades of Blue’s musical selections have also been featured on cable’s Music Choice Big Band and Singers & Standards channels. Music samples and more information can be found online at www.shades-of-blue.com. CBMM’s exhibitions and campus will close at 5 p.m. for Big Band Night, and re-open at 6 p.m. for guests to enter the campus for the event. Admission to Big Band Night is $6 for CBMM members and $10 for non-members, with children ages 5 and under free. After 8:45 p.m., admission will be reduced to $2 for those watching the fireworks only. Proceeds benefit the children and adults served by CBMM’s education, exhibition, and boat restoration programs. For safety reasons, non-service dogs need to be kept home during CBMM festivals, including Big Band Night. Leashed dogs are only permitted on the museum’s campus during regular operating hours. With the St. Michaels fireworks scheduled to launch after dusk that evening, the museum’s Navy Point location offers a great waterfront venue from which visitors can enjoy the fireworks. For more information, call 410-745-2916 or visit www.cbmm.org/bigband.