By ED CONDRAN • April 22, 2009 •
When Count Basie Theatre CEO Numa Saisselin approached guitarist/bandleader Bobby Bandiera about doing revue-style shows at the Red Bank venue three years ago, Bandiera was reluctant.
“Numa said, “Why don’t you do these tribute shows?’ ” Bandiera recalled while calling from his Atlantic Highlands home. ” “A friend does them in Canada. It’ll be fun.’ ”
The laid-back musician initially turned down the offer.
“I told Numa that I just wanted to focus on original material, but then I said that I would do it if I could pick the first artist for the show,” Bandiera said. “And he said, “Oh, no.’ But I told him to trust me.”
Roy Orbison was the first recording artist Bandiera decided to honor with his initial Jersey Shore Rock-n-Soul-Revue in 2006.
“It was a natural selection for me,” Bandiera said. “Over the years, I would pull out a Roy Orbison song while doing Jersey Shore dates and the response was always tremendous. . . . Why not do a show featuring all of Roy’s material?”