Pianist Suzzette Ortiz proudly hosts “Jazz in the Wood,” First Thursdays Neighborhood Concerts at the Collingswood Community Center, 30 Collings Ave, Collingswood, NJ 08108. Showtime is 7:30-9:00 pm. Tickets: $15 in advance ($20 at the door). Students $5 and children under 12 FREE!

April Mae & the June Bugs – Americana under the influence of Jump Blues, Swing, & Rockabilly…Ba – ba – ba – Boogie! With a dab of N’awlins for extra spice! Smoke & honey vocals, Cigar Box Guitar, Upright Bass, Banjo, Washboard…servin’ up high energy & deep vintage vibes is our specialty. Roots Baby Roots!

“With a sound built on cigar-box guitar, slap bass and washboard, no trio is more fun, taking familiar roots genres and twisting them around Mae’s elbow-gloved, gold capped fingers.”- Mary Armstrong, The City Paper. Blending Americana, jump blues, rockabilly, and swing with smoke ‘n honey vocals, washboard, cigar box guitar, banjo, mandolin and upright bass. Serving up high energy deep vintage vibes is their specialty. As their biodiesel Boogie Bus proclaims it really is “All About The Boogie!”

April Mae has that legendary blues affliction some call the urge to “ramble” coupled with an affinity for vintage trains, bread trucks and school buses. In June of 2011 her dreams came true when she bought a diesel school bus with her heart set on converting it to run on recycled vegetable oil. On November 13, 2011 Big City Rhythm & Blue Magazine presented her and her affectionately named “Boogie Bus” with the Happy To Have the Blues Award in the category of “Best Ride – Female”. The Boogie Bus is custom painted candy apple red and banana cream in a vintage and whimsical style that took her months of sketching to realize. Grease it up baby, here they come!