Master musician Matt Tolentino brings a rousing concert of music from the early 1900s to the lawn of Old Fort Johnson.  It's not just Jazz in July - we'll hear ragtime & swing & everything that was playing in the formative years of the Montgomery County Historical Society. We’re celebrating our 120th anniversary! Concert donations will go to the Roof Restoration Fund.

Matt Tolentino, “Wizard of the Vertical Keyboard,” is dedicated to preserving ragtime, traditional jazz, early swing, and all things authentic, upbeat and fun. A true multi-instrumentalist, he plays accordion, piano, clarinet, tuba, tenor guitar, banjo and multiple saxophones (although not always at the same time.)

Matt includes an equally extensive variety of music in his repertoire, as seen in his solo concerts and the multiple bands he has formed. Since 2007 his renowned Singapore Slingers orchestra has been performing just about everything musical from 1895-1935. The Cincinnati-based musician also plays in smaller versions of the orchestra, the Matt Tolentino Band, The New Liberty Dance Orchestra & The Royal Klobasneks polka band.

The Montgomery County Historical Society was founded in 1904 by eight young businessmen in Amsterdam NY to promote the early history of the Mohawk Valley.  They began by exhibiting local archeology collections in the Amsterdam Free Library.  Two years later they acquired Old Fort Johnson, the 1749 home of William Johnson, Superintendent of Native American Affairs for the northern British colonies and opened it as a museum. Charter members of MCHS were predominantly young professionals, active in the life of the region.  Early meetings featured scholarly papers, as well as gala evenings in Johnson’s handsomely decorated home, usually with John Maney’s Orchestra playing the Fort Johnson March and other tunes of the time.

Don’t miss this concert! Bring a picnic & join us on the lawn for an evening of ragtime, traditional jazz and early swing music. We’ll have ice cream & beverages to share. Held indoors in case of rain.  Admission by donation, all of which will go towards the restoration of Fort Johnson’s roof.