Red Bank (Monmouth County, NJ) - The calendar reads 2010 and the GPS has located Red Bank, N.J., but on Friday, May 21 it's going to feel a lot like 1970s London at the Count Basie Theatre... rocked by a new generation of musicians.

Picture young rock-n-rollers and classically trained youth orchestra musicians coming together in concert as one band, on one stage...Like the fusion genre of symphonic rock that revolutionized the progressive music scene, The Rockestra Project will be a classical arrangement of contemporary music.

The Rockestra Project is a collaborative effort produced by Rumson resident Joe Tort and the Count Basie Theatre. Under the creative direction of Rockit For Kids founder Bruce Gallipani, of Middletown.

Selecting 25 of Rockit's most talented and dedicated artists, all between the ages of 13 and 17. The New Jersey State Youth Orchestra will support Gallipani's students on stage with an arrangement specifically written for the event by conductor Roy Gussman. The performance will cover such legendary and challenging bands as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Yes, and Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) among others.

The first regional event of its kind, both Gallipani and Tort had been thinking independently of such a project and once the two recognized the unique opportunity to tap into some of New Jersey's most talented youth, the producers recognized the production as a means to help students reach their musical capabilities.

Tort remarked, "When in the presence of these fine young musicians, you can not help but feel the great potential of bringing two musical genres together for an evening of world class entertainment."

"Classical music is the basis for so much of what modern music is built upon," explained Gallipani. "To share the stage and witness how well rock and orchestra can come together and create its own magic is something that I believe a fan of any musical genus can appreciate."

The performance will feature Gussman conducting the stage comprised of 25 Rockit kids and 75 orchestra students who said working on the project is a unique opportunity for his students to do something out of the ordinary and that the rock community will be exposed to what more can be done with instrumentation outside of keyboards, drums and guitars.

Bringing a larger sound to the rock bands Gussman said, "The orchestra will be the paprika and bring a different color to the recognizable classics."

The Rockestra Project is sponsored by and made possible by support from Carlos and Paula Arrom, The Prudential Foundation, Joseph and Miriam Tort, David and Carolyn Smith, John and Janet Giunco, Jim Hickey, Michael and Deborah Stasi, Eileen Luby and Smith, Gatta, Gelok Insurance. Proceeds from the event will directly benefit scholarship funding for the Count Basie Cool School and the NJSYO organization.

The performance is at 8pm on May 21. Tickets are $25, $19.50, and $15 are currently on sale through the Count Basie Theatre Box Office at 732-842-9000 or by visiting the Count Basie Theatre website.

For more information about: The Rockestra Project.