"Neptune Beach" is a single from Pete Calandra and Straight Up, a project started by composer/pianist Peter Calandra as an outlet for new music that is separate from his New Age/ Ambient/ Film Score output. Straight Up was a group Peter was a member of one summer between semesters of undergraduate school. The group worked eleven gigs a week for the entire summer on the boardwalk at the Neptune Beach Club in Westhampton Beach, NY. They played mostly Contemporary Jazz and Reggae, and the music Pete is creating for this project is an updated version of those styles.

"Neptune Beach" is an original jazz ensemble piece with Pete playing all but one of the instruments. Piano, keyboard, organ, flute, bass, drums and percussion come together in a bright and breezy toe-tapper that is both fun and soulful. The relaxed piano and organ pair well with the compelling energy of Dave Weiss' flute while the percussive rhythms and funky bass tie it all together. I really love this piece and look forward to more from Pete Calandra and Straight Up!

"Neptune Beach" is available from Amazon, Apple/iTunes and streaming sites like Spotify. Singles from Pete Calandra and Straight Up will be released on a regular basis. The next one, called "Same As It Ever Was," will be released on 2/15/2022.