THE HIT MEN Legendary Performers with Frankie Valli, Carole King, Cat Stevens & more!

The Hit Men, five professional musicians who have performed with such influential artists as Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Carly Simon, Elton John, Carole King, Cheap Trick, Sting, Paul McCartney, Three Dog Night, Christopher Cross, Alan Parsons and Blood, Sweat & Tears, will appear in concert on Thursday evening, July 20, 2017, at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center (APAC) in the Deal Park section of Ocean Township. The group consists of Lee Shapiro, Jimmy Ryan, Jeff Ganz, Russ Velazquez and Steve Murphy, and some of the songs they performed with their starry colleagues include Who Loves You,” “Oh What a Night,” "You're So Vain," “The Loco-motion,” “Anticipation,” “Mony Mony,” “Joy to the World,” and "Don't Stop Believing.”

Lee Shapiro is a producer, arranger, singer and musician who not only arranged some of the Four Seasons biggest hits, but also collaborated with artists ranging from Barry Manilow, Tony Orlando and Tommy James. Jimmy Ryan began his career in the 1960s as lead guitarist, singer and a songwriter for The Critters. He was Carly Simon's music director for 21 years, and his guitar is heard on works by Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney and Elton John and many others. Jeff Ganz is a bassist and singer who has worked with an eclectic array of artists including Blood Sweat & Tears, Johnny Winter, Cheap Trick, and Lou Reed among others. Four-time Emmy Award nominee Russ Velazquez is a singer, composer and arranger who has collaborated with everyone from Sting, The Ramones, and LL Cool J to Luther Vandross, Korn and Paula Abdul. Steve Murphy is a drummer, singer, producer and engineer who has toured with The Alan Parsons Project, Jack Bruce, Eric Burdon and the Animals, Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night), Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals), Dave Mason, Todd Rundgren, Christopher Cross, Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad), The Turtles, Mickey Dolenz, Gary Puckett, Mitch Ryder and over a dozen more major artists from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

The Hit Men connect with audiences on a level rarely seen by today’s musical artists. From the classic rock and pop songs we all know and love to the backstage stories never told until today, a Hit Men show is like no other, as they combine the music and the memories alongside exciting multimedia footage and visuals, evoking an unforgettable musical and visual experience. “

The Hit Men hit the stage on Thursday, July 20, at 8 p.m. at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center (100 Grant Ave, Deal Park, NJ). Tickets range from $38 to $58. For online purchases, visit www.axelrodartscenter.com. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: 732-531-9106, ext. 14. The theater offers ample free onsite parking and is completely handicap accessible. Group discounts available for parties of ten or more.

Photo Caption: Coming to the Axelrod PAC, The Hit Men include Lee Shapiro, Jimmy Ryan, Jeff Ganz, Russ Velazquez and Steve Murphy.

Photo credit: Ariana Gates