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Majors and Minors of Jazz
Apr 5, 2025 - 7:30 PM
DATE: SAT, April 5, 2025
TIME: 7:30 PM
General Admission: $25 / $20 Seniors and Students with ID / $18 Members
Jazz is an art form with no age limits! No one is too old or too young to play jazz. In our Majors and Minors of Jazz concert, young and old musicians will meet. Two quintets: “Minor” musicians (age 12 to 19) and “Major” musicians (age 80 to 97) will present tunes of each member’s choosing and featuring each individual member. The Elder Band of Majors under the leadership of Carol Sudhalter (baritone saxophone) will feature: Bertha Hope (piano), Steve Little (drums), Keisha St. Joan (vocals), Jay Leonhart (bass), and with very special guest: the legendary Houston Person (tenor saxophone).
Parking Information: Flushing Town Hall has a small parking lot at the rear of the building, which fills up quickly during events. Additional parking is available nearby at:
• PEC Parking – 35-15 Farrington St, Flushing, NY 11354
• The Farrington Parking – 33-66 Farrington St, Flushing, NY 11354
About The Artists
“MAJORS OF JAZZ BAND”
BANDLEADER/SAXOPHONIST, CAROL SUDHALTER
Carol Sudhalter (82) flutist, baritone and tenor saxophonist, placed 9th for Best International Jazz Flutist in Down Beat Magazine’s 77th Annual Jazz Readers’ Poll 2012. Since 2016, Sudhalter has been director and house band leader of the Flushing Town Hall Louis Armstrong Legacy Monthly Jazz Jam. Sudhalter career spans first-ever all-female Latin band, Latin Fever, to the Astoria Big Band, to the Mary Lou Williams Festival at the Kennedy Center. She also teaches flute, sax, clarinet and piano, as well as masterclasses in “English Diction for Singers”, throughout the U.S. and in Italy.
SPECIAL GUEST ARTIST HOUSTON PERSON
Houston Person (91) is a legendary American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. He is best known for his work in soul jazz and has performed in the hard bop and swing genres. He has recorded with the legends Etta Ones, Charles Brown, Ron Carter, Lou Rawls, and more. He received the “Eubie Blake Jazz Award” in 1982.
VOCALIST KEISHA ST. JOAN
Seasoned jazz vocalist Keisha St. Joan (86), a fixture on the New York City scene for decades, is a “garrulous, warm, expansive presence with an easy laugh…but a closer look reveals a depth of character that is at once expressed in her soulfulness on the bandstand,” (Todd Weeks). St. Joan began singing professionally with the Harlem Opera Group at 17 and later was often featured at the weekly Jazz Vespers service and at the famed annual All-Night Soul celebration.
PIANIST BERTHA HOPE
Bertha Hope (88) is a jazz pianist and educator. Her career began in the 1950s Los Angeles jazz clubs, where she met the great Elmo Hope, whom she later married and with whom she worked extensively until his passing. She created the ELMOllenium project to preserve the musical legacy of her late husband, by performing and teaching his work to other artists. Hope is the recipient of two lifetime achievement awards (2002 from Cobi Narita's Jazz Coalition, 2005 by the late Dr. Billy Taylor in 2005 at the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival).
DRUMMER STEVE LITTLE
Steve Little (90) recorded with the Duke Ellington Orchestra with Lionel Hampton Band, Charlie Barnet’s Band, the Terry Gibbs Quartet, Sal Salvador Band, on percussion with Dave Brubeck, with Weather Report (on tympani and marimba), singers Joan Baez and Peggy Lee and on the movie soundtracks of the Wiz and Boys in the Band.? He played for 25 years with the original house band of Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and 321 Contact.
BASSIST JAY LEONHART
Jay Leonhart (85) is a bassist, singer, and songwriter, and has been named the Outstanding Bassist in the Recording Industry three times. At 13, while playing banjo in a Dixieland band in Baltimore, Jay watched the bass player and knew that the bass was the instrument he would play forever. Since that time Jay has been privileged to play with the likes of Judy Garland, Duke Ellington, Peggy Lee, Mel Torme, Sting, James Taylor, Luciano Pavarotti, and many more.
“MINORS OF JAZZ” BAND
ALTO SAXOPHONIST BENJAMIN PUNZALAN, from Long Island, New York, is currently a sophomore at Columbia University. He has been playing both saxophone and piano for nearly a decade and has found great community through music at school and beyond.?
PIANIST MARIELLE HYACINTHE currently attends Frank Sinatra School of the Arts where she studies jazz piano and vocal techniques. She has a deep appreciation for the classics and finds inspiration in the music of legends such as Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, and John Coltrane. She looks forward to a life of playing around the world & continuing her art.
BASSIST JEREMIAH MOSQUERA, born and raised in Queens, is a multi-instrumentalist who attends Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. He plays in all genres. Jeremiah always looks forward to performing and is always seeking to make music of all kinds.
DRUMMER EZRA KESSLER is currently studying jazz at Purchase College Music Conservatory.? He has been playing drums since age 10 and attended Fiorello LaGuardia High School. Throughout high school, he played in “FAT CATS”, the O'Farrill's Afro-Latin Band. Ezra has received full scholarships to both the NY Philharmonic/Interlochen & 92nd Y Recanati-Kaplan.
VOCALIST ALEXIS ‘LEXI’ MAIRE was born and raised in NYC and is currently enrolled as a 6th grader at Middle School 245 (The Computer School) on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Alexis spent multiple years training and performing for the National Children's Chorus where she sang a variety of songs in different venues, including Carnegie Hall. Alexis has a passion for singing and performing and attended French Woods, a performing arts camp.
DATE: SAT, April 5, 2025
TIME: 7:30 PM
General Admission: $25 / $20 Seniors and Students with ID / $18 Members
Jazz is an art form with no age limits! No one is too old or too young to play jazz. In our Majors and Minors of Jazz concert, young and old musicians will meet. Two quintets: “Minor” musicians (age 12 to 19) and “Major” musicians (age 80 to 97) will present tunes of each member’s choosing and featuring each individual member. The Elder Band of Majors under the leadership of Carol Sudhalter (baritone saxophone) will feature: Bertha Hope (piano), Steve Little (drums), Keisha St. Joan (vocals), Jay Leonhart (bass), and with very special guest: the legendary Houston Person (tenor saxophone).
Parking Information: Flushing Town Hall has a small parking lot at the rear of the building, which fills up quickly during events. Additional parking is available nearby at:
• PEC Parking – 35-15 Farrington St, Flushing, NY 11354
• The Farrington Parking – 33-66 Farrington St, Flushing, NY 11354
About The Artists
“MAJORS OF JAZZ BAND”
BANDLEADER/SAXOPHONIST, CAROL SUDHALTER
Carol Sudhalter (82) flutist, baritone and tenor saxophonist, placed 9th for Best International Jazz Flutist in Down Beat Magazine’s 77th Annual Jazz Readers’ Poll 2012. Since 2016, Sudhalter has been director and house band leader of the Flushing Town Hall Louis Armstrong Legacy Monthly Jazz Jam. Sudhalter career spans first-ever all-female Latin band, Latin Fever, to the Astoria Big Band, to the Mary Lou Williams Festival at the Kennedy Center. She also teaches flute, sax, clarinet and piano, as well as masterclasses in “English Diction for Singers”, throughout the U.S. and in Italy.
SPECIAL GUEST ARTIST HOUSTON PERSON
Houston Person (91) is a legendary American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. He is best known for his work in soul jazz and has performed in the hard bop and swing genres. He has recorded with the legends Etta Ones, Charles Brown, Ron Carter, Lou Rawls, and more. He received the “Eubie Blake Jazz Award” in 1982.
VOCALIST KEISHA ST. JOAN
Seasoned jazz vocalist Keisha St. Joan (86), a fixture on the New York City scene for decades, is a “garrulous, warm, expansive presence with an easy laugh…but a closer look reveals a depth of character that is at once expressed in her soulfulness on the bandstand,” (Todd Weeks). St. Joan began singing professionally with the Harlem Opera Group at 17 and later was often featured at the weekly Jazz Vespers service and at the famed annual All-Night Soul celebration.
PIANIST BERTHA HOPE
Bertha Hope (88) is a jazz pianist and educator. Her career began in the 1950s Los Angeles jazz clubs, where she met the great Elmo Hope, whom she later married and with whom she worked extensively until his passing. She created the ELMOllenium project to preserve the musical legacy of her late husband, by performing and teaching his work to other artists. Hope is the recipient of two lifetime achievement awards (2002 from Cobi Narita's Jazz Coalition, 2005 by the late Dr. Billy Taylor in 2005 at the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival).
DRUMMER STEVE LITTLE
Steve Little (90) recorded with the Duke Ellington Orchestra with Lionel Hampton Band, Charlie Barnet’s Band, the Terry Gibbs Quartet, Sal Salvador Band, on percussion with Dave Brubeck, with Weather Report (on tympani and marimba), singers Joan Baez and Peggy Lee and on the movie soundtracks of the Wiz and Boys in the Band.? He played for 25 years with the original house band of Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and 321 Contact.
BASSIST JAY LEONHART
Jay Leonhart (85) is a bassist, singer, and songwriter, and has been named the Outstanding Bassist in the Recording Industry three times. At 13, while playing banjo in a Dixieland band in Baltimore, Jay watched the bass player and knew that the bass was the instrument he would play forever. Since that time Jay has been privileged to play with the likes of Judy Garland, Duke Ellington, Peggy Lee, Mel Torme, Sting, James Taylor, Luciano Pavarotti, and many more.
“MINORS OF JAZZ” BAND
ALTO SAXOPHONIST BENJAMIN PUNZALAN, from Long Island, New York, is currently a sophomore at Columbia University. He has been playing both saxophone and piano for nearly a decade and has found great community through music at school and beyond.?
PIANIST MARIELLE HYACINTHE currently attends Frank Sinatra School of the Arts where she studies jazz piano and vocal techniques. She has a deep appreciation for the classics and finds inspiration in the music of legends such as Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, and John Coltrane. She looks forward to a life of playing around the world & continuing her art.
BASSIST JEREMIAH MOSQUERA, born and raised in Queens, is a multi-instrumentalist who attends Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. He plays in all genres. Jeremiah always looks forward to performing and is always seeking to make music of all kinds.
DRUMMER EZRA KESSLER is currently studying jazz at Purchase College Music Conservatory.? He has been playing drums since age 10 and attended Fiorello LaGuardia High School. Throughout high school, he played in “FAT CATS”, the O'Farrill's Afro-Latin Band. Ezra has received full scholarships to both the NY Philharmonic/Interlochen & 92nd Y Recanati-Kaplan.
VOCALIST ALEXIS ‘LEXI’ MAIRE was born and raised in NYC and is currently enrolled as a 6th grader at Middle School 245 (The Computer School) on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Alexis spent multiple years training and performing for the National Children's Chorus where she sang a variety of songs in different venues, including Carnegie Hall. Alexis has a passion for singing and performing and attended French Woods, a performing arts camp.
