FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Karin Venegas, karin@anatgerstein.com, 347-361-7049
Sandra Tharas, sandra@anatgerstein.com, 718-793-2211
Queens Jazz Orchestra Ensemble to Pay Tribute to NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Heath at Flushing Town Hall on Friday, June 18
–For the first time since March 2020, Flushing Town Hall welcomes a limited in-person audience: 42 tickets will be available in celebration of Flushing Town Hall’s 42nd anniversary. –
–Anyone is invited to view the livestream on YouTube. For details & tickets visit flushingtownhall.org–
(Flushing, N.Y.)—Flushing Town Hall welcomes the Queens Jazz Orchestra Ensemble to its stage on Friday, June 18 at 7PM ET for a live tribute to the late NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Heath, continuing to present outstanding jazz at its historic venue. Flushing Town Hall is also excited to welcome a small audience back into its theatre for the very first time since the facility closed to the public in March 2020 and will observe Covid safety measures that include mask requirements and social distancing. The concert will be simultaneously live streamed for a virtual audience at home.
When NEA Jazz Master and former Music Director of Flushing Town Hall’s Queens Jazz Orchestra Jimmy Heath passed away on January 19, 2020 at the age of 93, he passed the baton to his protégé Antonio Hart.
“Due to Covid, the Queens Jazz Orchestra has not been able to perform together, but I am delighted to bring a smaller unit of members of the ensemble to Flushing Town Hall to celebrate Master Heath,” says his former mentee, Antonio Hart.
On June 18, this special concert led by Antonio Hart will present the core rhythm section of the larger Queens Jazz Orchestra, who are writing and performing their own arrangements of songs composed by Jimmy Heath.
“We are excited to host Antonio Hart and select members of the Queens Jazz Orchestra at our beautiful venue,” says Executive and Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek. “While we cannot bring our full Queens Jazz Orchestra to Flushing Town Hall at this time due to Covid restrictions, we are thrilled that this sextet of incredibly skilled and passionate musicians will again grace our stage and wow our audiences with live jazz!”
The Queens Jazz Orchestra Ensemble performing at Flushing Town Hall is comprised of six amazing musicians who all had a personal connection to Master Heath and are celebrating his legacy:
- Antonio Hart (Leader and Saxophone)
- Freddie Hendrix (Trumpet)
- Steve Davis (Trombone)
- Jeb Patton (Piano)
- David Wong (Acoustic Bass)
- Vince Ector (Drums)
“The Queens Jazz Orchestra Ensemble contains some cutting edge musicians! Each ensemble member is a band leader themselves, with the additional, explosive dynamite of Antonio Hart mixing it all together,” says Flushing Town Hall’s Jazz Producer in Residence, Clyde Bullard. “What you will be hearing is the Big Bang Theory incarnate!”
Bullard will moderate a live Q&A following the performance between the musicians and the virtual audience.
Born on October 25, 1926 in Philadelphia, PA, Jimmy Heath was the second of the illustrious Heath Brothers to receive an NEA Jazz Master Fellowship and was the first Heath to choose music as a career path. During his storied career, Mr. Heath (who lived in Queens for many years) has performed on more than 100 record albums, including seven with The Heath Brothers and twelve as a leader. Mr. Heath has also written more than 125 compositions, many of which have become jazz standards. Mr. Heath had etched a longstanding relationship with Flushing Town Hall, and a dozen years ago they together launched the 17-piece big band Queens Jazz Orchestra, a project of Flushing Town Hall, which had since performed for thousands of jazz lovers under his direction. In June 2020, Flushing Town Hall hosted its first virtual tribute to the late Master. Among those participating were Jimmy Heath’s wife, Mona, and jazz legends Albert “Tootie” Heath, Barry Harris, Jimmy Owens, and Dorthaan Kirk; and members of Queens Jazz Orchestra, including Antonio Hart, David Wang, Jeb Patton and Douglas Purviance.
For the first time since March 2020, Flushing Town Hall is welcoming an in-person audience into its theatre. In honor of Flushing Town Hall’s 42nd anniversary, 42 in-person tickets are available ($15/$12 members), and unlimited virtual tickets ($10/$7 members) for audiences at home. All tickets can be purchased online at flushingtownhall.org. Details about the logistics and safety requirements, including mask wearing and social distancing, to attend the event in-person are posted on the website.
Support Flushing Town Hall this season!
Flushing Town Hall recently launched its new membership program, Flushing Town Hall’s Circle of Friends, with memberships starting at gifts of $50 or more. With the loss of nearly all earned income, Flushing Town Hall is in dire need of support and is currently raising funds under its Lemon-AID the Arts Campaign. Donations in any amount are appreciated to support the artists and the nonprofit cultural organization as they continue to provide programming and entertainment across New York and the world.
While Flushing Town Hall will open to a limited audience of 42 for the Queens Jazz Orchestra Ensemble concert on June 18, the organization’s facilities remain temporarily closed to the general public in accordance with COVID-19 safety regulations. All other programs are being presented virtually.
FOR CALENDAR LISTINGS
Friday, June 18 at 7:00 PM (ET)
The Queens Jazz Orchestra Ensemble
Cost: $7-$15
Led by Grammy-nominated saxophonist Antonio Hart, the Sextet of the Queens Jazz Orchestra performs at Flushing Town Hall for a live streaming concert featuring songs of the late NEA Jazz Master, and former Queens Jazz Orchestra leader Jimmy Heath and other interesting arrangements of great jazz standards. For the first time since March 2020, Flushing Town Hall’s theatre is open to an in-person audience. The one-hour show will also stream on YouTube for a virtual audience and will be followed by a live Q&A. Limited in-person tickets are available for $15/$12 members, and virtual tickets are $10/$7 members and can be purchased online at flushingtownhall.org.
Thank you to our generous community of donors for providing Flushing Town Hall a foundation of strength and endurance. We are grateful beyond measure for the elected officials, donors and members, foundations, corporations, volunteers, and all patrons who have supported us for over 40 years, in the best and the worst of times. Flushing Town Hall is grateful for all gifts received and wishes to thank everyone for their ongoing generosity.
Flushing Town Hall is a not for profit organization which receives major support from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; New York State Assembly Member Ron Kim; The City of New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Commissioner Gonzalo Casals; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards; The New York City Council, Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Members Costa Constantinides, Daniel Dromm, Barry Grodenchik, Peter Koo, Karen Koslowitz, Paul A. Vallone, Jimmy Van Bramer; Howard Gilman Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.
Flushing Town Hall greatly appreciates the supporters of our current campaign, Lemon-AID the Arts. If you are able and willing to help, please click here to learn more and donate today. Special thanks to our donors with gifts of $100 and above: Arline Abdalian, Alberta Alexandre, Karen Argueta, Maria Arias, Henry Assael, Bob Band, Christopher Banks, Barbara Banks Schwam, Beverly Bartow, Geraldine Benfante, Viviana M. Benitez, Carl Bennett, Denise Boudiette, Seth Bornstein, Larue Brathwaite, Anne Bresnahan, Carolee Brooks-Hildenbrandt, Jeanette Brown, Claire Bullard, Christopher Caltieri, Jenna Capeci, Calvin Chan, Dongshin Chang, Christopher Chen, Annika Cheng, Cecilia Cheng, Amy Chin, Wanda Chin, Ginger Chinn, Alexander Choi, David Creed, Jacob Eichenbaum, David Fesser, Ellen Fisher-Turk, Karen Fitzgerald, Paul Foster, Toni Foy, Emma Frankel, Andrew Garson, Gitler Family Fund, Anat Gerstein, Carl Gold, Loren Golden, Howard Graf (Graf & Lewent Architects), Constance Hammen, Heather Harrison, Alan Heilbron, Susan Hennessy, Loren Golden, Geraldene Hornsby-Gray, Rhenaye Hornsby, Timothy Hosking, Ming-I Huang, Raymond Jasen, Carmen Jimenez, Minja Kang, Andrew Karp, Amir Kassam, Adrienne Kivelson, Bob Kodadek, Ellen Kodadek, Saul Kupferberg, Carol Leaf, Stephanie Lee, Anne Lewent, Judith Lewent and Mark Shapiro, Steve Lewent, James Liao, Jeri Lim, Meiling Liu, Stephanie Long, Martha Ma, Frank Macchio, Rob Mackay, Sandra Mann, Pamela Marquez, Steve Marston, William McClure, Brenda McCoy, Steven Mecca, Cynthia Merkle, Chi Mo, Lee Nash, Sandra Nash, Rochelle Nechin, Albert Niu, TeHsing Niu, The Ong Family Foundation, Jessica Peña, Kimberly Phelan, Mary and Oscar Pollock, Ryan Powers, Hope Pordy, Qi Shu Fang Peking Opera Association, Richard Quatrano, Alfred and Diane Rankins, Dottye Ricks, Mira Rubens, Teresa Salles, Jeffrey Schneider, Roslyn Schwersenz, Anthony Scotto, Gustavo Segredo, Tina Seligman, Dominique Sellers, Alice Sharp, Thomas Simmons, Stephen Sincovich, Judi Silvano, Mike Sperendi and Jan Schneider, Douglas Stalnaker, Sheila Sweeney, Jean Tatge, Marsha Toma, Veronica Tsang, WAC Lighting, Tai-nin Wang, Jill Ward, Daryl Ware, Jay Wegman, David and Elsie Werber, Constance Wingate, Robert and Karla Wishnick, Edwina and Eldwin Wong, Lucy Wong, Jennie Woo, Jon Yanofsky, Mimi Yeung.
Support for our programs is also provided by Cathay Bank, Douglass Chan, Amy Mak Chan, Calvin W. Chan, Sharon Chen, Ginger Chinn, Dr. Hsing-Lih Chou/New York Institute of Culture and the Arts, Con Edison, Crossings TV, Kuang-Yu Fong/Chinese Theatre Works, Howard Graf and Kathy Donovan, Guru Krupa Foundation, Investors Foundation, Raymond D. Jasen, the Jim Henson Foundation, Ellen Kodadek, Nelson Lee/Flushing Bank, Anne Lewent, James S. Liao, Emily Lin/Lin & Loveall Foundation, Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Frank Macchio, Materials for the Arts, William McClure/Queens College, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, Northwell Health, TeHsing Niu, Carlos Ortiz, Queens Art Education Center/Arthur Liu, RuDance/Asian American Dance Sport Corp., Helen Shieh, Richard Siu, Curtis Smith, Michael Tang, Veronica Tsang, Tai and Tony Wang/Glow Foundation, Anna Wu, Minwen Yang, Hank Yeh, Sandy Yeh, Shane Yeh, and Angela Qi Zhang.
Flushing Town Hall greatly appreciates the sponsors of the 2021 Lunar New Year Chinese Temple Bazaar: Tai Wang and Glow Foundation (Title Sponsor), Amy Mak Chan, The Andy Li Team at Compass, Healthfirst, MetroPlusHealth, The Parc Hotel, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr., Shandong Association, Shanghai Commercial Bank, and President of Flushing Town Hall Veronica Tsang. A special thank you to Flushing Town Hall’s Chinese Cultural Committee for their ongoing support.
With special thanks to the Howard Gilman Foundation, Flushing Town Hall was able to purchase equipment needed to live-stream and record from its theater.
Louis Armstrong Legacy Virtual Jazz Jam is supported in part by a grant from The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation.
Crazy Talented Asians & Friends: An Evening of Live Comedy – Triumphing Over Quarantine! is sponsored by a generous anonymous donor. Flushing Town Hall thanks the sponsor and the numerous community volunteers and viewers for your strong support.
We have done our best to recognize donations correctly, but should your recognition be incorrect, please contact Jessica Peña, Director of Development, at jpena@flushingtownhall.org.
About Flushing Town Hall
Flushing Town Hall (FTH), a Smithsonian affiliate, presents multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens and New York City, in order to foster mutual appreciation. As advocates of arts equity since 1979, we support local, immigrant, national, and international artists, developing partnerships and collaborations that enhance our efforts. As a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), we serve to restore, manage and program the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York. FTH celebrates the history of Queens as the home of Jazz, by presenting the finest in Jazz performance. We are committed to arts education and hands-on learning, for the arts-curious, arts enthusiasts, and professional artists. We serve one of the most diverse communities in the world and strive to uphold the legacy of inclusiveness that has defined our community since the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657.
Land Acknowledgement:
Flushing Town Hall acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the Matinecock People, one of the original tribes of New York, and the first people of Flushing, Queens. The Matinecock continue to live and work on this land to this day. Flushing Town Hall honors their elders who have stewarded this land throughout generations.
COVID-19:
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while our venue remains temporarily closed in accordance with social distancing guidelines, we are proudly presenting performances, exhibitions, panel discussions, and educational activities online through our virtual initiatives, FTH at Home! and Global Arts for Global Kids.
For more information:
www.flushingtownhall.org
(718) 463-7700 x222
137-35 Northern Blvd. Flushing, NY 11354