FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Karin Venegas, karin@anatgerstein.com, 347-361-7049
Sandra Tharas, sandra@anatgerstein.com, 347-361-7068
Flushing Town Hall’s Louis Armstrong Legacy Monthly Jazz Jam Celebrates Its Tenth Anniversary on Wednesday, October 13, 2021
—Members of Queens Jazz OverGround will be joining the anniversary jam to celebrate Louis Armstrong’s legacy—
(Flushing, N.Y.)—This October, Flushing Town Hall’s wildly popular Louis Armstrong Legacy Monthly Jazz Jam is turning ten! To celebrate the occasion, Flushing Town Hall’s current house jazz band will be joined by members of Queens Jazz OverGround. As the venue continues its reopening to artists and the public, the jam will be held in person at the historic building in Queens on Wednesday, October 13 at 7:00 PM (ET).
The monthly jam began its journey of great jazz in October 2011 as an educational program in collaboration with the Aaron Copeland School of Music at Queens College in order to provide a platform for young jazz musicians to play music together. About three years later, the monthly jam transformed into a program for amateur and professional musicians and public audiences under the lead of Queens Jazz OverGround.
“Shortly after I joined Flushing Town Hall, we were able to launch our first Jazz Jam and Clinic in October 2011. Our partnership with Queens College provided graduate music students with an opportunity to jam together locally and educate young musicians in Jazz. A few years later, the jam expanded to reach more musicians under the leadership of Brian Woodruff and Queens Jazz OverGround (QJOG), so I am excited that he and some of the QJOG original members will be joining us on stage with Carol Sudhalter, Joe Vincent Tranchina, Eric Lemmon, and Scott Neumann --- our current house band, to acknowledge ten years of great Jazz right here in Flushing,” says Flushing Town Hall’s Director of Education & Public Programs, Gabrielle M. Hamilton. “All of this would not have been possible without the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. We are forever thankful for their unwavering support of the Jam and for allowing us to pay tribute to the great Jazz virtuoso who once called Queens his home.”
Brian Woodruff of Queens Jazz OverGround, who once led the monthly jazz jam at Flushing Town Hall says: “When Queens Jazz OverGround started leading the jam in 2014, we had no idea how influential and established this monthly event would become over the years. Many thanks to Flushing Town Hall for inviting our current and original members back to participate in this celebration with Carol Sudhalter, the great house band, and other talented musicians.”
In 2016, as Queens Jazz OverGround moved on to other projects, Carol Sudhalter, who is well-versed in the Armstrong repertoire, stepped in. Under Sudhalter’s creative guidance, the monthly program has been paying homage to the great Louis Armstrong every month since—including the months when Flushing Town Hall’s doors remained closed for pandemic precautions.
During the pandemic, the monthly event moved online in March 2020, and within 17 months of only virtual jams, more than 200 musicians from over a dozen countries as far as New Zealand, Italy and South Africa, have participated in the virtual Louis Armstrong Legacy Monthly Jazz Jams. Over 7,000 viewers from across the globe have enjoyed the music and tuned in to the monthly jams to listen as the venue moved all its programming online.
On September 8, the monthly Jazz Jams returned to its pre-pandemic version for the first time live from Flushing Town Hall, with participating musicians and an audience of jazz lovers attending in person.
Audiences and musicians are invited to join the anniversary jam in-person or virtually on October 13 at 7 PM ET. Cost for the general audience is $10, and the jam is FREE for members, students, teens & jamming musicians. Participating jazz jammers do not need to pre-register and can simply sign in upon arrival.
Following the opening by the current house jazz band, Queens Jazz OverGround will play Dinah by Harry Akst, and Joe Young, as featured in the famous Copenhagen film of Louis Armstrong's band from 1933.
The band will feature:
- Josh Deutsch, trumpet (founding member, Queens Jazz OverGround)
- Hashem Assadullahi, alto saxophone (current member, Queens Jazz OverGround)
- Amanda Monaco, guitar (founding member, Queens Jazz OverGround)
- Eugenia Choe, piano (current member, Queens Jazz OverGround)
- Richard Mikel, bass
- Brian Woodruff, drums (founding and current member, Queens Jazz OverGround)
Those unable to attend the anniversary jam in person can still join the livestream and tune in for free via Flushing Town Hall’s Facebook page.
COVID Policy:
In adherence with Mayor De Blasio’s Covid policy for performance venues, Flushing Town Hall will require all visitors, performers, and staff to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. A form of identification that matches the proof of vaccine is required, and masks must be worn at all times. For more details on Flushing Town Hall’s general Covid-safety measures and vaccine requirements, please visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/covid-safety.
Musicians must wear masks at all times unless they are performing on a wind instrument. Social distancing will be in place in the theater and on-stage throughout the jam. For more details visit https://www.flushingtownhall.org/monthly-jazz-jams.
Most Flushing Town Hall events will be presented in a hybrid format (both in-person and livestreamed) as the venue continues its soft reopening in the pandemic’s wake.
Support Global Arts With A Gift Today!
All gifts of $50 or more give you exclusive Flushing Town Hall Circle of Friends membership benefits including a Smithsonian membership, ticket discounts, and more! 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.
For Calendar Listings
WEDNESDAY, October 13, 7:00 PM (ET)
Louis Armstrong Legacy Monthly Jazz Jam: Celebrating 10 Years
$10/FREE for Members, Students, Teens & Jamming Musicians
Flushing Town Hall’s Louis Armstrong Legacy Monthly Jazz Jam celebrates its 10-year anniversary with some special guests! The jam is held in person with Jazz students, musicians, and music educators at Flushing Town Hall’s theatre! Monthly Jazz Jams are a fun way to hone your skills and jam with your peers. The house band led by saxophonist Carol Sudhalter opens each jam with the work of Louis Armstrong. Covid-19 vaccinations, an ID that matches the proof of vaccine, and masks are required for all in-person attendees. If you wish to join remotely, Flushing Town Hall is also streaming the event live, for free join via Facebook.
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.
Louis Armstrong Legacy Virtual Jazz Jam is supported in part by a grant from The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc.
To view our current donor lists, please visit www.flushingtownhall.org/donor-listings.
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:
Flushing Town Hall temporarily closed its physical venue during the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with social distancing guidelines, presenting performances, exhibitions, panel discussions, and educational programs online through its virtual initiatives, FTH at Home! and Global Arts for Global Kids at Home. In 2021, Flushing Town Hall began its soft reopening, with artists and performers, staff, and in-person audiences invited to return at a limited capacity for select events, while it continues to offer virtual programs and live streaming.
For more information:
www.flushingtownhall.org
(718) 463-7700 x222
137-35 Northern Blvd. Flushing, NY 11354