Strike up the band: Flushing Town Hall to host ‘All-Star’ jazz concert

Flushing Town Hall will honor Queens’ jazzy history through a “Jazz Jam All-Stars” concert. Photo courtesy of Flushing Town Hall.

By Victoria Merlino

Flushing Town Hall will premiere its first-ever “Jazz Jam All-Stars” concert on Aug. 4, honoring both Queens’ past as a gathering place for legendary jazz musicians, and its present as a haven for contemporary artists. 

“I’m so thrilled for all of the All-Stars!,” Gabrielle Hamilton, Flushing Town Hall’s Director of Education and Public Programs, said in a statement. 

“When Flushing Town Hall first launched our monthly Jazz Jams eight years ago, a small group of amateur and professional musicians and fans gathered,” Hamilton continued. “Over time these wonderful artists have developed their artistic skills and formed professional alliances, even as our artists and audience members have grown and bonded. Now our jams feature amazing performances from all of our artists and a strong sense of community and fellowship.”

Ten musicians from Queens and Long Island will take the stage and perform starting at 7:30 p.m. The artists represent a small fraction of those who have played at Flushing Town Hall’s monthly “Jazz Jams,” which occur on the first Wednesday of each month. 

Many well-known jazz greats have called Queens home, including Louis Armstrong  — whose house is now a museum in Corona — Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Lena Horne. 

Tickets are $20 for regular patrons, $15 for members and students and free for teens. To purchase tickets,   visit flushingtownhall.org.