On Friday, December 15 at 8:00 PM, Flushing Town Hall will proudly host its 17th annual NEA Jazz Masters concert, presenting "The Music of the NEA Jazz Masters and Original Compositions." This beloved event is an annual highlight for New York City’s many jazz aficionados who know the Queens venue to be among the city’s best for great jazz.
Renowned trumpet player and NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Owens will lead a group of six esteemed musicians, each boasting extensive experience touring and performing with the genre’s finest: the newest 2024 NEA Jazz Master Gary Bartz (saxophone), NEA Jazz Masters Ron Carter (bass), pianist Joanne Brackeen (piano), Louis Hayes (drums), and acclaimed jazz virtuoso Wycliffe Gordon (trombone).
“I feel truly privileged to welcome two of the newest NEA Jazz Masters, Gary Bartz, and Louis Hayes, alongside the return of some seasoned Masters and outstanding jazz talents to our stage," says Ellen Kodadek, Executive and Artistic Director at Flushing Town Hall. "Queens is the borough so many jazz legends have called home, and our annual NEA Jazz Masters concert upholds the borough’s history as a go-to destination for jazz icons and audiences alike."
Attendees can join the distinguished NEA Jazz Masters in a pre-concert workshop, "NEA Jazz Masters in Conversation," to hear a discussion of the icons with whom the Masters have played alongside and from whom they’ve drawn inspiration, including Max Roach, Oscar Peterson, Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, and Billy Taylor.
“This year, our NEA Jazz Masters concert will bring the arrangements of several NEA Jazz Masters and their own compositions to the stage,” says Clyde Bullard, Flushing Town Hall’s Jazz Producer in Residence, “The repertoire will include music composed by Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Benny Golson and Dizzy Gillespie with some other swinging surprises.”
Flushing Town Hall began a significant tradition when it hosted the first-ever NEA Jazz Masters concert on November 17, 2006. This remarkable occasion showcased three iconic NEA Jazz Masters: Jimmy Heath (saxophone); Clark Terry (trumpet); and Dr. Billy Taylor (piano). Since then, the Smithsonian affiliate has continued to dazzle jazz enthusiasts by welcoming a roster of luminaries most often found frequenting Manhattan's renowned clubs. The Queens stage has witnessed performances by Earl May, Benny Powell, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Cándido Camero, Paquito D’Rivera, Reggie Workman, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Joey DeFrancesco, Dr. Barry Harris, Sheila Jordan, Antonio Hart, Bill Charlap, Gustavo Casenave, and many other jazz greats.
The concert on Friday, December 15, begins at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $40/$32 members/$20 students w/ID. Table packages for two w/ refreshments are available for $130/$110 members.
From 5:00- 6:30 PM, patrons with paid tickets for the concert are invited to join a free pre-concert workshop, "NEA Jazz Masters in Conversation," discussing the icons that the Masters have performed with, including Max Roach, Oscar Peterson, Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, and Billy Taylor.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/event-detail.php?id=461
