Jazz Highlights at Flushing Town Hall: Grammy Award Winners and more

contents

jazz

On Friday, February 1, Flushing Town Hall will present Grammy-winner Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, who will perform jazz from the 1920s and 1930s, including the big band repertoire of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, and Bix Beiderbecke. There will be an open dance floor so attendees can groove along to the beat.

Vince Giordano's passion for music from the early decades in the 20th Century led him to create a sensational band of like-minded players, the Nighthawks. For more than four decades, Giordano has worked diligently to keep this genre of American music alive and continued to spread the joy of a musical era that shaped the nation. As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, for anyone "who appreciates early jazz and swing, Vince Giordano's lifelong passion is welcome on dual fronts: the history he's preserving, and the new energy he's breathing into a century-old lineage through masterful, joyous performance."

"Jazz performances have always been an integral focus of Flushing Town Hall's programming, " says Executive Director Ellen Kodadek. "We are thrilled to welcome Grammy-winner Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks to our stage—their passion for jazz comes through in their performances. We invite the audience to let the music move them onto the dance floor!"

Multi-instrumentalist Giordano has played New York nightclubs, Lincoln Center, the Newport Jazz Festival, and the 92nd Street Y, among many other venues, during the past four decades. His recording projects include soundtracks for HBO's award-winning Boardwalk Empire with vocalists such as Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, St. Vincent, Regina Spektor, Neko Case, and Rufus Wainwright.

His music, and that of the Nighthawks, have been featured in films, including The Cotton Club, The Aviator, Finding Forrester, Revolutionary Road, Carol, Bessie, The Knick, Ghost World, The Savages, The Good Shepherd, Away We Go, and Public Enemies. More recent projects include Café Society, Z: The Beginning of Everything, and music for the hit series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

In addition to Giordano (string bass, bass sax, tuba, vocals), members of the Nighthawks are: Andy Stein (violin, bari sax); Michael Ponella (trumpet); Jon-Erik Kellso (trumpet); Harvey Tibbs (trombone); Evan Arntzen (alto sax, clarinet, soprano sax); Mark Lopeman (tenor sax, clarinet, soprano sax); Dan Levinson (alto sax, clarinet, soprano sax); Peter Yarin (piano); Arnt Arntzen (banjo, guitar); and Paul Wells (percussion).

Flushing Town Hall is accessible by car, bus, train and foot – located a short distance from the 7 train - at 137-35 Northern Blvd., in Flushing, Queens. Access for wheelchair users and individuals with limited mobility is available.

Once again, Flushing Town Hall is opening its doors to teenagers – for free. Under the "Teen Access Program, " all 13- to 19-year-old teens (whether a member or not) will be welcomed to attend any performance for free. The program is designed to appeal to students and help foster a greater love for arts and culture.

FOR CALENDAR LISTINGS:
Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks: Swing Dance Party
FRI, FEB 1, 8 PM
$25/$20 Members and Students/FREE for Teens
For over 40 years, Grammy-Award winning Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks have brought the joyful syncopation of the 1920s and '30s to life with their virtuosity, vintage musical instruments, and more than 60, 000 period band arrangements. Enjoy the house band of the award-winning Boardwalk Empire as they present an evening of hot jazz and dance music, while dancers swing and sway on our global dance floor.

Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts dba 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; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Mayor Bill de Blasio; Queens Borough President Melinda Katz; Council Members Adrienne Adams, Costa Constantinides, Daniel Dromm, Barry Grodenchik, Peter Koo, Karen Koslowitz, Francisco Moya, Paul A. Vallone, and Jimmy Van Bramer; and the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, and the Lily Auchincloss Foundation.

Support for our programs is also provided by Atlantic Philanthropies Director/Employee Designated Gift Program, Cathay Bank, Michael Cheng / Epos Development, Chinese Overseas University, Dr. Hsing-Lih Chou / New York Institute of Culture and the Arts, Con Edison, Crossings TV, Heidi & Jonathan Davis, Exploring the Metropolis, Steven Facey, Kuang-Yu Fong / Chinese Theatre Works, Barbara Garii, The Glow Foundation, Heather Harrison, Raymond D. Jasen, Jim Henson Foundation, Keith Haring Foundation, Ellen Kodadek, Kenneth Koranyi, Nelson Lee / Flushing Bank, Law Offices of Vincent Toomey, James S. Liao, Emily Lin / Lin & Loveall Foundation, Linden Arts Fund for Children, Anita Liu, Louis Armstrong Education Foundation, Lyell Korea, Materials for the Arts, William McClure, NYC & Company Foundation, New York Community Bank Foundation, Northwell Health, Queens Art Education Center / Arthur Liu, Queens College, Queens Courier, Georgiana Reese-Benatti, RuDance / Asian American Dance Sport Corp., Mike Sperendi & Jan Schneider, Vincent Toomey, Mei Ya Tsai, Veronica Tsang, Claire Shulman, Tai & Tony Wang / WAC Lighting, Jay Wegman, Jonathan White, Edwina & Eldwin Wong, Minwen Yang, Hank Yeh, and gifts made in loving memory of Amal Hussain and Irene and Maxwell Seligman.

*Support at $500 and up for the 2019 fiscal year is included.

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.

On Saturday, March 2, Mwenso & the Shakes will bring their unique fusion of African, Afro-American, jazz, and blues music to Flushing Town Hall. The evening starts with a dance and groove workshop at 7 PM, and continues with a concert at 8 PM.

Mwenso & the Shakes are a unique troupe of global artists who present music that merges the highest form of entertainment and artistry with a formidable repertoire of jazz, blues, African, and Afro American music. The international group draws inspiration from the stylings of Fats Waller, Muddy Waters, James Brown and many other American musical legends. Michael Mwenso leads electrifying performances that The New York Times calls "intense, prowling, and ebullient."

“Mwenso and the Shakes is a perfect fit for our rich programming with their combination of world music and jazz, and we are excited to have them here at Flushing Town Hall, ” says Executive Director Ellen Kodadek. “The group will kick off our own March Madness, which will include 18 performances in 31 days—what a way to celebrate our 40th anniversary!”
Jazz musician Michael Mwenso has quite a résumé: he was born in Sierra Leone and moved to London, where he became interested in jazz and started performing at the age of 11. He is a curator for the Late Night Sessions at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln Center, where has brought many young and talented jazz artists together to form the Shakes.

The band includes members from across the globe—Sierra Leone, London, South Africa, New York City, Madagascar, France, Jamaica, and Hawaii—but the Shakes now call Harlem their home. Of their style, Mwenso tells JazzTimes that the group has “figured out how to play funk grooves and African music in a way that still holds up the deepest elements of jazz and swing...We’re trying to fulfill the spirit of Louis Armstrong and those people, we want to protect what they held up, and guard it and bow and give reverence to them—but also to be free within ourselves.”

In advance of the concert, Michela Marino Lerman, tap dancer and choreographer, will lead a workshop on the different dances associated with the music to be performed by Mwenso & the Shake before the group brings original music with a focus on self-empowerment to the stage.

write your comments about the article :: © 2019 Jazz News :: home page