Flushing Town Hall is bringing together the freshest young talent and seasoned legends in one unforgettable performance at their “Majors and Minors of Jazz” concert on April 5 at 7:30 p.m.
The event at 137-35 Northern Blvd., in Flushing, will feature two quintets of “minor” musicians, ages 12-19, and “major” musicians, ages 80-97, including a performance from special guest and jazz legend Houston Person. The concert is the first of its kind at FTH, curated by the venue’s house band leader, Carol Sudhalter.
“The kids are budding musicians, so it’s very exciting because you just don’t know where they could go with their talent,” said Sudhalter. “And then they’ll see the old folks and get so much inspiration from them too, so I’m very excited about it, and I hope a lot of people will come.”
The event’s inspiration stemmed from a concert two years ago called “Octogenerian Women of Jazz,” which Sudhalter originally put together to celebrate her 80th birthday. The event, which took place in March, also provided a great way to celebrate female musicians for Women’s History Month. The event was performed at Flushing Town Hall and the Jazz Museum of Harlem. It consisted of original compositions by the women who performed along with classic jazz standards. From there, it evolved into Octogenerians of Jazz before Sudhalter got inspired to bridge generations of young and old together to perform.
Both minor and major musicians will perform music of their choosing, which they’ve selected and rehearsed in advance. The music will be a mix of classic jazz standards that people in the audience know and something different that may not be as common to those in attendance. The younger group comprises students in various stages of their academic careers, with two who are students of Frank Sinatra School of The Arts in Astoria and another who is attending Colombia University.
The Majors quintet is also comprised of talented musicians from various backgrounds, including Bertha Hope on piano, Steve Little on drums, vocals by Keisha St. Joan, and Jay Leonhart on the bass. The group also includes Houston Person, who is 91 years of age, on the tenor saxophone. Throughout his career, Person has recorded with legends such as Etta Jones, Charles Brown, Ron Carter, and Lou Rawls, to name a few. He also received the “Eubie Blake Jazz Award” in 1982.
The event is a great way to bring musicians and audiences together, regardless of age, who share a common interest in their love of jazz music, whether they are musicians or just enjoy listening.
“In New York, sometimes we have jazz musicians over 100 [years old] playing sax with energy even though they can barely walk; it’s really impressive,” said Sudhalter. Each [quintet] has their own separate repertoire, but at the end, we’ll all play a number together, so it’s going to be really nice.”
Tickets for non-members cost $25, $20 for seniors and students, and $18 for members. To purchase tickets or learn more, visit FTH’s website.
