7 PM Pre-Show Reception | 8 PM Concert Queens Jazz Orchestra: The Jimmy Heath Centennial Concert
Flushing Town Hall137-35 Northern Boulevard, New York 11354
Queens Jazz Orchestra marks the Jimmy Heath centennial with a concert devoted to music the saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master performed and loved to hear. The 17-piece orchestra performs under saxophonist Antonio Hart, with a pre-show reception preceding the concert. It is a tribute rooted in the Queens jazz legacy Heath helped sustain, rather than a retrospective built around a single documented 2026 lineup.
Co-founded at Flushing Town Hall in 2008 by Jimmy Heath and the venue's jazz producer Clyde Bullard, the Queens Jazz Orchestra was created to preserve Queens' jazz heritage and encourage future musicians. The group is a 17-piece big band, and its past rosters have included saxophones, trumpets, trombones, piano, bass and drums. The Queens Chronicle called it an “all-star band” with an “aura of musical history,” adding that it “is not some nostalgia band.” Hart has performed with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roy Hargrove and Dave Holland. Writing about the orchestra's premiere, Jazz.com called it the “sine qua non” of Flushing Town Hall's jazz programming.
Flushing Town Hall is a historic Romanesque Revival building that now serves as a lively performing arts center celebrating Queens' rich cultural diversity and jazz heritage. The venue features a spacious main hall with seating that invites attentive listening, often hosting ticketed shows that highlight global music and community arts. The building’s classic brick facade and triple-arched portico hint at its past as a town hall and courthouse, while inside, the air conditioning offers relief on warm evenings. Located near the last stop of the 7 subway line, it’s easy to reach and surrounded by a neighborhood known for its ethnic variety and vibrant food scene. Expect an evening of focused performances where the audience is engaged, with occasional community events and exhibitions that deepen the connection to Queens’ artistic landscape.