Press release from the Splitting Hairs in-box. I’m including most of the release because it gives me the sense that this could be a nice series.
—————————————————————————————-
Jazz Thursdays in the Hills…Forest Hills
The Shop Forest Hills Jazz Thursdays Summer Concert Series
Jazz Thursdays concerts are the only all-Jazz concert series offered in Queens, free to the public. The Shop Forest Hills Jazz Thursdays Summer Concerts feature headlining Jazz artists, and are a cool way to spend a hot summer night groovin’ to the music and taking in all that is offered in Forest Hills. Have a delicious meal, do a little shopping and end the evening outdoors listening to great music. The Jazz Thursdays concerts are held right in the heart of the Forest Hills shopping district.
The Forest Hills Chamber Of Commerce and president and concert producer Leslie Brown bring the community together with sizzling Jazz to encouraging a fun mix of commerce and culture. Forest Hills invites residents from all 5 boroughs to come out and enjoy Jazz Thursdays in the Hills!
2008 Concert Dates:
Thursdays August 7th, 14th and 21st
Time: 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM (same time for all 3 dates)
Location: 70th Road between Austin Street and Queens Blvd, Forest Hills
Admission Free/Seating Available
More Information Call:718 268-6565 or visit www.shopforesthills.com or www.jazzthursdays.com
Jazz Thursdays Headliners
Thursday August 7th
The Boilermaker Jazz Band
The Boilermaker Jazz Band is an ecstatically fun band performing authentic American hot jazz and swing. The group can make an audience swing to a classic jazz standard, get sentimental over an old time ballad, boogie to a hot jump tune or get low down with some gritty blues.
Leading the band on clarinet and vocals is Paul Cosentino who founded the band in 1988 at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. His wonderfully distinctive sound comes from an antique Albert system clarinet. The Boilermaker Jazz Band has performed throughout the world including Lincoln Center in NY, The Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Paul and the Boilermakers have recorded 6 critically acclaimed CD’s. “Impeccable renditions of classics…soak up the sounds ‘cause there’s nothing like this around anymore,” writes Hits Magazine. “You will think you’ve gone to jazz heaven when you hear these guys!” says the Sacramento Jazz Society.
The Pittsburgh Gazette raves “musicians at their improvisational best! The Boilermakers ensure that the tradition continues.” Listeners and dancers agree that the infectious beat and enthusiasm of the Boilermaker Jazz Band can make any crowd move.
Thursday August 14th
New York’s Finest Jazz Ensemble
New York’s Finest Jazz Ensemble is comprised of eighteen members. Every member is a full time Police Officer with advanced and varied musical talents and backgrounds. Members of the band get together while off duty from their respective precincts to rehearse and perform.
Tony Stewart Musical Director, Queens resident and Police Officer formed the jazz ensemble in 2005. The ensemble has performed in Tokyo, Quebec City, and Hong Kong and throughout the United States. New York’s Finest Jazz Ensemble also gives performances at veteran’s and children’s hospitals. The band gives workshops to budding young jazz musicians in the NYC area, devoting hundreds of hours of their personal time to reach kids at risk in some of the city’s toughest neighborhoods.
Performing on their own time in full dress police uniform New York’s Finest Jazz Ensemble is committed to the community by sharing it’s collective talents whenever possible. Their large repertoire of jazz ranges from classic to contemporary, and they perform all styles of jazz including swing, Dixieland, bebop, Latin jazz and blues.
Thursday August 21st
The Brawner Brothers
The Brawner Brothers are a dynamic jazz-funk group that infuses blues, R&B and Latin influences into their repertoire. Kenny plays his own distinctive style of jazz described as “rich, romantic, with a strong stomping beat” says John Wilson of the New York Times.
The Brawner Brothers have appeared as back up to B.B. King at clubs around the country. They regularly appear at St. Nicholas Pub, one of Harlem’s premier venues and at Terra Blues and The Cutting Room, two of downtown Manhattan’s renowned music clubs. They will be performing with the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater in the upcoming winter season.
