Flushing Town Hall Continues Soft Reopening to In-Person Audiences This August with

This August, Flushing Town Hall continues to welcome in-person audiences back for select events while continuing to live-stream all programs, too. Next up, Flushing Town Hall will present The Gino Sitson Trio's innovative and energetic performance of African music , an outdoor exhibition of work by Queens-based artists, Taiwanese piano talents Ching-Yun Hu, Natasha Wu, and Yao-Wen Chang, and the final, virtual Louis Armstrong Legacy Jazz Jam.

"As we are carefully reopening our facilities for select events, we are delighted to welcome familiar and new faces to Flushing Town Hall," says Executive and Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek. "Across the city, venues are reopening, and we are thrilled that we can bring local artists to our patrons while taking all necessary safety measures for our guests and performers to feel safe."

Gino Sitson Trio: High Energy, Live Performance with In-Person Audiences

On Friday, August 20, 2021 at 7 PM ET, the Gino Sitson Trio delivers "Beautiful Vibration" - Colors of African Music, live from the stage at Flushing Town Hall for a hybrid in-person and virtual audience. Featuring award-winning, vocal virtuoso Gino Sitson with an exciting and energetic combination of new sounds, the ensemble intertwines percussive grooves, enchanting vocals, and lyrical melodies.

The Los Angeles Times calls Gino Sitson "an extraordinarily pliable voice in settings rich with melody, emotion and rhythm. His gift for melody and his persuasive powers for interpretation establish an instant connection for listeners (...) always fascinating."

Originally from the Bamiléké region of Cameroon, Central Africa, Sitson's family comes from a long line of Cameroonian musicians known as Ntontas ("players of horns''). His daring musical project combines jazz, gospel, blues and traditional African polyphonies, polyrhythms and melodies in a most innovative way. Outside of the music world, Sitson is also a UNICEF Cameroon Goodwill Ambassador, who is engaged in reaching out to street children and advocating for their well-being.

During his performance on August 20, Gino Sitson (voice, body percussion & compositions) is accompanied by Marvin Sewell (acoustic guitar & voice) and Lonnie Plaxico (double bass).

For this concert, Flushing Town Hall is offering both virtual and in-person tickets. In order to ensure the safety of audiences, performers, and staff, only 42 in-person tickets will be available in honor of Flushing Town Hall's 42nd anniversary. Details about social distancing requirements should be reviewed online before purchasing in-person tickets. The performance will also be streamed live online, and virtual ticket holders will receive the live link and reminder before the show. Virtual tickets are available for $7/$5 members and in-person tickets (42 tickets only) must be purchased in advance for $12/$10 members at https://www.flushingtownhall.org/.

Louis Armstrong Legacy Virtual Jazz Jams

On Wednesday, August 11 at 7 PM ET, Flushing Town Hall will host the last virtual Louis Armstrong Legacy Jazz Jams before returning to in-person jams in September. The wildly popular virtual jams have attracted more than 200 musicians and 7,000 national and international viewers since Flushing Town Hall first closed its facility for Covid precautions in March 2020. This will also be the last jazz jam with a dedicated theme, which will celebrate the birthday of its inspiration, the legendary Louis Armstrong -- and other August birthdays!

Starting on September 8th, the monthly Louis Armstrong Legacy Jazz Jam will return to its pre-pandemic, in-person format for participating musicians the second Wednesday of the month, but it will continue streaming to viewers' homes for free.

Led by Carol Sudhalter and the wonderful house band featuring Joe Vincent Tranchina, Scott Neumann and Eric Lemon, the jam invites musicians, including FTH jazz jammers from Queens/Long Island, as well as newcomers from around the world, to share their music, lift our spirits and honor those whose lives were lost.

"It seems so fitting to be celebrating the legacy of Louis Armstrong, and his and other August birthdays this month at our last jam in the virtual world. I am excited to discover what legendary artists, past or present, our performers will choose to pay tribute to in our final virtual jam," says Flushing Town Hall's jazz band leader Carol Sudhalter. "We thank all who have stuck with us - audience and performers alike - who have dared to go with the change. We look forward to our in-person return in September!"

Musicians interested in participating in the virtual jams should email education@flushingtownhall.org with the suggested three- to four-minute tune they intend to play in line with this month's theme. The performance can be live or a pre-recorded audio or video (but not a professional, edited recording such as a CD or YouTube video). Musicians who performed in 2020 are now welcome to return. Each month, up to five returning musicians and up to 15 new musicians can participate. Selection is on a first-come, first-served basis.

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