The George Gee Swing Orchestra and the Arturo O’Farrill Afro-Latin Octet Come to Flushing Town Hall

On Saturday, February 7, Flushing Town Hall will present GLOBAL MASHUP: The George Gee Swing Orchestra Meets the Arturo O’Farrill Afro-Latin Octet (Ballroom Dance Meets Mambo), an electrifying pan-jazz celebration that brings two contemporary jazz ensembles together on one stage for the first time.

The evening will begin with a dance lesson for the audience led by acclaimed instructor Vanda Polakova at 6:30 PM, welcoming dancers of all experience levels to learn steps and rhythms before the music begins. At 7 PM, the George Gee Swing Orchestra and the Arturo O’Farrill Afro-Latin Octet will take the stage, each performing a short set showcasing signature sounds rooted in swing and Afro-Latin jazz. The night culminates in their collaborative performance, an improvised blending of styles, rhythms, and cultural traditions in a spirited celebration of jazz, dance, and community. Audience members are invited to the open dance floor to take their new moves for a spin!

Arturo O’Farrill, the Afro-Latin Octet’s leader, is a multi-Grammy Award-winning pianist, composer, and educator, and has been hailed by Downbeat Magazine as “one of our greatest living pianists.” Born in Mexico and raised in New York, his career began with the Carla Bley Band and expanded through collaborations with artists like Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, and Harry Belafonte. O’Farrill’s dynamic music seamlessly blends Afro-Latin rhythms with innovative jazz. He won Best Instrumental Composition and Best Latin Jazz Recording Grammy Awards in 2016 for Afro-Latin Jazz Suite and the 2018 Best Instrumental Composition Grammy for Three Revolutions. In 2023, his album Fandango at the Wall in New York  won the Best Latin Jazz Album Grammy, and most recently, his Mundoagua album received a 2026 Grammy nomination. He is also the founder and artistic director of Belongó (formerly the Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance).

The George Gee Swing Orchestra is led by New York-based bandleader George Gee, whose big band draws inspiration from classic swing masters like Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton. His professional path was cemented after a life-changing interview with Count Basie in 1979, prompting him to form his own ensemble. After a decade refining his craft in Pittsburgh, he returned to New York City in 2000. Gee and his orchestra have been a cornerstone of the city's swing scene for nearly three decades, most notably through their legendary weekly residency at the Times Square hotspot Swing 46, where they continue to define the Big Apple's big band sound for audiences of all generations.