Flushing Town Hall Presents Grammy-Nominated Jazz Artist Antonio Hart

Flushing Town Hall's got Hart! On Saturday, October 5, the Antonio Hart Quintet will perform at the historic Queens venue, the first stop on their Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation Jazz Touring Network tour. Recognized as one of the most talented instrumentalists of his generation, Hart will perform on saxophone, joined by Duane Eubanks on trumpet, Miki Yamanaka on piano, Alex Ayala on bass, and Jerome Gillespie II on drums.

An inspiration to the next generation of jazz greats, Hart is a tenured professor at the Queens College Aaron Copland School of Music, where he serves as Director of Jazz Studies.

Grammy-nominated for his 1997 release, 'Here I stand' (Impulse! Records), Hart takes pride in his commitment to craft, always seeking to elevate his writing and horn playing while drawing inspiration from different musical styles.

Hart has recorded eight of his own CDs and been featured as a guest on more than 100 others. His two-decades-long career has included collaborations with jazz icons Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Hargrove, Nancy Wilson, Nat Adderley, and McCoy Tyner. When not in the classroom, he can be found traveling with the Dave Holland Big Band, the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, and his own group.

"At Flushing Town Hall, we take pride in our international lineup of artists, who travel to our venue from all over the world," notes Executive and Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek. "This fall we are particularly excited for our jazz lineup, including New York's own Antonio Hart. Many jazz legends have called Queens their home and Flushing Town Hall is one of the major homes for jazz in New York City."

"Performing at Flushing Town Hall is like coming home," says Hart. "I've played there for so many years with my mentor Jimmy Heath and with others in my musical family. It's going to be an exciting evening playing with my unit, introducing the public to our humble approach to this great jazz legacy."

Following Antonio Hart Quintet's October 5 performance, Flushing Town Hall audiences can look forward to Jazzmobile@55's October 19 presentation of Taylor Made, a tribute to NEA Jazz Master Dr. Billy Taylor with special guest Winard Harper, and A Gathering of the Masters on November 8, which is the first time six NEA Jazz Masters will appear together on the venue's stage, with special guest Candido Camero.

The Antonio Hart Quintet event begins at 8:00 PM at Flushing Town Hall, located at 137-35 Northern Blvd. Flushing, Queens. Tickets -$16 / $10 Members and Students / FREE for Teens-are available at www.flushingtownhall.org.