Popular Queens Jazz Trail Concert Series Returns This Summer

Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College, Flushing Town Hall, Louis Armstrong House Museum, and NYC Parks proudly announces the return of the Queens Jazz Trail Concert Series, a free outdoor music series celebrating the borough’s world-renowned jazz heritage. The series brings live jazz performances to parks across Queens for eight consecutive Thursdays from July 9 through August 27, 2026.

Inspired by Flushing Town Hall’s Queens Jazz Trail Map, the series honors Queens’ deep connections to legendary jazz artists, including Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Charles Mingus. Since the 1920s, Queens has been home to hundreds of jazz musicians who shaped the genre while living in neighborhoods across the borough. The Queens Trail Map highlights the homes and histories of these iconic artists and continues to expand with ongoing research and discoveries.

“Flushing Town Hall is a home for jazz,” says FTH Executive and Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek, “and we’re delighted to share Queens’ rich Jazz history through this partnership. Check out the Queens Jazz Trail Map online! We’re excited to see you this summer in the parks!”

Now in its third year, the Queens Jazz Trail Concert Series transforms public parks into gathering spaces where audiences can experience jazz in the spaces that helped define its legacy.

2026 Queens Jazz Trail Concert Lineup

ITAI KRISS & TELAVANA

Thursday, July 9 at 7 PM – Travers Park (Jackson Heights)

Grammy-nominated flutist and composer Itai Kriss has been a vital force in New York’s jazz and Latin music scene for over two decades, blending Israeli musical traditions with jazz, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and influences from North Africa and Brazil. Founder of the ensemble TELAVANA, Kriss creates energetic, rhythm-driven music that connects the sounds of the Middle East and the Caribbean through Timba, jazz, soul, and global traditions.

VINCENT HERRING & STEVE TURRE: COLTRANE @ 100

Thursday, July 16 at 7 PM – Baisley Pond Park (Jamaica)

JOHN COLTRANE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION! Vincent Herring and Steve Turre unite two of jazz’s most distinctive voices, blending hard-bop fire, deep swing, and fearless improvisation. Acclaimed saxophonist Herring has performed with legends including Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, and Freddie Hubbard, while Grammy-winning trombonist and pioneering seashellist Turre brings Afro-Cuban and Brazilian influences shaped through collaborations with Ray Charles, McCoy Tyner, and Herbie Hancock. Together, they deliver performances filled with rhythmic energy, expressive depth, and uncompromising swing.

ARTURO O’FARRILL

Thursday, July 23 at 7 PM – Forest Park Bandshell (Woodhaven)

Six-time Grammy-winning pianist, composer, and bandleader Arturo O’Farrill is a leading voice in Afro-Latin jazz, blending Latin rhythms, jazz, and contemporary composition with a powerful cultural and social vision. Born in Mexico City and raised in New York, he is the founder and artistic director of the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and Belongó, a nonprofit dedicated to the performance, education, and preservation of Afro-Latin music. Through his acclaimed recordings, collaborations, and teaching, O’Farrill continues to champion cultural identity, social justice, and the transformative power of music.

JOHN YAO & HIS 17-PIECE INSTRUMENT

Thursday, July 30 at 7 PM – Bowne Park (Flushing)

Trombonist, composer, and arranger John Yao and His 17-piece Instrument band push modern big band jazz into bold new territory, blending swing, Latin, funk, and contemporary influences. Their latest release, Points in Time, celebrates Yao’s 20-year career in NYC and the band’s long-awaited return after a decade hiatus. A 2023 DownBeat Critics Poll Rising Star, Yao has performed with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, and collaborated with artists including Paquito D’Rivera and Kurt Elling.

WYCLIFFE GORDON

Thursday, August 6 at 7 PM – Rockaway Beach Park (Far Rockaway)

Internationally acclaimed trombonist, composer, and educator Wycliffe Gordon is celebrated for his powerful sound, masterful plunger mute technique, and deep roots in jazz tradition. A former member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Gordon has appeared on more than 300 recordings and earned multiple DownBeat Critics Poll awards and a record 15 Jazz Journalists Association “Trombonist of the Year” honors. Alongside his global performing career, he continues to inspire new generations as Director of Jazz Studies at Augusta University.

WALLACE RONEY JR.: MILES DAVIS @ 100

Thursday, August 13 at 7 PM – Archie Spigner Park (Jamaica)

MILES DAVIS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION! Trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr. is a rising force in jazz known for his dynamic performances and deep connection to the tradition. The son of acclaimed artists Wallace Roney Sr. and Geri Allen, he was shaped by influences including Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard before graduating from Oberlin Conservatory. Roney Jr. has performed with celebrated artists such as Chick Corea, Jimmy Heath, and Ornette Coleman, and is now a sought-after presence on the New York and New Jersey jazz scene.

BRASS QUEENS

Thursday, August 20 at 7 PM – Cunningham Park (Fresh Meadows)

Brass Queens is a female-led, Brooklyn-based brass band blending the energy of New York with the vibrant traditions of New Orleans brass music. Known for their high-energy performances, the group fuses jazz, pop, reggaeton, mambo, and classic rock into an electrifying, dance-driven sound. Since forming in 2019, Brass Queens has performed at venues and events including Carnegie Hall, the Met Gala, and alongside David Byrne, while touring festivals across the U.S. and internationally.

LUCY YEGHIAZARYAN: TONY BENNETT @ 100

Thursday, August 27 at 7 PM – Astoria Park (Astoria)

TONY BENNETT CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION! Lucy Yeghiazaryan is an Armenian-American vocalist and violinist emerging as a leading voice in contemporary straight-ahead jazz, blending her cultural heritage with the American jazz tradition. Born in Armenia and raised in New Jersey, she refined her craft through NJPAC’s Jazz for Teens program and now performs at renowned NYC venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center and Birdland. Yeghiazaryan has collaborated with artists including Harold Mabern, Houston Person, and Terell Stafford.

All concerts are free and open to the public and take place rain or shine on Thursdays at 7 PM. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs, picnic snacks, friends, and dancing shoes to enjoy some of the finest live jazz under the open skies of Queens.

“We’re proud to continue celebrating the extraordinary jazz history of Queens through this concert series,” said Jon Yanofsky, Director of Kupferberg Center for the Arts. “Each summer, these performances bring communities together in parks across the borough while honoring the artists and cultural traditions that helped shape jazz history right here in Queens.”

For more information, visit KCA.NYC/QJT