Experience the vibrant legacy of jazz in the heart of Queens this summer! The Queens Jazz Trail Concert Series takes you on a musical journey through the borough’s rich jazz heritage, where legends like Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, and scores of others once called home.
Inspired by the iconic Queens Jazz Trail Map, the series brings this rich history to life in our community parks. Join us for a series of seven concerts, each set against the backdrop of Queens’ beautiful parks. These FREE outdoor performances celebrate the past, present, and future of jazz, showcasing talented musicians and honoring the borough’s legendary artists.
The Queens Jazz Trail Concert Series is presented by Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College, Flushing Town Hall, and the Louis Armstrong House Museum, in Partnership with NYC Parks.
2025 PERFORMANCES
We’re excited to return in 2025 with another incredible season of jazz, dance, and community! Mark your calendars—the concert dates and full artist lineup are here.
It’s free—just show up! Bring a blanket, lawn chair, picnic, friends—even your dancing shoes—and enjoy a summer of live jazz in Queens parks!
THU, JUN 19, 7 PM | Astoria Park (Astoria): Wayne Tucker & The Bad Mothas
THU, JUL 10, 7 PM | Baisley Pond Park (Jamaica): Bryan Carrott Quintet
THU, JUL 17, 7 PM | Rockaway Beach Park (Far Rockaway): Rubén Coca Quintet
SUN, JUL 20, 2 PM | Flushing Meadows Corona Park (Flushing): Alà Bello & The Charanga Syndicate
THU, AUG 7, 7 PM | Travers Park (Jackson Heights): Kim Clarke & Friends
THU, AUG 14, 7 PM | Forest Park Bandshell (Woodhaven): High & Mighty Brass Band
THU, AUG 28, 7 PM | Archie Spigner Park (Jamaica): Mingus Big Band
All shows are rain or shine. Please visit our Instagram for any updates.Â
What’s The Queens Jazz Trail?
The history of jazz is associated with many cities, districts, and streets. There is New Orleans (Storyville and Basin Street); Memphis (Beale Street); the Southside of Chicago; 18th and Vine in Kansas City; and several spots near here in New York City: Harlem, 52nd street, Greenwich Village, and many others. Conspicuously absent in most accounts of jazz history is New York City’s borough of Queens, despite its many links to the music. Since the 1920s, Queens has been the home of jazz—the residence of choice for hundreds of jazz musicians, including such stars as Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillespie. The Queens Jazz Trail©, a project of Flushing Town Hall, aims to shed light on this neglected history. The project is built around a map showing addresses of major musicians who lived in Queens, and includes addresses and locations updated in 2023.
Explore the award-winning Queens Jazz Trail map in an interactive format, featuring portraits of jazz greats and the different neighborhoods and sites that are part of the history of jazz in Queens.