Queens Library's Culture Connection Program Celebrates Its 5th Anniversary With Five Concerts At Five Locations

Queens Library will celebrate the 5th anniversary of its increasingly popular Culture Connection program with five concerts at five library locations, featuring a number of Broadway and jazz artists, and showcasing various flavors of the genres, from Broadway standards to Afro-Cuban jazz. Performers will include stars like Alton Fitzgerald White, best known for his role of King Mustafa in 'The Lion King,' and internationally acclaimed Cuban pianist Dayramir Gonzalez, as well as rising artists, who have already become strong and recognizable voices in the New York City jazz scene.

Jazz-funk bassist and founder of The Goods Project, Richie Goods, will kick off the series with a concert at the Langston Hughes Library at 100-01 Northern Boulevard on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 1 pm.

Alton Fitzgerald White will join forces with Dayramir Gonzalez and Habana enTRANCe band at the "From Havana to Broadway" event on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 2 pm at the Central Library at 89-11 Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica.

On Saturday, Oct. 20 at 2:30 pm, Alicia Krakauer will perform Broadway classics from different periods, from the Jazz Age of the 1920s to present day, during "Give My Regards to Broadway" at the Glen Oaks Library at 256-04 Union Turnpike.

Trumpet player Wayne Tucker, known for performing with pop stars like Taylor Swift, Elvis Costello and Ne-Yo, will play with his quintet on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 6 pm at the Peninsula Library at 92-25 Rockaway Beach Boulevard in Rockaway Beach.

The final concert, on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 2 pm at the Flushing Library at 41-17 Main Street, will feature Jackie Gage, an emerging vocal star of the New York City jazz scene.

The concerts will be accompanied by a photo exhibit documenting past Culture Connection events, which will be on display at the Central Library at 89-11 Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica from Friday, Oct. 13 to Sunday, Oct. 28.

Since its conception in 2013, Culture Connection hosted more than 30 programs, developing a dedicated audience and showcasing a wide variety of emerging as well as renowned performers and speakers from the world of music, publishing, theater, and film.

Among the many guests featured as part of the series were singer and Jazz at Lincoln Center regular Brianna Thomas; model, actress, journalist and ex-wife of David Bowie, Angie Bowie; Grammy Award winner and author of the music for the Broadway show "Dreamgirls," Henry Krieger; record producer and three-time Grammy Award winner Russ Titelman, who worked with musicians like George Harrison, Paul Simon, and Eric Clapton; Andre Aciman, the author of the novel "Call Me By Your Name," which was recently turned into an Academy Award-winning film; as well as cast members of the Tony Award-winning production of August Wilson's "Jitney."

"We are thrilled to celebrate the fifth anniversary of our highly popular Culture Connection initiative," said Queens Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. "This program on many evenings and afternoons has transformed our Central Library into a Broadway stage allowing our patrons to participate in free world-class performances featuring celebrated musicians and other live performers."

To learn more about the five upcoming performances and to reserve free tickets, visit queenslibrary.org/events/culture-connection.