50 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • JULY 11, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
Flushing fi lmmaker shows documentary at Festival of Cinema NYC
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
Next month, the Festival of Cinema
NYC will screen a Flushing resident’s fi lm
about the glory days of Nobody’s Pub.
Charles Caracciolo’s documentary “We
Were All Nobody’s” tells the story of
the beloved bar and music venue, which
existed from the mid-1980s to the early
1990s on Northern Boulevard near 147th
Street. On Saturday, Aug. 3, Caracciolo’s
fi lm will show at the Regal UA Midway
theater as part of the Forest Hills fi lm festival.
Aft er watching the 2016 Oscars, he was
inspired to make a documentary that centered
on shared jubilation rather than one
that included themes of war and death.
“I thought, ‘Does anyone make documentaries
that aren’t so serious?’”
Caracciolo said.
His mind immediately went to one of
the happiest times in his life playing at
the pub with his band Th ird Eye Butterfl y.
During the height of Nobody’s popularity,
the fi lmmaker played drums as a power
pop trio alongside his girlfriend-turnedwife
who played the bass and their mutual
friend who played the guitar.
“So many music venues like CBGB
would treat you like crap. Th ere was a cultural
exchange and respect amongst different
music scenes at Nobody’s. You
could see funk, metal, pop and reggae in
the same night,” Caracciolo said.
He turned to social media to reach
out to bands he used to play with at the
Flushing venue and set up interviews
with around 45 people. Caracciolo said
that participants included members from
16 to 18 bands, promoters and one of the
club owners.
Th e fi lmmaker, who is also a professional
video editor, recalled the sense of
nostalgia when the Nobody’s community
reunited over 25 years later for his fi lm.
“Wow, I wished I had been rolling camera,”
he said.
Th ird Eye Butterfl y (from left ): Charles
Caracciolo (drums), Cathy Caracciolo
(bass) and John Gallo (guitar)
Caracciolo said that the entire process
took him about 18 months from start to
fi nish. Th e fi lm premiered in September
2018 at Flushing Town Hall, “near the
old RKO Keith site and down the block
from Nobody’s old location,” according
to Caracciolo.
Despite the fi lm’s overarching positivity,
the Flushing resident decided to include
a controversial incident from 1992 linked
to Nobody’s. Reports said that Milagros
Johnson, an off -duty police offi cer from
the 109th Precinct, was murdered just
hours aft er leaving Nobody’s.
Police found her naked body in a marsh
in Rosedale aft er witnesses overheard two
men bragging about killing an offi cer.
Aft er the murder, Caracciolo said that
Nobody’s struggled to stay opened and
eventually shut down. He decided that it
would be “dishonest” if he did not include
the incident and added that it was the
emotional “coda” the fi lm needed.
Although Nobody’s is gone, Caracciolo
still remembers it as the music venue in
his backyard where people could go see
live music outside of Manhattan.
“Nobody’s was diff erent; it was the vestige
of an old music scene,” said Caracciolo
who added that he wanted viewers to
“come away with a glorious aft erglow.”
“It never felt like you were wrapped
in a warm hug like when you were at
Nobody’s,” he said.
Watch the trailers for “We Were All
Nobody’s” here: Trailer 1 and Trailer 2.
Th e fi lm screens at the Regal UA Midway
Th eater (108-22 Queens Blvd.) on
Saturday, Aug. 3, at 8:30 p.m.
Visit festivalofcinemanyc.com to purchase
tickets.
Flushing Town Hall presents inaugural Jazz Jam All-Stars concert
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
Next month, head to Flushing to
get a taste of jazz music that isn’t in a
Manhattan nightclub.
Flushing Town Hall is presenting its
fi rst-ever Jazz Jam All-Stars concert, featuring
10 musicians and vocalists hailing
from Queens and Long Island. On Aug.
4, concert participants will perform the
music of Louis Armstrong followed by a
group jam session.
Following the concert, participants will
pose for a portrait on the steps of Flushing
Town Hall, echoing Art Kane’s photograph
“A Great Day in Harlem.” Proceeds
from the event will go toward keeping
the institution’s monthly Jazz Jams free to
musicians.
On the fi rst Wednesday evening every
month, hundreds of musicians, including
the 10 featured in the concert, participate
in Flushing Town Hall’s Monthly
Jazz Jam: Celebrating the Legacy of Louis
Armstrong.
“I’m so thrilled for all of the All-Stars!,”
says Gabrielle M. Hamilton, Flushing
Town Hall’s Director of Education and
Public Programs. “When Flushing Town
Hall fi rst launched our monthly Jazz Jams
eight years ago, a small group of amateur
and professional musicians and fans gathered.
Over time these wonderful artists
have developed their artistic skills and
formed professional alliances, even as our
artists and audience members have grown
and bonded. Now our jams feature amazing
performances from all of our artists
and a strong sense of community and fellowship.
Th e All-Stars concert is a fundraiser
in celebration of their talent and
our Flushing Town Hall Jazz Jam ‘family’
and I invite all music lovers – from
Queens and beyond – to join us in this
communal musical spectacular!”
Th e following is a list of participating
musicians in next month’s concert:
• Sharif Kales (trumpet) of Flushing
• Sarah Turkiew (baritone saxophone) of
Bethpage, Long Island
• Keith Jordan (guitar) of Hollis Hills
• Iga Flyree Mrozek (vocals) of Jackson
Heights
• Frank Robinson (vocals) of Jamaica
• Gary Davis (vocals) of East Elmhurst
• Jose Luis Armengot (trumpet) of Rego
Park
• Victor Acosta (alto saxophone) of Kew
Gardens
• Glen Lowe (drums) of Corona
• Mamoru Tashiro (guitar) of Astoria
Jazz saxophonist and event emcee Carol
Sudhalter runs the monthly jams and
was also involved in the committee that
chose the featured concert performers.
Sudhalter, who has lived in Astoria since
1978, has pioneered several jazz series in
Queens.
She also teaches jazz improvisation,
fl ute, sax, clarinet and piano, and masterclasses
in jazz and in “English Diction
for Singers” throughout the United States
and in Italy.
“Th is concert is a landmark event in the
history of jazz in Queens. No one should
miss this presentation of some of our
most promising artists,” said Sudhalter.
She added that the concert is a culmination
of the growth many of the musicians
have experienced throughout the year
during the monthly jam sessions. Since
she became involved in 2016, she said that
both musician and audience attendance
for the sessions has doubled.
Sudhalter attributes the growth to
“word of mouth, good promotion and
a user-friendly atmosphere.” She shared
that other jam sessions are more competitive
and musicians, especially beginners,
are more comfortable at the Town Hall
jam sessions.
Veteran musician Sharif Kales, who has
played the trumpet for 25 years, attests to
the warm atmosphere.
“It’s just good vibes, everyone is just trying
to play and learn from each other,”
Kales said. “It’s defi nitely welcoming and
beginner students defi nitely feel more
welcomed.”
During the concert, Kales plans to play
an original piece as well as popular jazz
standard called “Never Let Me Go”.
Th e Jazz Jam All-Stars event is on
Sunday, Aug. 4 , starting with a reception
at 6 p.m. followed by the concert at
7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for the general
public, $15 for members and free to teens
ages 13 to 19. Purchase tickets at fl ushingtownhall.
org or by calling 718-463-
7700 x 222.
Photos courtesy of Charles Caracciolo
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