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| Live at Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater: September 2021 Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater officially reopens this September featuring a full slate of nightly performances! At Birdland Jazz Club, catch Strata-East 50th Anniversary Celebration with Charles Tolliver Quintet, Count Basie Orchestra, Coltrane Revisited 20th Anniversary featuring Eric Alexander, Stacey Kent & Art Hirahara, Ashley Pezzotti, Connie Han Trio, Hila Kulik Quartet, Steven Feifke Big Band, Carole J. Bufford, The Broadway Cast of "Company", Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra, Chuck Owen Jazz Orchestra, Clint Holmes and Duchess. Birdland Theater will present Sean Harkness, Nellie McKay, Cady Huffman, Marissa Licata: Strings on Fire, Ronny Whyte, Jason Kravits, Susan Mack, Pasquale Grasso Trio, and Jeremy Stolle. Repeat engagements include Jim Caruso's Cast Party with Billy Stritch at the piano, The Lineup with Susie Mosher, David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano and Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. In compliance with New York City rules for indoor activities, Birdland requires proof of vaccination or a verified medical exemption from all customers, staff, and performers. August 31 – September 4 (Tuesday – Saturday) 7:00 PM & 9:30 – Birdland Jazz Club Strata-East 50th Anniversary Celebration with Charles Tolliver Quintet The legendary jazz label Strata-East celebrates 50 years! Screen star Danny Glover (9/4 9:30 only) is narrator at this celebratory evening featuring jazz legend Charles Tolliver and the Strata-East All Stars: Billy Harper, George Cables, Cecil McBee, Buster Williams and Lenny White. $40 + $10 food/drink minimum September 2 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Ashley Pezzotti At the young age of 25 years old, Ashley has performed with renowned artists such as Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Arturo Sandoval, Joey Alexander, Dave Holland, Jon Secada, and country star Keith Urban. Her 2019 encouragingly titled album "We've Only Just Begun" features an array of original compositions inspired by the Great American Songbook. The singer, who also features on Wynton Marsalis' "The Ever Fonky Lowdown" was praised as a "performer to watch" by DownBeat Magazine. $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 3-4 (Friday – Saturday) 8:30 – Birdland Theater Connie Han Pianist/composer Connie Han has been described as "a decisively brazen talent with an exhilarating control of her skills and vision" by All About Jazz. On her latest release on Mack Avenue, "Iron Starlet", Han manifests "an intimate clairvoyance into all that has come before her, " with "uncompromising vitality" on the piano. Her powerful vision takes in the full evolution of her forebears, from iconic innovators like McCoy Tyner and Hank Jones through the Young Lions revolution spearheaded by the Marsalis Brothers, Kenny Kirkland and Jeff "Tain" Watts, among others. The Steinway Artist is thrilled to bring her electrifying trio to Birdland! $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 5 (Sunday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Sean Harkness & The Unusual Suspects Long before Harkness made his commercial debut on the legacy Acoustic New Age label Windham Hill Records and even longer before he became the go-to guitarist for vocalists from Broadway, film, and TV, Sean played electric guitar in bands that range from rock, blues, and dance rock, to funk, R&B, and reggae. Harkness's personal choice of songs are all classic rock/pop from the '60s, '70s, and '80s, given fresh arrangements that blend psychedelic jams, jazz, rock & roll, and unexpected world rhythms. $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 7-11 (Tuesday – Saturday) 7:00 PM & 9:30 – Birdland Jazz Club Arturo O'Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble 7-time GRAMMY Award-winning composer, bandleader, and pianist Arturo O'Farrill has fulfilled what he calls "a lifelong dream" with his signing to Blue Note Records and the September 24 release of his label debut …dreaming in lions… The album finds O'Farrill leading the colorful 10-piece assemblage The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble through a vibrant set that presents two multi-movement suites he conceived in collaboration with Malpaso Dance Company of Cuba: "Despedida, " a meditation on farewells, and "Dreaming in Lions, " inspired by Ernest Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea. $40 + $10 food/drink minimum September 9 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Hila Kulik Group Award-winning pianist and composer Hila Kulik is one of the most active performers on the New York contemporary jazz scene. A graduate of the prestigious Jerusalem Academy, and the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, Kulik has shared the stage and recorded with who's who of jazz greats including Noa Nini, Antonio Hart, Donald Harrison. Cyrille Aimėe, Pauline Jean and more. At Birdland, Kulik will be joined by trumpeter Wayne Tucker, bassist Tamir Shmerling and drummer Dani Danor. $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 10-11 (Friday – Saturday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Nellie McKay Nellie McKay, the award-winning singer and songwriter, will present songs from her seventh album, Sister Orchid, and more. She has won a Theatre World Award for her portrayal of Polly Peachum on Broadway in The Threepenny Opera, performed onscreen in the films PS I Love You and Downtown Express, and her music was used in Rumor Has It, Monster-in-Law, and others. Nellie's music has been heard on "Mad Men, " "Boardwalk Empire, " "Weeds, " "Grey's Anatomy, " and she has appeared on TV shows including "The Late Show with David Letterman, " "Conan, " and "The View." $40 + $10 food/drink minimum September 12 (Sunday) 5:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Steve Feifke Big Band Recognized by GRAMMY.com as one of six big band composers pushing the format forwards and heralded a "masterful pianist" by JAZZIZ Magazine, award-winning Yamaha Performing Artist, bandleader and composer Steven Feifke is one of the most in-demand artists of his generation. A two-time semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Piano Competition, Feifke has been featured on stages around the world alongside premiere artists including Steve Tyrell, Randy Brecker, Chad LB and Veronica Swift, with an impressive performance history at internationally recognized venues and festivals. International tours across Europe, Africa and Asia along with an extensive discography of over 30 albums all before turning 30 have established Feifke's name as a global presence in jazz. This Spring, Feifke released his debut album Kinetic to worldwide acclaim. $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 12 (Sunday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Cady Huffman and Mary Ann McSweeney Old friends Cady Huffman (Tony winner for The Producers) and Mary Ann McSweeney (award-winning jazz bassist, Girl From the North Country) come together to investigate music during the pandemic. Combining voice with bass, and whatever else strikes their fancy, the duo will pirouette from Peggy Lee to Jimi Hendrix, with a promise that nothing is off-limits. Huffman won the 2001 Tony Award for playing "Ulla" in The Producers. She was nominated for an Outer Critics' Circle Award for The Nance, and nominated for a Tony Award for The Will Rogers Follies. McSweeney has played with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Joanne Brackeen, Lee Konitz, Gil Goldstein, and Bucky Pizzarelli, and for famous conductors Leonard Bernstein, Lalo Schifrin, and John Williams. $40 + $10 food/drink minimum September 13 (Monday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Carole J. Bufford – “Poets and Pickers” Bufford’s new show “Poets and Pickers, ” features songs that transcend the genres they were eventually slotted into whether pop, jazz, country, rock, blues, or Broadway. Stripping these tunes down to the bare essence and building them anew, her unique takes and inimitable style will make you hear some of the world’s most beloved tunes with fresh ears. Featuring Peter Calo on guitar, expect to hear songs by Paul Simon, Randy Newman, Irving Berlin, Bobbie Gentry, Cole Porter, Johnny Cash, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Colin Meloy, Leon Russell, Sara Bareilles, Kander & Ebb, & more. A recipient of the Nightlife, Bistro, and BroadwayWorld Awards for “Outstanding Vocalist, ” Carole has become one of the most sought-after performers on the American vintage pop, cabaret and jazz scene. $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 14-18 (Tuesday – Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 – Birdland Jazz Club Count Basie Orchestra Pianist and bandleader William James “Count” Basie was and still is an American institution that personifies the grandeur and excellence of Jazz. The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra, today directed by Scotty Barnhart, has won every respected jazz poll in the world at least once, won 19 Grammy Awards, performed for kings, queens, and other world royalty, appeared in several movies, television shows, at every major jazz festival and major concert hall in the world. Jazz greats like Lester Young, Billie Holiday, Frank Foster, Thad Jones, Sonny Payne, and more became international stars once they began working with the legendary Count Basie Orchestra. This great 18-member orchestra is still continuing the excellent history started by Basie of stomping and shouting the blues, as well as refining those musical particulars that allow for the deepest and most moving of swing. Special guest Carmen Bradford joins for this spectacular week-long engagement. $40 + $10 food/drink minimum September 16 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Ronny Whyte – “Whyte Witchcraft: Songs of Cy Coleman” Whyte – a premiere interpreter of Classic American Popular Song, an outstanding jazz pianist, and a successful songwriter – returns to Birdland to celebrate his recent album Whyte Witchcraft – Songs of Cy Coleman. In addition to Whyte on piano and vocals, the show features Cecilia Coleman on piano, Scott Hardy on bass, Ray Marchica on drums, and Ron Horton on flugelhorn. Whyte has been featured on Marian McPartland’s “Piano Jazz” on NPR. An ASCAP Award-winning songwriter, his lyric “Forget the Woman” was recorded by Tony Bennett and his music for “The Party Upstairs” won the MAC Award for Best Song of 2006. He produces and hosts the weekly concert series “Midday Jazz Midtown” at Saint Peter’s in Manhattan. $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 17-18 (Friday – Saturday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Jason Kravits – “Off the Top!” Whether you recognize him from Broadway (The Drowsy Chaperone, Relatively Speaking) or TV (“Halston, ” “The Undoing, ” “Dr. Death, ” “B Positive, ” “Search Party”), you’ve never seen Jason Kravits quite like this. In a performance London’s Reviewsgate calls “a five-star masterclass in the art of improv, ” Jason invents an entire cabaret, from scratch, right before your eyes. Every song, every lyric, every show-biz anecdote, humblebrag and overshare… made up, on the spot, based on your suggestions. Backed by the most daring band in the business, and featuring very special guests, Jason creates a solo, improvised musical-comedy high wire act you’ve got to see to believe. $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 19 (Sunday) 5:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra After years of performing with and writing for numerous jazz big bands, Pete McGuinness finally decided to realize his life-long dream and front a large jazz ensemble of his own. The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra was formed in 2006 and immediately began performing in NYC area jazz clubs. It features all of the various aspects of Pete’s musicianship – as a trombonist, composer/arranger, and jazz vocalist. Pete’s music for the band is a reflection of all the many great jazz writers he has loved and been influenced by throughout his life, including composer/arrangers Bill Holman, Bob Brookmeyer, and the late Thad Jones, as well as contemporaries John Fedchock and Maria Schneider, creating a sound that is uniquely his own. $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 19 (Sunday) 8:30 – Birdland Theater Susan Mack – “Music in the Air” Susan Mack’s “Music in the Air” celebrates the profound power and magic of music in our lives. Through jazz standards of composers including Cole Porter, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Irving Berlin and Chick Corea, the show rejoices in their “forever music” – bringing a contemporary spin to the dancing, romancing and loving that music inspires in all of us. Mack’s 2018 debut show “Nobody Else But Me, ” directed by the legendary Marilyn Maye, was nominated for a MAC Award for Best Female Debut. “Music in the Air” features musical director Tedd Firth on piano, David Fink on bass, Eric Halvorson on drums, and is directed by Lina Koutrakos. $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 20 (Monday) 7:00 – Birdland Jazz Club The Broadway Cast of “Company” – A Benefit Concert for “Darkness RISING” The Broadway cast of Company is proud to present a benefit concert at Birdland to support “Darkness RISING Project, ” which provides therapy and mental health resources for Broadway show company members. Scheduled to appear are Darkness RISING Project’s Carlita Victoria and Khalifa White, along with Company cast members Kathryn Allison, Terence Archie, Etai Benson, Britney Coleman, Nikki Renée Daniels, Matt Doyle, Javier Ignacio, Christopher Sieber, Jennifer Simard, and Bobby Conte Thornton, with Paul Staroba on piano. The cast of Company is so inspired by “The Darkness RISING Project, ” it’s workshops, toolkits and de-stigmatization of the importance of mental health in the community. Support, in collaboration with Adrienne Warren, provides therapy and mental health resources for returning Broadway company members with contributions made by producers. $40/75 + $10 food/drink minimum September 21-25 (Tuesday – Saturday) 7:00 PM & 9:30 – Birdland Jazz Club Coltrane Revisited 20th Anniversary: Eric Alexander, Steve Smith and More! World renowned tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander revisits the repertoire of John Coltrane with alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, pianist Helen Sung, bassist Lonnie Plaxico, and pioneering jazz and fusion drummer Steve Smith. $40 + $10 food/drink minimum September 23 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Pasquale Grasso Trio Praised by Pat Metheny for possessing stunning musicality and beauty, guitarist Pasquale Grasso is one of the most innovative and exciting musical voices in a generation. Grasso’s eloquent classical technique, jazz phrasing, bebop rhythms, and nimble fret fireworks have distinguished him as a celebrated 21st century virtuoso. A new edition of Pasquale’s series of Sony Masterworks solo guitar recordings is due this fall.. $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 24-25 (Friday – Saturday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Jeremy Stolle – “No More Talk of Darkness” Jeremy Stolle is a current member of Broadway’s Phantom of the Opera with over a decade of experience wearing the mask. In his show at Birdland, you will hear Phantom like you have never heard it before, and so much more beyond the darkness of the Phantom’s lair. The night is packed with show-stopping Broadway songs, soaring high notes, classic music, and hilarious stories of the great white way. Jeremy has enchanted audiences worldwide with his approachable, energetic demeanor and comedic charm. This heartfelt concert about life, love, and the perseverance it takes to make it on Broadway is perfect for all ages. $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 26 (Sunday) 5:00 PM – Birdland Theater Chuck Owen Jazz Orchestra Chuck Owen is Distinguished University Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of South Florida where he also serves as the founding Director of the USF Center for Jazz Composition. A nationally respected educator, having established and developed USF’s acclaimed jazz program; he is recognized equally for his unique compositional voice. $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 27 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Clint Holmes – “Possibilities” – featuring the Christian Tamburr Trio Clint Holmes is a consummate Grammy Award-nominated entertainer, writer, performer and recording artist. Whether he is singing selections from contemporary classics or stirring original pieces, every performance is a one-of-a-kind, mesmerizing, and unforgettable experience. His 40-plus year career has taken him from the top of the charts, to concert halls, on TV screens, and cemented his legacy as a veritable Las Vegas institution. His big break came in 1972 when he released “Playground In My Mind, ” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In addition to hosting his own Emmy Award-winning talk/variety show, Clint served as Joan Rivers’ sidekick and announcer on Fox TV’s “The Late Show.” $40 + $10 food/drink minimum September 28-October 2 (Tuesday – Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Stacey Kent and Art Hirahara Songs From Other Places is a captivating and eclectic collection of voice and piano duets. Accompanying Stacey Kent on this musical journey is her dear friend, pianist, Art Hirahara. The idea for this album germinated when “I Wish I Could Go Travelling Again, ” written for her by Nobel Prize-winning author, Kazuo Ishiguro, and her long-time collaborator and husband, Jim Tomlinson (who joins on saxophones and flute), was the most talked about and requested song by her fans on social media. The album includes songs by Paul Simon, Lennon & McCartney, Stevie Nicks, Gershwin, Weil, Jobim, plus two new Tomlinson / Ishiguro songs, with tracks in English, French and Portuguese. The album is out in September on Candid Records. $40 + $10 food/drink minimum September 30 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Duchess A trio of vocal entertainers blending the classic and the contemporary, Duchess has charmed audiences far and wide with its beautiful musicianship and big fun at the group’s shows of “girl-on-girl harmony.” Or as the Wall Street Journal said: “They understand that swinging music goes hand in hand with an audacious sense of humor.” The New York-based threesome of Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner and Melissa Stylianou channel the inspiration of vintage jazz vocal trios into an entertaining package that’s utterly up-to-date, marked as it is by evergreen swing, sweet-toned harmonies and a stage presence that has proved irresistible to audiences. DownBeat dubbed the trio “a beacon of jovial esprit, ” while New York City Jazz Record praised Duchess’s live performances for their “spot-on harmonies.” $30 + $10 food/drink minimum Monthly Engagements: September 6, 13, 20, 27 (Mondays) 8:30 – Birdland Jazz Club Jim Caruso’s Cast Party “Jim Caruso’s Cast Party, ” a New York institution for almost two decades, is a wildly popular weekly open mic night/variety show that has brought a sprinkling of Broadway glitz and urbane wit to Birdland since 2004. Called “show-business heaven” by The New York Times and “the gold-standard of open mic nights” by The Wall Street Journal, “Cast Party” will take advantage of the city’s post-pandemic nightlife renaissance to keep presenting a potent mix of Broadway stars, jazz swingers and cabaret legends, in addition to new faces and rising talent from every genre. The buoyant, sharp and charming Caruso guides the entire affair, while musical genius Billy Stritch (Liza Minnelli, Tony Bennett) holds court at the ivories and leads the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra (Steve Doyle on bass and Daniel Glass on drums). $30 + $10 food/drink minimum August 31, September 7, 14, 21, 28 (Tuesdays) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater The Lineup with Susie Mosher “The Lineup with Susie Mosher” is a wild, anything-goes variety show featuring entertainers from the Broadway, cabaret and comedy scenes, ranging from today’s hottest headliners to the best up-and-coming stars of tomorrow. Mosher – the noted actress and singer from Broadway and beyond, called “one of those talents you need to see to believe” by Time Out New York – hosts the spontaneous extravaganza every Tuesday, and each Lineup is unique and promises to deliver an unforgettable night of quintessential New York City entertainment. $20 + $10 food/drink minimum September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 (Wednesdays) 5:00 – Birdland Jazz Club David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band Inspired by the noble jazz pioneers Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton and their colleagues, David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band breathes life and passion into America’s own great art form. Now in its 18th year of residency at Birdland, the weekly post-workday engagement is the city’s best musical bargain! Tuba player David Ostwald leads a rotating lineup that features talents such as clarinetist Anat Cohen, trombonist/vocalist Wycliffe Gordon, pianist Ehud Asherie, drummer Marion Felder and more! $30 tables; $20 bar + $10 food/drink minimum September 4, 11, 18, 25 (Saturdays) 5:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano Hailed as “the truest heir to Bobby Short” in The New York Times, pianist/singer Eric Comstock returns to Birdland with star bassist/composer Sean Smith with songs by everyone from George Gershwin to George Harrison. These two masters met on the Off-Broadway hit Our Sinatra (which Eric co-wrote) and have since worked separately and together around the world. Vocalist Barbara Fasano joins them at Birdland for a swinging Saturday supper where the music and stories are equally great. Sean Smith has been an integral part of the international jazz scene for over 25 years, and has performed with Gerry Mulligan, Phil Woods, Benny Carter, Art Farmer, Flip Phillips, Clark Terry and many others. Barbara Fasano has been praised as “a gorgeous, soulful singer who has an actor’s intensity in whatever she sings” by The New York Post and “a lyrically sensitive interpreter” by The New York Times. Her latest album Busy Being Free is the recipient of the MAC Award for “Major Recording of the Year.” $30 + $10 food/drink minimum September 5, 12, 19, 26 (Sundays) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Pianist, composer and educator Arturo O’Farrill—leader of the “first family of Afro-Cuban Jazz” (New York Times)—leads the GRAMMY® award winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO), who bring together the drama of big band jazz, the culture of Latin music, and the virtuosity of eighteen of the world’s most accomplished solo musicians. Twelve years of critically-acclaimed performances internationally have firmly established the ALJO as the standard-bearer for creative interpretation of Latin jazz greats such as Tito Puente, Frank “Machito” Grillo, and Chico O’Farrill, as well as the driving force behind new commissions from Latin music’s most talented composers and arrangers. $30 + $10 food/drink minimum write your comments about the article :: © 2021 Jazz News :: home page |