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| Jazz Programming at Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater February 14 - February 27 February 14-19 (Monday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (2/14-17); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (2/18-19) – Birdland Jazz Club Catherine Russell 2/14: Valentine's Day for Lovers 2/15: Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras Party 2/16: The Danette's Valentines (ft. Steely Dan bandmates La Tanya Hall and Carolyn Leonhart) 2/17: An Intimate Valentine's 2/18-19: Send For Me Album Celebration Internationally-renowned vocalist Catherine Russell is jazz royalty. Her grandfather, Elisha Ray, graduated from Juilliard in 1925 and performed with Harlem Renaissance legend James Reese Europe. Her mother, vocalist Carline Ray, toured with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm and attended The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music in the 1950s. And her father, Luis Russell, was Louis Armstrong's musical director. Born into the music, Ms. Russell possesses an easy feeling and genuine soulfulness, documented on seven acclaimed recordings under her own name and over 200 recordings for and with other major artists. Her two most recent albums as a leader—2019's Alone Together and 2016's Harlem on My Mind—received Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album. 2014's Bring It Back (Jazz Village) received a rare 5-star rating from Downbeat Magazine. Russell's style tastefully mixes early Harlem jazz stylings and American Songbook gems with New Orleans music and country blues stylings. For Valentine's week, she has planned 6 specially-themed evenings, capped off with the release celebration for her new album, Send For Me (Dot Time, 2022). $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 14 (Monday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Ashley Pezzotti Trio Called a "performer to watch" by DownBeat Magazine, Queens-born Ashley Pezzotti brings her trio to the Birdland Theater for an evening of standards. This 25-year-old rising star has performed with jazz icon Wynton Marsalis (on his 2020 recording The Ever Fonky Lowdown), country legend Keith Urban, and piano prodigy Joey Alexander. With vocals indebted to the great jazz singers like Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Carmen McRae, Pezzotti offers listeners a chance to relax into the music they know and love, while bringing a freshness of presence that enchants her audiences. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 16 (Wednesday) 5:30 PM - Birdland Theater 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 + $20 food/drink minimum February 16 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Frank Vignola's Guitar Night One of the world's most exciting jazz guitarists for the last 25 years, Frank Vignola's virtuosity and pan-stylistic expertise has led to work with such stars as Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Tommy Emmanuel, and the Boston and New York Pops. Every Wednesday Frank takes the Birdland Theater stage with the guitar band featuring Jimmy Bruno and Ken Smith (guitars), Harvie S (bass), and Vince Cherico (drums), + Special guests: Michael Zito (Feb 2) Denis Pol (Feb16) *Jack Wilkins (Feb 23) The last Wednesday of the month is "Solo Guitar Night, " a Round-Robin of unaccompanied solo guitar performances, in February by Frank Vignola, Jimmy Bruno, and Jack Wilkins $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 17-19 (Thursday-Saturday) 8:30 PM (2/17); 7:00 & 9:30 PM (2/18-19) – Birdland Theater Sasha Dobson Band Sasha Dobson's stylistic scope is rarely matched even by the greatest artists. While her love of rock and folk have led to her opening for Willie Nelson, working with Don Was, and collaborating for years with Norah Jones, Dobson's deep relationship to jazz music has found its revived expression on her latest outing, Girl Talk. The 2021 release features bebop powerhouses Peter Bernstein and Neal Miner on guitar and bass, as well as Kenny Wolleson, the folk-jazz all-star drummer, as they back Dobson's sultry vocals. Of course, considering that her mother and father were regarded jazz musicians (Smith, a pianist, and Gail, a vocalist), it's not hard to understand this latest explosion of swinging energy. Catch Dobson at this 3-night stint in Birdland Theater. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 18 (Friday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club The Birdland Big Band Every Friday, and for two headlining weeks a year, the "BBB" roars into action playing a thrilling and original mix of jazz, funk, Brazilian, Latin and world music for sold-out audiences. Featured weekly guest artists drop-in from television bands (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live) and pop music touring bands (Rob Thomas, Rod Stewart). Come see for yourself why Time Out New York called the BBB, "a completely unique experience… there isn't another band like this anywhere, " and yelp.com proclaims, "if you hear one band in NYC make sure this is it… and prepare to be blown away!" $30 + $20 food/drink minimum February 20 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Ryan Keberle's All Ears Orchestra Both a formidable trombonist and a prolific composer, Ryan Keberle has been hailed by The New York Times as a player "of vision and composure." Named #1 Rising Star Trombonist in the Downbeat International Critics Poll, Keberle the instrumentalist is a force to be reckoned with, lending his voice to ensembles led by Maria Schneider, David Bowie, Justin Timberlake, Ivan Lins, and Wynton Marsalis. As a composer, he has developed a wide-ranging and refreshing style, writing pieces with voice and synthesized instruments, as well as traditional big band configurations. While Keberle's first two albums featured thick brass textures and a "little big band, " his group Catharsis incorporated Camila Meza's stunning vocals and guitar for three stylistically groundbreaking recordings, including 2016's Azul Infinito, named one of "five jazz albums you need to hear" by Billboard. Four subsequent albums by his group Reverso all see Keberle exploring new sonic territory. At Birdland, come see this daring explorer on his ever-changing journey: this time, with his All Ears Orchestra. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 20 (Sunday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Theater Miss Maybell Miss Maybell and the Jazz Age Artistes play "old music for the young at heart, " and when they do, it's a sight to behold. Offering an exuberant mix of ragtime, early jazz, blues, and country classics, Maybell (Lauren Sansaricq) and crew transport audiences to a different time—but in their expert hands, the music feels fresh as ever. Vocalist/washboardist Sansaricq has a lovely connection with pianist Charlie Judkins—called a "genius piano player" by the Syncopated Times—and their infectious energy and toe-tapping romps will leave audiences smiling. $30 tables / $20 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum February 20 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble 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) and the pared down, appropriately socially-distanced ensemble, 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 + $20 food/drink minimum February 20 (Sunday) 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Alyssa Allgood Quartet Accomplished vocalist Alyssa Allgood brings a beautiful voice and a savvy stage-presence to her performances. Winner of the 2017 Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition; Finalist in the 2016 and 2017 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competitions; and Semifinalist in the 2015 Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition, Allgood’s smart vocals and warm tone have brought her to stages around the world. But even with performances at the renowned Dakota, Blues Alley, Jazz Estate, and Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, she still maintains her Chicago roots, performing regularly at the city’s top venues, the Green Mill, Jazz Showcase, and Winter’s Jazz Club. Chicago Tribune’s Howard Reich praises her “unpretentious stage manner [and] sophisticated jazz sensibility.” She brings rhythm section to Birdland to perform selections from her latest album on Cellar Music, What Tomorrow Brings. $30 tables / $20 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum February 21 (Monday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater David Finck Quintet David Finck is among the most sought after musicians in New York. His playing can be heard on more than 250 CDs including many multi-platinum, gold, and GRAMMY winners. The bassist of choice for Andre Previn, Hank Jones, Kenny Rankin, Steve Kuhn, and Slide Hampton, David has recorded with George Michael, Joe Locke, Rob Mathes, Tedd Firth, Philippe Saisse, Chuck Loeb, Tony Bennett, Gladys Knight, Rod Stewart, Natalie Cole, and Rosemary Clooney. He’s released several albums as a leader – all critically acclaimed. He looks forward to bringing his swinging quintet to Birdland Theater! $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 22-26 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (2/22-24); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (2/25-26) – Birdland Jazz Club Donald Harrison Quintet Master saxophonist Donald Harrison is one of America’s most influential musicians. A mentor to such legends as bassist Christian McBride, emcee The Notorious B.I.G., guitarist Mark Whitfield, and trumpeter Christian Scott, Harrison’s profound contributions to the world of music go far beyond the saxophone. In the 1980s, he served as a member of Art Blakey’s last stretch of Jazz Messengers alongside Terence Blanchard, setting the stage for torch-bearing innovations in the 90s wherein Harrison pioneered a fusion of swing music with hip hop, New Orleans street rhythm, R&B and smooth jazz. Such records as the 1997 Nouveau Swing became classics. More recently, Harrison has composed orchestral works for the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, the Thailand Philharmonic, and the New York Chamber Orchestra. This all while serving in his native New Orleans as Big Chief of Congo Square, where he nourishes and maintains the secret traditions of Afro-New Orleans culture. This powerful figure leads his 5-piece ensemble through a set of contemporary music that is sure to inspire his audience. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 23 (Wednesday) 5:30 PM - Birdland Theater 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 + $20 food/drink minimum February 23 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night One of the world’s most exciting jazz guitarists for the last 25 years, Frank Vignola’s virtuosity and pan-stylistic expertise has led to work with such stars as Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Tommy Emmanuel, and the Boston and New York Pops. Every Wednesday Frank takes the Birdland Theater stage with the guitar band featuring Jimmy Bruno and Ken Smith (guitars), Harvie S (bass), and Vince Cherico (drums), + Special guests: Michael Zito (Feb 2) Denis Pol (Feb16) *Jack Wilkins (Feb 23) The last Wednesday of the month is “Solo Guitar Night, ” a Round-Robin of unaccompanied solo guitar performances, in February by Frank Vignola, Jimmy Bruno, and Jack Wilkins $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 24-26 (Thursday-Saturday) 8:30 PM (2/24); 7:00 & 9:30 PM (2/25-26) – Birdland Theater Dena DeRose An artist of the highest order, Dena DeRose has been called “the most creative and compelling singer-pianist since Shirley Horne.” Performances at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Umbria Jazz Festival, Red Sea Jazz Festival, The North Sea and The Hague Jazz Festivals, The Jazz Cruise, and Jazz Baltica Festival—among many others—have brought DeRose worldwide fame. Her most recent recording, 2020’s Ode to the Road (aptly titled for a tourless year of release), features her long-time compatriots, the rhythm team of bassist Martin Wind and drummer Matt Wilson, as well as collaborators trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and saxophone legend Houston Person. DeRose has long straddled the line between modernism and tradition, and with marvelous arrangements and technical grace, she hones a clear vision of contemporary music. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 25 (Friday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club The Birdland Big Band Every Friday, and for two headlining weeks a year, the “BBB” roars into action playing a thrilling and original mix of jazz, funk, Brazilian, Latin and world music for sold-out audiences. Featured weekly guest artists drop-in from television bands (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live) and pop music touring bands (Rob Thomas, Rod Stewart). Come see for yourself why Time Out New York called the BBB, “a completely unique experience… there isn’t another band like this anywhere, ” and yelp.com proclaims, “if you hear one band in NYC make sure this is it… and prepare to be blown away!” $30 + $20 food/drink minimum February 27 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Emilio Solla Tango Jazz Orchestra Emilio Solla calls the Tango Jazz Orchestra his “most ambitious project to date, ” a 17-piece jazz big band with accordion substituting for guitar. The group won the 2020 Latin GRAMMY for Best Latin Jazz Album with 2019’s Puertos: Music From International Waters, a set of sonic portraits envisioning 8 port cities around the world. Solla enlisted an all-star cast of international talent to perform the music, including Columbian harpist Edmar Castaneda, French bandoneon player Julien Labro, Argentinian bassist Pablo Aslan and Hungarian drummer Ferenc Nemeth. Hailed for its evocative beauty, this music brings disparate worlds to life—as on the song “La Novena, ” which received a 2020 GRAMMY nomination for Best Instrumental Arrangement. Don’t miss this special band as they perform this mastermind composer’s one-of-a-kind work. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 27 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble 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) and the pared down, appropriately socially-distanced ensemble, 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 + $20 food/drink minimum February 27 (Sunday) 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Russell Kassoff Trio Veteran pianist Russell Kassoff’s career in music has included performances with some of jazz’s biggest names. Ten years with Frank Sinatra, and two years with Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr., on the “Ultimate Event Tour, ” as well as 18 years with Liza Minnelli, sharpened Kassoff into a profound accompanist. Other notable performances included tours with Slam Stewart, Major Holley, Bucky Pizzarelli and Count Basie drummers Butch Miles and Dennis Mackrel. Kassoff was the musical conductor for Twyla Tharpe’s Broadway hit Come Fly Away, and his 2017 release, Big Band Broadway, featured Tony-winner Debbie Gravitte. Catch Kassoff with his trio for one swinging set. $30 tables / $20 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum write your comments about the article :: © 2022 Jazz News :: home page |