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| Live at Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater: October 2022 September 27 – October 1 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (9/27-29); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (9/30-10/1) – Birdland Jazz Club Mingus Big Band Celebrating the music of its founder Sue Mingus's late husband, this Grammy-winning and 4-time Grammy-nominated ensemble plays with fire and imagination. The Mingus Big Band and its two sister ensembles, Mingus Dynasty and Mingus Orchestra, held a famed weekly residency in New York City for decades until the COVID-19 pandemic put them on pause. But they are still swinging as hard as ever, and for this week at Birdland, they are bound to knock the socks off of their audience. Charles Mingus was known for powerful bass playing, his groundbreaking compositions of visionary genius, and his openness to the individual personalities of the members of his groups. The Mingus Big Band continues this legacy with a cast of New York's most inventive, accomplished jazz musicians. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum September 29 – October 2 (Thursday-Sunday) 8:30 PM (9/29); 7:00 & 9:30 PM (9/30-10/2) – Birdland Theater Bouncin' With Bud: Bud Powell Birthday Tribute It's Steve Smith time at Birdland! The great and unique drummer, dedicated to big band, rock, fusion, South Indian music, and straight ahead bebop performs in three acts at Birdland during the latter half of September—in this engagement, he is joined by Coltrane Revisited band members Lonnie Plaxico (bass) and Helen Sung (piano), as well as Vital Information pianist Manuel Valera, performing the seminal Bud Powell album The Scene Changes. This iconic 1958 recording features some of Powell's most famous pieces, such as "Cleopatra's Dream, " "Duid Deed, " "Danceland" and "Crossin' the Channel." The group will also play the famously challenging songs "Un Poco Loco" and "Tempus Fugue-It"—audiences are in for a wild ride. Genius pianist Bud Powell was born on September 27th, 1924 and would be 98 for this birthday celebration. Help Steve and crew wish the beloved pianist a happy birthday as they bounce through his now-classic music. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 2 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Nick Finzer Jazz Orchestra Award winning composer, arranger, producer, educator and trombonist Nick Finzer is one of the most dynamic musicians of the millennial generation. Famed trombonist and mentor Wycliffe Gordon called Finzer "a new voice [in] the pantheon of upcoming trombone greats in the making." Finzer's resume boasts an impressive roster of positions within the bands of jazz greats, including Wynton Marsalis, Dafnis Prieto, and Bob Stewart. He is also featured on the 2019 GRAMMY-nominated recording Triple Helix with the Anat Cohen Tentet. Finzer's latest album, Cast of Characters, was released on his universally loved label Outside in Music in early 2020. An accomplished cast of characters join him for this large ensemble date at Birdland Jazz Club, where his lyrical creations will dance across a 17-piece band.. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 3 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Jamie deRoy & friends Hostess and producer Jamie deRoy will bring her multi-MAC Award-winning variety show, Jamie deRoy & friends, back on to the club. Proceeds from the evening will benefit The Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund).Performers include Santino Fontana, Clint Holmes, Jason Kravits, Karen Mason, and Luba Mason. The show will be directed by Barry Kleinbort, and musical direction by Ron Abel, with Ritt Henn on bass. This colorful cabaret series has been thrilling New York City audiences for the past 30+ years and serves as the basis for deRoy's award-winning cable television show which spotlights well-known entertainers and newcomers that are lighting up the marquees of cabaret, theater, music and comedy. Jamie deRoy has won ten Tony Awards, eight MAC Awards, four Back Stage Bistro Awards and 13 Telly Awards for her extensive work on both stage and screen.She has been honored by CaB Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award, Theatre Works/USA, Primary Stages, The Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Award and The Spirit of Achievement Award from Einstein College of Medicine. She was inducted into the MJHI's Manhattan Jewish Hall of Fame 2020. $80 VIP Tickets / $50 Table/Bar Seating + $20 food/drink minimum October 3 (Monday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Marcello Pellitteri Benefit Drummer Marcello Pellitteri's long tenure in music has seen him perform on over 100 recordings; in concert at venues such as Radio City Music Hall, The White House, and Boston Symphony Hall; and with music luminaries Joe Henderson, Jon Hendricks, Miroslav Vitous, and Paquito D'Rivera. A teacher at the iconic Berklee College of Music for nearly 35 years, Pellitteri's record of service in music is vast. In this special engagement at Birdland, he plays in honor of his daughter, Veronica, who passed unexpectedly in October 2014. A Memorial Fund has been named in her honor at LaGuardia High School of Music and her Art in New York City—where she trained as a vocalist—to benefit young musicians in their studies. This benefit concert, from which proceeds are given to that fund, is dedicated to her. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 4 (Tuesday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater Michelle Lordi Vocalist Michelle Lordi's vivid, elegant expression has received international accolades and heavy rotation on jazz radio stations in the US and abroad. Comfortable inhabiting multiple musical worlds, Lordi may be found performing with bebop greats, exploring experimental soundscapes in her original music, or delivering taut, spellbinding jazz interpretations of pop ballads. In recent releases, Lordi has developed a unique sound, graciously and humbly marrying folk, alt-country, and jazz sensibilities. Her fourth and latest recording, 2019's Break Up with the Sound, has received worldwide critical acclaim. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 4-8 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (10/4-6); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (10/7-8) *Livestream 10/6 @ 9:30pm fly.live/roncarter – Birdland Jazz Club Ron Carter Quartet with Renee Rosnes, Jimmy Greene, and Payton Crossley It's Ron Carter month at Birdland this October! One of the most celebrated bassists in the history of American music, Ron Carter—who will perform four consecutive weeks at Birdland in Quartet, Trio, Big Band, and Duo formats—has performed on over 2, 000 albums since starting his career in the 1960s. Besides an iconic five-year stint with the Miles Davis Quintet, Mr. Carter's appearances with Bill Evans, B.B. King, and Dexter Gordon, Jacki Byard, Cannonball Adderly, and countless others have cemented him as one of the music's greatest sidemen. As a leader, he has commanded inspiring ensembles large and small. With this engagement at Birdland Jazz Club, he brings his quartet, featuring longtime drummer Payton Crossley, the exquisite saxophonist Jimmy Greene, and the genius pianist Renee Rosnes. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 6 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Thelonious Monk Birthday Celebration: Solo Monk Aaron Goldberg Solo Piano One of the brightest lights in contemporary jazz piano, the multi-talented Aaron Goldberg brings his solo talents to Birdland Theater in celebration of the genius iconoclast Thelonious Monk, whose birthday on October 10th would have made him 105 years old. Ever-daring and excruciatingly swinging, Goldberg has cultivated one of the most beloved artistic outputs in recent piano history, touring and recording with the bands of luminaries Joshua Redman, Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Guillermo Klein and others while developing original contemporary music that satisfies traditionalists and modernists alike. (All while earning bachelors and masters degrees from Harvard University and Tufts in philosophy and the history science!) Join Goldberg for an evening performance in honor of master Thelonious as he puts his own stamp on the trailblazer’s timeless creations. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 7-9 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Thelonious Monk Birthday Celebration: Quartet Misterioso Featuring the synergy of iconoclastic talents Ben Alison (bass), Tim Hagans (trumpet), Steve Cardenas (guitar) and Steve Smith (drums), the Misterioso Quartet honors American music giant Thelonious Monk for what would be his 105th birthday. Performing as part of drummer Smith’s fourth of five consecutive weeks at Birdland in September/October, the ensemble will interpret Monk’s music with spirited originality. Alison and Cardenas are longtime veterans of genre-bending folk-jazz projects; Hagans is known for his expansive compositional oeuvre and highly personal sound; and Smith is beloved for his synthesis of global musical styles. Named in reference to Monk’s famously wry blues composition Misterioso, this Quartet will deliver intriguing portraits of the pianist’s work. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 9 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Erica Seguine and Shan Baker Orchestra The astounding music of composers Erica Seguine and Shan Baker is immersive, daring, impressionistic, emotional, and cinematically precise. Highly praised by The New York Times for its “vast, multifaceted, semi-abstract” writing and by New York Music Daily for its “majestic sweep” and “clever outside-the-box humor, ” this hard-hitting big band is a deadly serious new character in music. Co-leader Seguine has received the 2013 BMI Foundation Charlie Parker Prize for Jazz Composition/2014 Manny Albam Commission; three ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Awards; the 2014 ASCAP Foundation Johnny Mandel Prize, and a commission from New York Youth Symphony Jazz. Her compositions and arrangements have been performed by ensembles such as the Metropole Orchestra, the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra, the Danish Radio Big Band, the Brilliant Corners Large Ensemble, the J-Orchestra. The group’s forthcoming debut recording, The New Day Bends Light, will be released March 31, 2023, produced by renowned composer and bandleader Darcy James Argue. Listeners should be careful not to miss out on this incredible work! $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 10 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Victoria Shaw, Jim Brickman, and Peter Cincotti – “Three Friends, One Piano” This special musical evening with three great musical talents stars Victoria Shaw, Jim Brickman, and Peter Cincotti, in “Three Friends, One Piano.” Shaw, the chart-topping songwriter; Jim Brickman, the Grammy-nominated pianist; and Cincotti, the acclaimed vocalist and musician, will create an evening of “musical chairs” as they play their hits and tell the stories behind them. Victoria Shaw’s songs have been staples on the charts since the early ‘90s. Victoria’s #1 compositions include Garth Brooks’s “The River” and “She’s Every Woman, ” Ricky Martin’s “So’lo Quiero Amarte, ” and Jim Brickman’s “Sending You a Little Christmas.” Jim Brickman is the best-selling solo pianist of our time, earning 21 #1 albums, 32 Top 20 radio hits, and two Grammy nominations. His star-studded vocal collaborations have crossed genres to feature luminaries like Martina McBride, Michael Bolton, Donny Osmond, Kenny Rogers, Olivia Newton-John, Johnny Mathis, and Kenny Loggins, among many others. Peter Cincotti was called “one of the most promising singer-pianists of the next generation by The New York Times. A born and bred New Yorker, Cincotti’s debut album reached #1 on the Billboard jazz charts, making the eighteen-year-old musician the youngest artist ever to do so. Peter’s albums have been produced by legends such as Phil Ramone and sixteen-time Grammy winner David Foster, blending genres from pop to jazz, and leading him to perform in some of the world’s most prestigious venues. $40 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 10 (Monday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater The Anderson Brothers Play Irving Berlin Juilliard-trained identical twins Peter and Will Anderson have been hailed as “virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone” by The New York Times. Their passion for classic jazz shines through each time they perform. Having shared the stage with some of the music’s biggest straight-ahead jazz acts—including Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Wycliffe Gordon, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Paquito D’Rivera, and Wynton Marsalis—the brothers constitute a formidable force. They’ve headlined shows at Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and live on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion Radio Program. Birdland welcomes them every Tuesday for the month of October as they deliver some straight-down-the-middle jazz. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 11-15 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (10/11-3); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (10/14-5) *Livestream 10/13 @ 9:30pm fly.live/roncarter – Birdland Jazz Club Ron Carter Trio with Donald Vega and Russell Malone It’s Ron Carter month at Birdland this October! One of the most celebrated bassists in the history of American music, Ron Carter—who will perform four consecutive weeks at Birdland in Quartet, Trio, Big Band, and Duo formats—has performed on over 2, 000 albums since starting his career in the 1960s. Besides his iconic five-year stint with the Miles Davis Quintet, Mr. Carter’s appearances with Bill Evans, B.B. King, and Dexter Gordon, Jacki Byard, Cannonball Adderly, and countless others have cemented him as one of music’s greatest sidemen. As a leader, he has commanded inspiring ensembles from big band to trio, and with this engagement at Birdland Jazz Club, he brings his famed Golden Striker Trio, which includes master musicians Russell Malone on guitar and Donald Vega on piano. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 16 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Pete McGuiness 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 McGuiness’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 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 17 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club *Livestream 10/6 @ 7:00pm fly.live/julie Julie Halston –“Declassified!” The brilliant Tony Award-winning comedic actress returns to Birdland after two-and-a-half years of global pandemic Zoom meetings and green screens. With her new show, Ms. Halston will assess the state of the world, the state of her life and the state of her hair. Julie Halston was awarded the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award in 2021 for her advocacy on behalf of The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Her extensive Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include Tootsie, You Can’t Take It with You, Hairspray, Anything Goes, Gypsy, Twentieth Century, Fairycakes, and many more. She is a co-founding member of Charles Busch’s legendary theatre company, Theatre-in-Limbo, and has garnered several Drama Desk nominations for her performances with the company including The Divine Sister, Red Scare on Sunset, and The Lady in Question. TV credits include the recurring role of Sharon on HBO’s “Gossip Girl, ” “The Good Fight, ” “Almost Family, ” and “Divorce.” She also reprised her popular character of Bitsy Von Muffling on HBO’s “And Just Like That.” She can be seen in the upcoming independent features The Sixth Reel, Intermedium, Simchas and Sorrows, and Dirty Rhetoric. $40 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 18-22 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (10/18-20); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (10/21-2) *Livestream 10/20 @ 9:30pm fly.live/roncarter – Birdland Jazz Club Ron Carter Big Band It’s Ron Carter month at Birdland this October! One of the most celebrated bassists in the history of American music, Ron Carter—who will perform four consecutive weeks at Birdland in Quartet, Trio, Big Band, and Duo formats—has performed on over 2, 000 albums since starting his career in the 1960s. Besides his iconic five-year stint with the Miles Davis Quintet, Mr. Carter’s appearances with Bill Evans, B.B. King, and Dexter Gordon, Jacki Byard, Cannonball Adderly, and countless others have cemented him as one of music’s greatest sidemen. As a leader, he has commanded inspiring ensembles large and small, and with this engagement at Birdland Jazz Club, he brings his large ensemble music to the table. Don’t miss the chance to hear this icon of music! $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 20 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Michael Wolff Trio The Birdland Theater is pleased to welcome back the Michael Wolff Trio! The award-winning pianist—known for an impressive and eclectic career that has spanned five decades and included stints with Cannonball Adderly, Nancy Wilson, Sonny Rollins, Cal Tjader, and Tom Harrell, as well as recordings with Tony Williams, Christian McBride, Freddie Hubbard, and Sheila E—released his latest recording Live at Vitellos on March 19th, 2021 with Sunnyside Records. Surfacing a decade after its recording at the iconic Los Angeles jazz club in 2011, Live at Vitellos captures a stirring snapshot of a stunning live performance that instantly transports listeners to a night of musical magic and intrigue over the course of seven spellbinding tracks. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 21-23 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Gabrielle Stravelli Quartet Award-winning vocalist Gabrielle Stravelli performs at Birdland Theater this October on a three-night stint, offering audiences a chance to catch her contagious trademark vocal style. Stravelli’s clear tone, gutsy rhythm, impeccable scat-singing and effusive joy have delighted audiences the world over. At prestigious festivals—such as WBGO’s Jazz on the Mountain Festival, the All That Jazz Festival in Bahamas, and the Maree Sonore Festival in Venice—her swinging original compositions, as well as adventurous interpretations of classics give this singer a refreshing edge. Stravelli’s latest release, 2019’s Pick Up My Pieces: Gabrielle Stravelli Sings Willie Nelson, features the country legend’s songs reconceptualized for the jazz singer. Her 2017 release, Dream Ago, received a rare 5-star review from Downbeat. She has served as the chosen vocalist for artists Wynton Marsalis and Fred Hersch as they present major new works; and her recent honors include the Bistro Award for Outstanding Recording (2020); the Broadway World Cabaret Award for Best Jazz Vocalist (2019); the MAC Award for Best Female Vocalist (2015); and the Bistro Award as a Jazz Vocalist (2015). Expect a swinging, engaging night of music. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 23 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Vanessa Racci Quartet After the passing of her grandfather, Vanessa Racci was inspired to reimagine the Italian classics he’d imparted to her, bringing them into the modern day with snappy, danceable jazz arrangements. Birdland’s Gianni Valenti helped her to realize her vision, and with a sold-out album release at the club in June 2017 for her debut recording, Italiana Fresca, Vanessa reached #65 on the jazz charts. Since then, her career has blossomed: she has performed at over 70 festivals, events and jazz clubs across the country and has been aired on over 20 Italian radio stations across the US and Italy. The singer has appeared on television (ABC7NY), at prominent venues (Jazz Forum, Metropolitan Room, Don’t Tell Mama) and events (the NIAF Gala in Washington D.C., The Feast of San Gennaro NYC) as well as institutions (The DiMenna Center, The Columbus Citizens Townhouse, Mohonk Mountain House, The Museum of Natural History, The Italian American Museums of NY and LA) and a residency at Swing 46 NYC. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 24 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Steve Ross – “Autumn Serenades” Vocalist and pianist Steve Ross – widely heralded as “The Crown Prince of New York Cabaret” – in a special new show “Autumn Serenades.” Ross will sing a few mellow seasonal ballads, including “September in the Rain, ” “Autumn Leaves, ” “September Song, ” and “When October Goes.” He will also perform his usual assortment of sparkling up-tempo numbers from the international songbook by Irving Berlin (“Let Yourself Go”), the Gershwins (“How Long Has This Been Going On?”) and a selection by his favorite composer, Cole Porter (“From This Moment On, ” Kiss Me, Kate Medley). Also heard will be Noël Coward (“That Is the End of the News”), Flanders & Swann (“Have Some Madeira, M’Dear”) and Michel Legrand (Umbrellas of Cherbourg medley). Ross has been a fixture of the cabaret community in Manhattan for over forty years. In 1981 he re-opened the legendary Oak Room at Manhattan’s famed Hotel Algonquin where he held forth for over 15 years. He has appeared on Broadway in Noel Coward’s Present Laughter and off-Broadway in his Fred Astaire tribute I Won’t Dance. Internationally, he has performed in London, Paris, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Melbourne and Sydney as well as cabarets and theatres across America and on the high seas. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 24 (Monday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Esteban Castro A force of indomitable technique, extraordinary passion, and expansive imagination, the 18 year-old Esteban Castro is a jaw-dropping pianist whose capacities on his instrument defy categorization. The First Prize winner at the 2019 MSM Precollege Philharmonic Concerto Competition, the 2017 Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition, and the 2016 Montreux Jazz Piano Solo Competition, as well as the recipient of 15 Downbeat Student Music Awards, Castro has performed to sold-out audiences at The Blue Note, The Montreux Jazz Club, The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, as well as in Switzerland, Italy, France, Peru, Canada, and Puerto Rico. He is a Young Steinway artist. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 25-29 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (10/25-7); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (10/28-9) *Livestream 10/27 @ 9:30pm fly.live/roncarter – Birdland Jazz Club Ron Carter Duo with Bill Charlap It’s Ron Carter month at Birdland this October! One of the most celebrated bassists in the history of American music, Ron Carter—who will perform four consecutive weeks at Birdland in Quartet, Trio, Big Band, and Duo formats—has performed on over 2, 000 albums since starting his career in the 1960s. Besides his iconic five-year stint with the Miles Davis Quintet, Mr. Carter’s appearances with Bill Evans, B.B. King, and Dexter Gordon, Jacki Byard, Cannonball Adderly, and countless others have cemented him as one of music’s greatest sidemen. As a leader, he has commanded inspiring ensembles large and small, and with this engagement at Birdland Jazz Club, he brings the thoughtful, pristine pianist Bill Charlap to engage in a week of intimate duet performances. Charlap—long one of jazz’s leading pianists and Tony Bennett’s accompanist for many years—is a worthwhile companion to Mr. Carter’s brilliance. Don’t miss the chance to hear the legendary Ron Carter! $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 27 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Lizzie Thomas Quartet A vocalist whose love for the tradition of great jazz singers takes her from the most sultry of ballads to the most lightning-fast uptempo burners, Lizzie Thomas is a musical force to be reckoned with. Her forthcoming release, DUO Encounters (Dot Time, 2023) features intimate one-on-one musical conversations with such icons as bassist Ron Carter, pianist Helio Alves, guitarist Russell Malone, guitarist Ron Affif, bassist Dezron Douglas, tenor-man Wayne Escoffery, and bassist Noriko Ueda. This will be her fifth album. Join Ms. Thomas at Birdland Theater for a beautiful evening of song. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 28-30 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Chad LB Quartet Celebrated as a saxophone prodigy from a young age, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown is now an internationally-recognized musician, seen on world stages with Taylor Swift, Chris Botti, the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, and his own groups. Performances at Carnegie Hall, the Super Bowl, and Madison Square Garden have been highlights in his star-studded career, and his albums have met great critical acclaim: critic Doug Ramsey named Lefkowitz-Brown’s debut album, Image Manifesto, “Debut Album of the Year, ” and DownBeat named Onward, his May 2017 release, an Editor’s Pick for 2017. His two 2021 releases—Open World, featuring greats Lionel Loueke, Randy Brecker, and other stars, and Quartet Sessions—were released on La Reserve recordings. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 30 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Celebrating the Slide Hampton Octet The late master trombonist Slide Hampton passed away in November of 2021. In homage to his artistry, veteran drummer Charles Ruggierio and top-call saxophonist Frank Basile bring together an octet to play Hampton’s famous 8-piece orchestrations of the 1950s and 60s. The band recorded together in 2019, bringing these great arrangements to life for an album entitled Slide’s Blues (SmallsLive) which featured the great Hampton himself on two tracks. Slide no longer being with us, the musicians join forces again to honor his life, his legacy, and his amazing music. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 31 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Carole J. Bufford – “Bad Moon Rising Halloween Special” Bufford returns to Birdland with a brand-new show celebrating all things All Hallow’s Eve. Expect deliciously unsavory characters, ne-er-do-wells lurking behind every corner, evil and witchy women, and all manner of creepy things that go bump in the night! With songs like “Every Breath You Take, ” “Bad Moon Rising, ” “I Want To Be Evil, ” “Witchy Woman, ” “Cruella de Ville, ” “St. James Infirmary, ” “Send Me to the ‘Lectric Chair, ” and more, Carole will take your favorite tunes and give enticing twists so you lean in and hear them as if it’s the first time. Bufford has become one of the most sought-after performers on the American vintage pop and cabaret scene. Her shows, including “Speak Easy” (featuring the Grammy Award-winning Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks), “Come Together, ” and “You Don’t Own Me.” She currently tours with her solo shows as well as with symphonies across the country. Carole is also the recipient of BroadwayWorld’s Vocalist of the Year and the recent Gold Medal winner of the American Traditions Vocal Competition. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 31 (Monday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Stacy Sullivan and Todd Murray “I’m Glad There Is You: The Musical Romance of Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee” Join award-winning and acclaimed singers Stacy Sullivan and Todd Murray for a thrilling new show packed full of Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee hits. Over 40 hit songs from The Great American Songbook are represented in “I’m Glad There Is You-The Musical Romance of Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee, ” all woven around anecdotes and insider history from their remarkable music careers and devoted friendship that spanned almost 60 years. Todd Murray has performed his solo shows across the nation to rave reviews with numerous awards and nominations. Known for his mellifluous and honest interpretations of lyrics and melody, The Los Angeles Times called him “a prepossessing performer with a beautiful baritone.” Murray’s recordings Croon, Stardust and Swing, and When I Sing Low, feature the spectrum from jazz to standards to pop. Stacy Sullivan is an award-winning recording artist, film, television and stage actress. Her work has been described by The New York Times as “thrilling, ” “audacious, ” and “compelling.” Sullivan captures that rare combination of vulnerability and worldliness.” Sullivan has costarred onstage with Tony Award winners George Rose and Robert Morse, and onscreen alongside Tyne Daly, Kellie Martin, and Kelly McGillis. $40 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum Monthly Engagements: October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (Mondays) 9:30 PM – 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 + $20 food/drink minimum October 11, 18, 25 (Tuesdays) 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater Acute Inflections Acute Inflections brings their soulful, audience-friendly good vibes to the Birdland Theater for three consecutive Tuesday evenings in October. An intimate duet between Broadway singer Elasea Douglas and her partner, the bassist Sadiki Pierre, the two songsters leave crowds smiling and swaying as they lay down sultry versions of classics by Ella Fitzgerald, Sam Cooke, Andra Day, and others. They have entertained at the United Nations, for Mercedes-Benz, ESPN, and Tiffany and Co., on NPR and discovery+, and on the stage with Jennifer Hudson, Sting, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and others. At the Theater, they present three distinctly themed shows. “Is This Love?” on the 11th is a Bob Marley Tribute; “Beauty in the Bass” on the 18th is a celebration of songs from Hamilton, Les Miserables, Rent, and a special original storyline by the duo itself; and “Let Go” on the 25th is Acute Inflections’ latest album release party! Don’t miss it! $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 4, 11, 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 + $20 food/drink minimum October 5, 12, 19, 26 (Wednesdays) 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 October 5, 12, 19 26 (Wednesdays) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night It’s the best jazz guitar lover’s show in the world. Frank Vignola’s virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Les Paul, the Boston and New York Pops, and more. Every Wednesday at 8:30pm in the Birdland Theater, Frank leads “Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night at Birdland.” Inspired by journeyman jazz guitarist John Pisano’s now famous Los Angeles Guitar Night, the Frank Vignola Trio, featuring bassist Gary Mazzaroppi and drummer Vince Cherico, will perform tunes from the standard repertoire, inviting up a rotation of special guests: James Chirillo and Ed Cherry (guitars, 9/28), Sheryl Bailey (guitar, 10/5), Pasquale Grasso (guitar, 10/12), Henry Acker (guitar, 10/19), Warren Vaché, Jr. (trumpet, 10/26). $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 7, 16, 23, 30 (Fridays) 5:00 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 why 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 October 1, 8, 15 (Saturdays) 5:30 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 + $20 food/drink minimum October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (Sundays) 8:30 & 10:30 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” (The 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 + $20 food/drink minimum write your comments about the article :: © 2022 Jazz News :: home page |