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| Jazz Programming at Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater December 26 through January 8 December 26 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater The Gary Smulyan Quintet Presents 'Tadd Dameron: A Celebration of Songs' Tadd's All, Folks! That's the name of the latest recording by a marvelous collective of musicians led by veteran bari saxophonist Gary Smulyan: Matt Wilson (drums), Ugonna Okegwo (bass), Pete Maliverni (piano), and featured guest Anais Reno (vocals). Honoring the colorful music of bebop genius Tadd Dameron, this group hits the Birdland Theater stage for one night to celebrate their new album which sets the music of Dameron to lyrics. Swinging is an understatement for these folks—and tadd's all she wrote! $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum December 27-31 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (12/27-29); 5:30 & 8:30 & 10:30 PM (12/30); 8:00 & 10:30 PM (12/31) —Birdland Jazz Club Birdland Big Band with Special Guest Nicole Zuraitis Few can lead you into the new year better than the Birdland Big Band. An exhilarating ensemble praised for its ability to switch between multiple musical universes at the drop of a hat, Birdland's very own comes out roaring to end this year with a bang. Comprised of New York's premier jazz talent, the band that Time Out New York called "a completely unique experience" seamlessly transitions between classic jazz, Brazilian, and funk styles, all with saxophonist and director David DeJesus—a New York jazz veteran and who also serves as the director of SUNY Purchase's Latin Jazz Orchestra—effortlessly leading the way. Audiences will delight as this stellar cast rings in the dawn of a great 2023. 12/27-30: $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum 12/31, 8:00 PM: $75 tables / $50 bar + $20 food/drink minimum 12/31, 10:30 PM: $150 tables / $50 bar + $20 food/drink minimum December 27 (Tuesday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks at their 7-week Tuesday night residency at the Birdland Theater. Giordano, the recipient of a GRAMMY Award for his work scoring the HBO show Boardwalk Empire, is a master composer and arranger whose 11-piece band, The Nighthawks, recreate the jubilant 1920s jazz sound with amazing definition, using violins, tubas, banjos, and collector's item drum sets. The band has provided soundtracks for film and television productions including The Cotton Club, The Aviator, Finding Forrester, Revolutionary Road, Cafe Society, Boardwalk Empire, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and many more. Not to be missed! $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum December 28 (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 December 28 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater Frank Vignola's Guitar Night with Karrin Allyson and Ken Peplowski 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. This week it's Karrin Allyson and Ken Peplowski. $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 1 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Greg Ruvolo Big Band Trumpeter and arranger Greg Ruvolo has performed with Gil Evans, Airto Moreira, Louis Bellson, New York Voices, the WDR Big Band, and many others. As the leader of his big band, Ruvolo brings jazz veterans into the section with young stars, arranging both Songbook classics, jazz standards, and original work for the exciting ensemble. Its members have worked with Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, Ray Charles, Buddy Rich, Gerry Mulligan, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and Count Basie. They perform swinging, dramatic music with brilliant improvisational flourishes and hard-driving interaction. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 1 (Sunday) 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 January 2 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club Richard Cortez A leader in the new crop of vocal talents emerging from the New York City jazz scene, Richard Cortez's golden voice handles the Great American Songbook with a deep emotional intelligence, an unbridled passion for song, and—rare and moving—an activist's relationship to both his material and his audience. Cortez's openly gay renderings of timeless treasures by Cole Porter, Billie Holiday, Jerome Kern, and so many others deliver sweetness, self-assuredness and disarming vulnerability with a well-timed wit. Splitting his time between a number of weekly residencies at iconic gay venues across the city—among them Club Cumming, Metropolitan Bar, and Rebar—Cortez has focused and refined his artistry while growing his wide fan-base. Recent performances in distinguished productions such as Live at Emmet's Place with the Emmet Cohen Trio, or Jazz at Lincoln Center's Jazz at Pride with drummer/bandleader Bryan Carter, have marked the vocalist's career for success. For this engagement at Birdland, he will perform standards accompanied by Aaron Kimmel (drums), Adam Birnbaum (piano), and Paul Gill (bass). The singer has played Birdland Theater before; he makes his debut upstairs at the Jazz Club, however, with this fine rhythm section. Don't miss this already legendary new voice. $30 cover / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 3 (Tuesday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Ben Allison, Ted Nash, Steve Cardenas Play the Music of Carla Bley "Healing Power" Release Celebration Earlier this year, boundary-pushing bassist Ben Allison, beloved guitarist Steve Cardenas, and consummate saxophonist Ted Nash released Healing Power, a drummerless trio that honors the idiosyncratic, humorous, and profound writing of Carla Bley. Bley, a living legend, is one of modern music’s most original writers, inspiring generations with her evocative melodies and lifelike sonic portraits. On this Tuesday night at the top of 2023, the group will celebrate the record’s release in two sets of trio music. The three musicians have played extensively over the years, and Cardenas has played in iconic groups with Bley herself; thus, the energy of this project is strong. Highlights from the recording include Bley’s classic “Ida Lupino, ” “King Korn, ” and “Lawns.” Do not miss this beautiful set of rich music! $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 3 (Tuesday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks at their 7-week Tuesday night residency at the Birdland Theater. Giordano, the recipient of a GRAMMY Award for his work scoring the HBO show Boardwalk Empire, is a master composer and arranger whose 11-piece band, The Nighthawks, recreate the jubilant 1920s jazz sound with amazing definition, using violins, tubas, banjos, and collector’s item drum sets. The band has provided soundtracks for film and television productions including The Cotton Club, The Aviator, Finding Forrester, Revolutionary Road, Cafe Society, Boardwalk Empire, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and many more. Not to be missed! $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 4 (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 January 4 (Wednesday) 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. $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 4-7 (Wednesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (1/4-5); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (1/6-7) – Birdland Jazz Club Joe Lovano 70th Birthday Celebration: Streams of Expression Renowned for his work with legends Paul Motian, Bill Frisell, Elvin Jones, Michael Brecker, Dave Holland, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Abbey Lincoln, Ornette Coleman, and Diana Krall, Joe Lovano stands as one of the titans of jazz music. How better to celebrate this giant’s 70th birthday than a week at the Jazz Corner of the World? Birdland hosts this saxophone icon’s party for four unforgettable nights as he commemorates 70 years of life in music. Be sure that there will be masters in the house! $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 5 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Swingin’ Sondheim with the Ronny Whyte Quintet Considered a world-class interpreter of popular song, Ronny Whyte is a vocalist extraordinaire, a brilliant jazz pianist, and an ASCAP Award-winning songwriter. Inducted into the Cabaret Jazz Hall of Fame, a guest on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz, and the star of shows at Carnegie/Weill Hall and New York’s Town Hall—as well as in Paris, Tokyo, Tel Aviv, Sao Paolo, Caracas, Johannesburg, and many more—Whyte’s life in music is legendary. For this one-night engagement at the Theater, he pays tribute to another legend: Steve Sondheim. “I knew Sondheim for years, ” recalls Whyte, “and in the 60s, he came to see me—and gave me several unused songs which I will perform on January 5th.” New Sondheim?! Needless to say, not to be missed. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 6 (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 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 January 6-8 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater Steven Feifke Trio Steven Feifke isn’t just an arranging extraordinaire: he’s also a fantastic pianist. When appearing in trio format, he can’t command the eighteen voices of his GRAMMY-nominated album, Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra (2022), nor those from his two imaginative 2021 big band releases, Kinetic and Prologue. Yet in pared down form, the two-time finalist of the Thelonious Monk Competition still brings his music to robust heights, using the more open-ended configuration as a vehicle for bluesy, daredevil improvisations. Feifke—the recipient of the 2020 David Baker Prize in composition from the Ravinia Festival and the musical director for Tony Award-winning actor and singer Santino Fontana—has quickly made a name for himself in the jazz world. His prodigious output includes recording credits on over 30 albums, as well as on television and film. Audiences will experience the artist in a more intimate setting for this one night at Birdland. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 8 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra Trombonist, composer, arranger and bandleader Scott Reeves is a veteran of the New York City music scene who has performed with Ron Carter, Pete LaRoca, John Fedchock, Clark Terry, and a long list of other jazz masters. Reeves’s large ensemble, the Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra, is a vehicle for his modern swinging writing. The band has featured excellent peers Todd Coolman, Tim Armacost, Steve Wilson, Andy Watson, and Carylon Leonhart, and its two recordings—the heartracing Without a Trace and the beautiful Portraits and Places—bring to life Reeves’s moving original music. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 8 (Sunday) 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. write your comments about the article :: © 2022 Jazz News :: home page |