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| Live at Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater: May 2023 May 1 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Brittney Johnson – "Ripple Effect" The star of Broadway's "Wicked" making her New York City solo concert debut, Brittney Johnson's "Ripple Effect" is a musical homage to her past, present, and a sneak peek of what's to come. Johnson is an accomplished Broadway actress who uses her platform to promote representation and equity. She is the first Black actress to play Glinda, the "Good Witch" role originated by Kristin Chenoweth, in Broadway's iconic musical Wicked. Previously the standby for Glinda, Johnson took over the role full-time in February 2022. A prominent figure in the Broadway community, Johnson has additionally starred in productions including Les Misérables, Motown: The Musical, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Sunset Boulevard, and Kristin Chenoweth's For the Girls. Off-stage, Johnson is a sought-after life coach and performance coach. She translates her experience in the industry into workshops, masterclasses, and speaking engagements to better prepare students and industry professionals for life as a performing artist. $30-80 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 1 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Theater Gabrielle Stravelli For the past decade, Gabrielle has been making a joyful noise with pianist Michael Kanan and bassist Pat O'Leary, breathing new life into the American Songbook with a hard-swinging style rooted in jazz tradition, coupled with Gabrielle's totally modern lyric interpretations. This set will feature the trio's specialty; presenting wonderful, rarely heard songs from both one-hit wonders, and iconic composers like Johnny Mercer, Mack Gordon, Cole Porter and many more. The American Songbook is no museum piece for this group, but a living, breathing testament to the power of a beautiful melody and lyrics that speak to the universal human experience. Stravelli's pairing of a jazz artist's musicianship with an ability to interpret lyrics and connect with an audience has led to a richly varied career. She regularly leads her quartet in performances at the country's finest jazz clubs and performing arts centers and has headlined domestic and international jazz festivals including the 2021 and 2018 WBGO Jazz on the Mountain Festival in New Paltz, NY, the 2019 Providencia Jazz Festival in Santiago, Chile, the 2016 All That Jazz Festival in Eleuthera, Bahamas and the 2014 Maree Sonore Festival in Venice, Italy. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 2-6 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (5/2-4); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (5/5-6) – Birdland Jazz Club Emmet Cohen Trio Plus Special Guests Warren Wolf, Bruce Harris, Jerry Weldon and Houston Person Special Guests: Warren Wolf (vibraphone, 5/2), Bruce Harris (trumpet, 5/3), Jerry Weldon (saxophone, 5/3) and Houston Person (saxophone, 5/6). Virtuoso pianist Emmet Cohen has taken the jazz world by storm. The Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association, Cohen made a name for himself as the 1st place winner in a number of the United States' most prestigious piano competitions, including the 2019 American Pianists Awards, the 2014 American Jazz Pianists Competition, and the 2011 Phillips Piano Competition at the University of West Florida—as well as placing as a finalist in the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition. More recently, however, Cohen became a pioneer of a new kind. When the pandemic caused a lockdown in March 2020, he began filming concerts from his Harlem apartment, calling them "Live From Emmet's Place" and featuring his trio of bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole with special guest friends. The series became an instant hit; now, with over 1, 000, 000 views across more than 300 high-production videos, Emmet's Place is a (literal) household name in jazz. For this week at Birdland, Cohen will hold things down with his trio of Kyle Poole and Phil Norris: be there to see some riveting swing! Saxophone legend Houston Person joins on the final night. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 4 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Sean Mason Quartet Upon arriving in New York City to attend The Juilliard School, Sean Mason made waves among both his peers and his elders with his original brand of gospel, bebop, early jazz, and soul. An imaginative pianist, Mason's technique and stylistic breadth places him among the top pianists in his generation: though possessed of a deep historical knowledge of his instrument, Mason's playing is decidedly contemporary. Recent work has included performances with Wynton Marsalis, Catherine Russell, Herlin Riley, Joe Farnsworth, Emmet Cohen, and Branford Marsalis, as well as with his own Trio and Quintet. Mason says simply: "My purpose is to play dance music." He brings a quartet for this evening at the Birdland Theater. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 5-7 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Joe Alterman Trio Enjoy a week with Birdland favorite Joe Alterman, the pianist who Ramsey Lewis calls "a joy to behold"; who Les McCann calls "a giant"; and whose warm, upbeat pianism calls forth the exuberant wit of Ahmad Jamal, the blues of Red Garland, and the reflections of Bill Evans. The Atlanta native has been performing in New York City for over ten years; his new release, The Upside of Down, captures the power of two sets he played at Birdland in 2019 and 2020 in the months just preceding the pandemic. With close compatriots Nathaniel Schroeder and Marlon Patton on bass and drums, Alterman brings the heat on keys, and conjures up the down-home good feelings which we so badly need right about now. Perhaps this is why famed jazz critic Nat Hentoff says that the young pianist "would have been able to hold his own jamming with…Lester Young, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, and Duke Ellington." Let Alterman and company swing you out of your seats. Really—don't be surprised if you start dancing! $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 7 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Birdland Big Band with Darmon Meader 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). For this special Sunday performance, however, the Birdland Big Band showcases vocalist and saxophonist Darmon Meader. Meader's work as a member of the renowned singing group New York Voices brought him onto world stages with legends such as Jon Hendricks, Sheila Jordan, Bob Dorough, Ray Brown, George Benson, Nancy Wilson, Bernadette Peters, and the Count Basie Orchestra. This first Sunday in May, come see for yourself why Time Out New York proclaims that "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 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 8 (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 + $20 food/drink minimum May 9-13 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (5/9-11); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (5/12-13) – Birdland Jazz Club Gil Evans Project directed by Ryan Truesdell: The Individualism of Gil Evans and More, (5/9, 10, 11); Helen Merrill’s Dream of You, Arranged by Gil Evans featuring Vocalist Wendy Gilles (5/12, 13) Twice Grammy-nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album of the Year (2013 and 2016), the Gil Evans Project is a critically-acclaimed all-star band that delivers rare work by legendary composer/arranger, Gil Evans. For a week at Birdland, the band will celebrate Evans’s 111th birthday, fronted by Grammy Award-winning producer Ryan Truesdell. Featuring alto saxophonist Steve Wilson, drummer Lewis Nash, bassist Jay Anderson, tubist Marcus Rojas, and trumpeter Scott Wendholt, the group will perform music by Evans from the 1940s-1960s: from his time with Claude Thornhill Orchestra, as well as from albums Out of the Cool, Individualism of Gil Evans, New Bottle Old Wine, and a variety of vocal numbers featuring audience favorite, Wendy Gilles. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 11 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Ty Stephens Ty Stephens and his SoulJaazz bandmates shift gears to their cooler side with some special guests. Stephens is an award-winning singer/songwriter, entertainer/recording artist co-writer/production, choreographer and star of the long-running “Shades Of Harlem” revue show; co-writer and original cast of “From My Hometown”, appeared on Broadway in the original productions of Sophisticated Ladies and Marilyn, An American Fable. He has performed with Harry Belafonte, Gregory Hines, Phyllis Hyman, Patti Austin, Jeffrey Osborne, Phoebe Snow, Smokey Robinson, Jon Hendricks; at Carnegie Hall with Liza Minnelli and Natalie Cole, Ledisi, Savion Glover, and more. SoulJaazz, is entering his 5th Season at the world-famous Sporting Club in Monte Carlo as the Sporting Orchestra (opening for the likes of Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, Celine Dion, George Benson, Alicia Keys, Steely Dan, Sting, Eric Clapton and more), and recently returned from Japan with superstar Toshi Kubota’s 25 Anniversary “Gold Skool” tour, and his 2nd tour of eastern Russia with his band, SoulJaazz, with the US State Department. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 12-14 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Classics With Tony Glausi The award-winning Tony Glausi has long cultivated a sound that defies easy categorization. Even on his 2015 debut, Identity Crisis, the trumpeter and composer presented a mixture of hard-hitting hip-hop styles, straight ahead jazz portraits, and smooth, languishing balladry. In 2016, ’17, and ’18, Glausi continued to deliver across genres; and in 2021, he released When It All Comes Crashing Down and EVERYTHING AT ONCE, which both offer up a broad spectrum of styles, with Tony singing, playing, and producing a storm of original music that brings his full palette of influences to life. This winner of the 2017 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Solo Competition will surely surprise his audiences in this one-night engagement at Birdland Theater: Classics With Tony Glausi features 2x Latin-GRAMMY-nominated singer Nana Mendoza; pianist Davis Whitfield; bassist Mark Lewandowski; and drummer Charles Goold. Join this dream team of young New York talent for a spectacular evening. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 14 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater Jennifer Wharton’s BONEGASM Bass trombonist Jennifer Wharton presents her trombone-powered ensemble, Bonegasm, whose second record, Not a Novelty, was released in April 2021. After the group’s self-titled album was released in 2019 on Sunnyside Records to great critical and popular acclaim, Wharton knew she had created something important by highlighting the primacy of the trombone in jazz music. Bonegasm features trombonists John Fedchock, Nate Mayland and Alan Ferber, along with the rhythm section of pianist Michael Eckroth, bassist Evan Gregor and drummer Don Peretz. Producing a record during the height of the pandemic—which meant making music while adhering to social-distancing practices—wasn’t easy. But Wharton’s skills and ambition led her through, having been honed through years performing in some of the world’s top modern big bands and Broadway shows: like Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Birdland’s-own Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, West Side Story, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Enjoy BONEGASM at Birdland this Mother’s Day as they rip through imaginative originals and arrangements with their unique sound. $30 + $20 food/drink minimum May 15 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Steve Ross – “They All Fall in Love” In his salute to spring at Birdland, vocalist and pianist Steve Ross – widely heralded as “The Crown Prince of New York Cabaret” – will cover the concept of springtime love in the lower orders (“Any Little Fish, ” “The Dolphin”), and vernal celebrations (“In the Spring of the Year, ” “Spring, Spring, Spring, ” “Paris in the Spring”). The lighter side of the season will be celebrated with “Hurry! It’s Lovely Up Here, ” and “April in Fairbanks.” The thoughtful side will include Michel Legrand’s “You Must Believe in Spring” and Harry Warren’s “Spring Isn’t Everything.” The rueful side of spring will be represented by “Spring Is Here, ” and of course, “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most.” 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 Noël 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 + $20 food/drink minimum May 16-20 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (5/16-18); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (5/19-20) – Birdland Jazz Club Big Chief Donald Harrison Quartet 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 May 18 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater 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. Don’t miss this already legendary new voice. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 19-21 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Gil Gutierrez Mexican guitar virtuoso Gil Gutiérrez is an icon of his instrument, performing around the world with some of music’s greatest names. A master of nylon string guitar and tres, he has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Mexican Cultural Institute of the Mexican Embassy in Washington D.C., and at Carnegie Hall accompanied by the New York Pops with Doc Severinsen; toured internationally with Arturo Sandoval, Ana Gabriel, Ricardo Arjona, Francisco Céspedes and Pedro Guerrail; and was featured with Severinson in 2022 on PBS American Masters series. Join him at the Birdland Theater for a weekend with his group, featuring violinist Bob Stern (Jerry Miller, Charlie Prichard, Laura Branigan) and bassist Dave Rodriguez (Max Roach, Tito Puente). Alternatively soothing, rhythmic, pyrotechnic, and tender, this band will refresh and uplift its audiences. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 21 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Jared Schonig Big Band featuring Michael Mayo The drummer of choice for a wide range of Birdland favorites, including the jazz orchestras of Jihye Lee, Miggy Miyajima, Mike Holober, Ariana Neikrug, Augie Haas, Duchess, Lauren Kinhan, and so many others, Grammy-Award winning drummer, composer & bandleader Jared Schonig brings his own large ensemble project to the Theater for one Sunday only in May. Teaming up with modern compositional masters Jim McNeely, Darcy James Argue, Miho Hazama and others, Schonig brought his own ideas to life on Two Takes (Volumes I and II for Qunitet and Big Band respectively) both released on Anzic Records in 2021 featuring cast of the world’s finest players: Nir Felder on guitar, Scott Wendholt on trumpet, Marshall Gilkes on trombone, Jason Rigby on saxophone, and many others. Schonig himself has toured and/or recorded internationally with A-listers Kurt Elling, Kristen Chenoweth, Cynthia Erivo, Nicholas Payton, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Tim Hagans, Fred Hersch, Wycliffe Gordon, and Tom Harrell, to name a few. A fixture on the Broadway circuit, he held the drum chair in the Tony-, Grammy- and Emmy-award winning Broadway revival of The Color Purple as well as the drum and percussion chairs for Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Enjoy the music of this beloved drummer-composer. $30 + $20 food/drink minimum May 23-27 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (5/23-25); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (5/26-27) – Birdland Jazz Club The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart, Guest Vocalist Carmen Bradford What needs to be said about the Count Basie Orchestra? This legendary big band has been synonymous with jazz for nearly 90 years, when Count Basie began leading his ensemble in the 1930s featuring such legends as Lester Young, Jo Jones, Walter Paige, and vocalist Jimmy Rushing. After decades of exuberant swing, iconic dance crazes, artful thematic albums and the perfection of the classic big band sound, Count Basie passed in 1984. Since then, the group has continued touring and recording under the direction of other leaders: Frank Foster, Thad Jones, and others, including Scotty Barnhardt, who had led the Orchestra since 2013. The Orchestra swings hard, delivering famous numbers from the Basie catalog and blessing audiences with its famous swing feeling. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 25 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Jessica Fishenfeld Don’t miss Jessica Fishenfeld’s Birdland debut on Thursday, May 25th at 8:30pm! Award-winning vocalist and actor Jessica Fishenfeld, known for her “crystalline and pure voice” and “spot-on comedic timing” is a natural optimist in a rough-and-tumble town. With a springtime sprinkle of jazz, cabaret, and musical theater tunes, you’ll be sure to forget all your troubles and get happy. Joined by pianist/music director Matthew Sheens and Sam Zerna on bass, you’ll be gifted a bouquet of toe-tapping classics and new favorites from Gershwin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, John Bucchino, Ann Hampton Callaway, and more. Jessica Fishenfeld recently was featured on America’s Got Talent as an opera-singing aerialist. She “triumphed” (NY Observer) in New York City Opera’s World Premiere of Stonewall, with “clean coloratura, ” (Opera News) and “spunky personality” (Opera Wire), made a “stand out” (New York Times) off-Broadway debut in Das Barbecü, and appeared in the series premiere of Sony Pictures’ Panhandle. She recently released her debut EP The Nothing Lamp with Crossover Records, as well as several singles available on all streaming platforms. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 26-28 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Steve Wilson’s Analog Band One of jazz’s most celebrated figures on the alto saxophone, the ever inventive and endlessly passionate Steve Wilson—the leader on 7 acclaimed recordings and sideman on over 130—brings his Analog Band to Birdland Theater for four nights. In 2017, the GRAMMY-winning Wilson released Sit Back, Relax, and Unwind (JMI Recordings) on vinyl only, a totally “analog” session using no digital equipment, as was customary in earlier epochs of recording history. The band from that session, featuring pianist Ray Angry (The Roots, D’Angelo), drummer Willie Jones III (Roy Hargrove), and bassist Corcoran Holt (Kenny Garrett) joins Wilson for this engagement at the Theater. Wilson, who Jazz Times hails as “one of the finest alto and soprano saxophonists of our time, ” has served as an integral part of trailblazing bands by Maria Schneider, Chick Corea, George Duke, Dave Holland, Christian McBride, and so many more. Don’t miss this great artist! $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 28 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Champian Fulton Trio Live at Birdland Release Celebration A great jazz singer is something special, and something special indeed is Champian Fulton. Daughter of trumpeter Stephen Fulton, Champian grew up inside the world of music, and as she grew she developed a swinging sound on the piano and a voice beyond her years—a sound reminiscent of the old master vocalists. Named the Hot House Readers Poll 2019 Pianist and Vocalist of the Year, and with 14 albums to her name, she is understandably a Birdland fan favorite. Fulton recorded Birdsong in 2020 with the great bassist and drummer team of Hide Tanaka and Fukushi Tainaka. Her latest album, Live From Lockdown, features her father. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 29 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Gavin Lee – “Steppin’ Out with Fred Astaire” The two-time Tony Award nominee and two-time Drama Desk winner Gavin Lee makes his Birdland debut. Gavin played two Fred Astaire roles during his award-winning West End and Broadway career, so with a little help from Gershwin, Berlin, Porter and a pair of tap shoes, he will fill this evening with songs and stories that made Fred a true star of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Gavin Lee just returned from the UK where he was playing Lumière in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the London Palladium. He previously originated the role of Squidward in The SpongeBob Musical on Broadway (Drama Desk Award and Tony Award nomination). Two of his favourite roles have been Thénadier in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables and the title character in How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical at Madison Square Garden. He originated the role of Bert in the West End and Broadway productions of Mary Poppins (Drama Desk and Theatre World Awards, Olivier and Tony Award nominations). $40 + $20 food/drink minimum May 30 – June 3 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (5/30-6/1); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (6/2-3) – Birdland Jazz Club Peperoncino Jazz Festival at Birdland: Italianitry 2.0 with Russell Ferrante, John Patitucci, Brian Blade (5/30, 31); Remembrance Trio with Joe Lovano, John Patitucci, Brian Blade (6/1, 2, 3) The Peperoncino Jazz Festival’s New York Session is a new venture by the Italian jazz festival to connect the Italian and New York jazz scenes. The first New York session had John Patitucci as its Artistic Director; for seven days, it celebrated jazz, Italy, and the cultural nexus of the two, with artists such as Marco Panascia, Elio Coppola, and Jerry Weldon. For this second season of the New York festival, Birdland will host two trios led by bassist John Patitucci: Italianitry 2.0 with pianist Russell Ferrante, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade (5/30, 31); Remembrance Trio with saxophonist Joe Lovano, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade (6/1, 2, 3). Join the New York Session #2 for your favorite artists as they pay tribute to the beauty of jazz and Italian culture. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum Monthly Engagements: May 8, 15, 22, 29 (Mondays) 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks every Monday evening beginning May 8th at 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 May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 (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 May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (Tuesdays) 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater The Anderson Brothers Play Ellington 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 in May as they deliver their no-funny-business, straight-down-the-middle, jazz-lover’s type of jazz: this month paying tribute to the great Duke Ellington. $20 + $20 food/drink minimum May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (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 May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (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 May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (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: Karrin Allyson and Ted Rosenthal (5/3), Janis Siegel and Ted Rosenthal (5/10), Perry Smith and Mark Whitfield (5/17), Roni Ben-Hur (5/24), Pasquale Grasso (5/31). *Guitar night streams live every week at YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum May 5, 12, 19, 26 (Fridays) 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 May 6, 13, 20, 27 (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 May 7, 14, 21, 28 (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 :: © 2023 Jazz News :: home page |