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| Live at Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater: June 2023 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 June 1 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Susan Mack – "Yesterdays" Following her recent sold-out performances, Susan Mack returns to deliver a fresh and contemporary spin on a diverse, uplifting, and timeless set of beloved standards. These songs of yesterday transcend the era in which they were created, and their messages and the emotions they elicit are still relevant today. Susan will perform jazz standards from the Great American Songbook including a heart-warming tribute to the legendary Ella Fitzgerald. She includes the iconic compositions of Duke Ellington, Jerome Kern, Chick Corea and The Beatles. A native New Yorker, Susan has had a lifelong passion for music. The unique combination of Susan's jazz and cabaret singing, coupled with her "charm, wit and skill" (Theater Pizzazz) has earned her numerous accolades, including a nomination for Best FemaleVocalist for the 2022 Annual MAC Awards. Her debut show in 2018, "Nobody Else But Me, " directed by the legendary Marilyn Maye, was also nominated for a MAC Award for Best Female Debut. Susan's talent has taken her to Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall as well as venues such as Davenport's in Chicago and The Jazz Cave in Nashville. The show – featuring music director Tedd Firth on piano, David Finck on bass, Eric Halvorson on drums, and special guest Danny Bacher on saxophone – is directed by Lina Koutrakos. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 2-4 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Scott Robinson Quartet Virtuoso multi-instrumentalist Scott Robinson is widely hailed for his unique, eccentric approach and his powerful improvisations. The top call man for baritone saxophone, Robinson has worked with orchestras led by Maria Schneider, Frank Mantooth, Bob Mintzer and John Fedchock, but his skills on tenor sax, trumpet, clarinets, and even the mysterious sarrusophone are well-known. Having appeared on over 275 recordings to date—20 as a leader—Robinson's music draws from a wide range of traditions. His playing at once wry, humorous, magnetic, and profound, this is the rare musician from whom you don't know what to expect—and it's precisely that joy of surprise which makes Robinson so assuredly a wonder to watch perform. He brings a quartet to Birdland for this engagement. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 4 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Jay Leonhart's J7 Bassist, singer and songwriter Jay Leonhart is both a veteran instrumentalist and an inspiring, storied vocal performer. With decades of accomplishments on his musical resume just as a bassist—including acts so varied as Tony Bennett, Ozzy Osbourne, James Taylor, Thad Jones, and Queen Latifah—Leonhart surprises many a musician with his disarming vocals and his smart, often humorous original songs, which he has recorded to critical acclaim since 1983's Salamander Pie. An uncanny artist who has recorded nearly 20 records as a leader and appeared on some 250 as a sideman, Leonhart was named The Most Valuable Bassist in the recording industry three times by the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences between 1975 and 1995. He is sure to move and entertain his audience—this time with a larger ensemble in tow. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 5 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Billy Stritch & Gabrielle Stravelli – "Mel and Ella Swing!" Renowned pianist and singer Billy Stritch and award-winning jazz vocalist Gabrielle Stravelli combine their considerable talents again for an evening celebrating the legendary Mel Tormé and Ella Fitzgerald. "Mel and Ella Swing!" includes favorites from the Great American Songbook ("The Man I Love, " "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, " "Cheek to Cheek") and swinging standards from the world of jazz ("Too Close for Comfort, " "Oh, Lady Be Good!").These two performers have brought their magic to stages all over the world and together bring an incredible knowledge and feel for this great music. It's an incredible and joyful evening featuring Patrick O'Leary on bass and Mark McLean on drums. Stritch is one of the premier singer-pianists on the New York and national jazz and cabaret scenes. In addition to his 25-year collaboration with Liza Minnelli, Billy recently toured with the legendary Tony Bennett as Tony's pianist and musical director. A solo entertainer in his own right, he has performed his own shows (including tributes to Mel Tormé and Cy Coleman) in concert halls and nightclubs across the country. Billy also serves as musical director for such leading vocalists as Linda Eder, Christine Ebersole and Linda Lavin. He has recorded five solo CDs and his latest CD release "Billy's Place" (Club44 Records). 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 & 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 June 6-10 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (6/6-8); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (6/9-10) – Birdland Jazz Club Stacey Kent A singer of marvelous talent, Stacey Kent's beautiful voice and natural musicality have been the feature of 11 studio albums, including Platinum, Double-Gold and Gold records that have garnered her a much-deserved worldwide audience. With performances in over 55 countries during her stellar career, Kent's global fandom makes perfect sense because of her miraculous fluency singing in French, Italian, German, Portuguese and English. Over the course of two decades as a recording artist, Kent's vision has broadened beyond the Great American Songbook: French and Brazilian classics also feature prominently in her contemporary work. Her latest album, Songs From Other Places, was released September of 2021. Her new studio album, Summer Me, Winter Me, is set for 2023 release, and her recent collaboration with Danilo Caymmi, Um Tom Sobre Jobim, is set for 2023 and 2024 tour. For this special week at Birdland, Kent is backed by a group of her veteran collaborators. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 8 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Phillip Officer – “Second Time Around” Greeted by a sold-out audience this past September, Phillip Officer stepped back up to the microphone after more than a decade’s absence from the NYC theater and music scene. “Second Time Around” embraces change and how it affects our lives, celebrating the great writers and artists who have influenced this musical journey, including Peggy Lee, Carole King, Stephen Sondheim, The Beatles, Irving Berlin, Cher, Johnny Mercer, and more. Featured musicians include Mark Hartman on piano, Kevin Kuhn on guitar, and Erik Friedlander on cello. The show is directed by Bill Russell. Officer built a commanding reputation for his arresting commitment to lyrics. The New York Times complimented him as “a master of lyric interpretation…a textbook example of pop understatement.” Phillip made his Broadway debut in the Tony-nominated musical Side Show. He was featured in the original cast of Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens, and is the recipient of multiple New York Nightlife, Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs, and Backstage Bistro Awards. Rex Reed proclaimed, “In a world often devoid of authenticity, the engaging performer, Phillip Officer, is the real deal.” $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 9-10 (Friday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Esteban Castro Trio A force of indomitable technique, extraordinary passion, and expansive imagination, the 19 year-old Esteban Castro is a jaw-dropping pianist whose capacities on his instrument defy categorization. A Finalist in the American Pianists Awards 2023; 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’s maturity comes from experience, with performances 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 June 11 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Brian Krock Big Heart Machine Ensemble Nate Chinen puts Brian Krock’s Big Heart Machine “near the center of…a new big band resurgence in New York.” Indeed, the release of the group’s self-titled debut album in 2018 caught the attention of critics and fans alike, receiving the prestigious Aaron Copland Recording Grant as well as being included in year-end best-of lists, critics polls, and publications like The New York Times, Atlantic, Village Voice, Downbeat Magazine, Stereogum, and WBGO. The music is virtuosic and spacious, filled with a creeping avant-garde dread, riveting experimental passages, dangerous new sounds, and moments of titanic overwhelm. With the 2020 release of Live at The Jazz Gallery, fans around the world have the opportunity to experience the band’s live show, featuring a cast of Brooklyn’s most innovative musicians and fronted by saxophonist Krock. Don’t miss Krock’s adventurous compositions! $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 11 (Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Senri Oe “Class of 88” Album Release in the Theater Celebrated pianist Senri Oe is a long-time legend of Japanese pop music—a pop star who, in 2012, began releasing jazz records with his band. Since 2012, he has offered 7 diverse recordings: from a two-horn quintet release (Boys Mature Slow, his 2012 stateside debut), to a full big band recording (2013’s Spooky Hotel), to a straight-ahead trio release (2015’s Collective Scribble), to a vocal showcase (2016’s Answer July featuring Sheila Jordan, Theo Blackmann, Becca Stevens, and Lauren Kinhan of New York Voices), to his 2019 trio release, Hmmm, with bassist Matt Clohesy and drummer Mark Ferber. Oe’s new trio sees Ross Pederson on drums joining Senri in the deeply evocative, lively performance of this original material: jazz versions of the songs from his seminal 1988 J-POP recording 1234. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 12 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club The Brat Pack – featuring Kathryn Allison, Sam Gravitte, Luke Hawkins, and Jelani Remy The triumphant return of The Brat Pack features Kathryn Allison, Sam Gravitte, Luke Hawkins, and Jelani Remy, with musical direction by Isaac Hayward. Four of Broadway’s brightest stars bring the timeless style and energy of the original Rat Pack to this raucous, roaring, ring-a-ding evening of showtunes and standards. Kathryn Allison is a dynamic singer who was the winner of NYMF’s “Next Broadway Sensation” and later made her Broadway debut in Aladdin. Since then, Ms. Allison has been in the Broadway musicals Wicked, and the Tony-winning revival of Company. Sam Gravitte is an actor, writer, and guitarist. He starred as Fiyero in Wicked on Broadway. Other major professional credits include Almost Famous at the Old Globe Theatre, Joseph and Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and his solo show “Songs That Raised Me, ” which debuted at Birdland. Luke Hawkins is a NYC based tap dancer and choreographer who has choreographed for Harry Connick, Jr. and performed alongside him in concerts including The Hollywood Bowl, Wolftrap, and the Palladium in London. Luke also performed in and choreographed Connick’s Broadway show A Tribute to Cole Porter. Luke’s theater credits include Broadway’s Xanadu, Cirque duSoleil’s Banana Shpeel, and New York City Center Encores! productions of No, No, Nanette; Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; and On Your Toes. Jelani Remy, a New Jersey native, was last seen on Broadway as Eddie Kendricks in Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations. He made his Broadway debut playing Simba in Disney’s The Lion King. $40 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 13-17 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (6/13-15); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (6/16-17) – Birdland Jazz Club Yellowjackets The Yellowjackets are a household name for jazz fusion fans. The band’s original flavor, beloved for its long and whirling sing-song melodies and undeniable pocket, has been captivating listeners since the group first burst onto the scene in the late 1970s. Originally the rhythm section behind guitarist Robben Ford, the Yellowjackets became its own entity and—adding the then-trailblazing (and now-legendary) saxophonist Bob Mintzer—turned into one of the most original quartets of the last 40 years, recording 30 albums, winning 2 Grammys, and receiving 17 Grammy nominations. Currently, the lineup includes founding member Russell Ferrante on keys, Bob Mintzer on winds, the spectacular drummer Will Kennedy, and the band’s newest member, a young Dane Alderson twisting out brilliant basslines. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 15 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater “Hooray For Hollywood!” – starring Billy Stritch, Carole J. Bufford and Liam Forde This evening is a melodic reminder of the many voices we have heard in song on the silver screen, including Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, and more. This musical revue was devised by writer/producer Barry Day, and makes its New York debut at Birdland Theater after a multi-year run at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 16-18 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Steve Slagle Band Saxophonist Steve Slagle is storyteller whose robust, unique melodies and open-hearted sound have endeared audiences since the mid-70s, when he began working with legendary forces such as Charlie Haden, Carla Bley, McCoy Tyner, the Mingus Big Band, and Ray Barretto. He has been a saxophonist of choice for the Joe Lovano Nonet, Milton Nascimiento, and even the Beastie Boys, in addition to leading over 20 solo recording projects. A true proponent of the jazz tradition, Slagle’s latest release, entitled Ballads: Into the Heart of It, features a swinging ensemble of his close compatriots, including Ugonna Okegwo, bass; Randy Brecker, trumpet; Bruce Barth, piano; and Jason Tiemann, drums. For this weekend engagement at the Birdland Theater, Brecker is replaced by Scott Wendholt, as is Barth by Gary Versace (on Friday and Sunday, with Saturday pianist TBA). $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 18 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Anita Brown Orchestra In 2003, Anita Brown recorded and released her debut and her only large ensemble project, employing some of New York’s finest to present her iconically beautiful work, 27 East. The beauty of maturity of Brown’s large-scale tone poems have prompted NEA Jazz Master Lee Konitz to call her “an important writer” and trumpet icon Marvin Stamm to put her group “in the same category as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Maria Schneider.” For this engagement at Birdland, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of 27 East, the set of pieces that describe in sonic imagination the Montauk seaside. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 19 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Natalie Douglas – “A 60’s Songs Juneteenth Jubilee” Thirteen-time MAC Award, two-time Backstage Bistro Award and Nightlife Award Winner Natalie Douglas returns to Birdland to collaborate with her longtime music director Mark Hartman (2022 Drama Desk Nominee) as they perform the songs of decade, including “Blackbird, ” “Mississippi Goddam, ” “Freedom Day, ” “Compared To What?” and many others. They celebrate this federal holiday with music, friendship, laughter, healing, and hope. Natalie Douglas has been called “a true force of nature” by Clive Davis of The Times (UK). She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Cafe Carlyle, The Town Hall, Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Pheasantry in London, and at her NYC home club, Birdland where her award-winning “Tributes” monthly residency (Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Nat “King” Cole, Dame Shirley Bassey, Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand and more) ran from Summer 2017 thru January 2020. Natalie has released three albums, including the MAC Award-winning Human Heart. $35 tables / $25 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum June 20-24 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (6/20-22); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (6/23-24) – Birdland Jazz Club Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra The legendary, groundbreaking composer and arranger Maria Schneider returns to Birdland this June. Ms. Schneider’s music, which has received 7 GRAMMY wins and 14 nominations across jazz, classical and arranging categories, is regarded as some of the most evocative work of our contemporary artistic world. Her latest album, Data Lords (2020)—called “the most daring work of Schneider’s career” by esteemed critic Nate Chinen—was a Finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize. It pits the digital world against the natural one in musical form to warn listeners of the profound dangers of Big Data and reacquaint them with their essential lifeforce. A living icon of music, Ms. Schneider’s week-long engagement is not to be missed. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 22 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Daniel Shevlin Daniel Shevlin, singer and cellist from the internationally acclaimed singing string quartet Well-Strung, brings his solo show to NYC, featuring Lance Horne at the piano. Daniel has made a multi-skilled career as an actor, singer, and cellist living in New York City. He has performed in various venues across the globe and, with his quartet, has been seen on “The Today Show, ” “The Amazing Race” and “Watch What Happens Live!” He has also appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and lives near Broadway (in Astoria, Queens, that is). With multiple instruments, mostly (but not limited to) the cello and the voice at the same time, his show is an evening of music and storytelling, told through a library of pop, standard, classical, and musical theater favorites. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 23-25 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Frank Vignola Quartet With over 1000 engagements in the last five years alone, and performance credits in 14 countries on three continents, Frank Vignola—leader of Birdland Theater’s regular Wednesday night classic, Guitar Night—has become one of the most popular and sought after guitarists on the international music scene. His genre-bending virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Wynton Marsalis, Tommy Emmanuel, the Boston Pops, the New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List: for the Wall Street Journal. Vignola’s jaw-dropping technique explains why The New York Times deemed him “one of the brightest stars of the guitar.” For this weekend of performances, Vignola brings his celebrated quartet to the stage. With Ted Rosenthal (piano), Gary Mazzaroppi (bass), Vince Cherico (drums), plus special surprise guests. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 25 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Wagner High School Jazz Orchestra Staten Island’s Wagner High School Jazz Orchestra is a crop of dedicated young students led by Paul Corn. In May of this year, they will have competed in the prestigious Essentially Ellington competition at Lincoln Center—indeed, they are the first New York City high school that is not an arts school to place in the competition’s 28 year history. Featuring drummer Zack O’Farill—son of Arturo O’Farill, the leader of the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra that performs every Sunday night at Birdland—the band will perform its material for Birdland audiences for one night only! Don’t miss these next generation musicians in their Birdland debut. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 27 – July 1 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (6/27-29); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (6/30-7/1) – Birdland Jazz Club Ravi Coltrane Quartet Beloved saxophonist Ravi Coltrane honors the legacy of his parents John and Alice Coltrane with his powerful, free-thinking musical projects. With six albums as a leader, seven as a co-leader, and over 100 more as a sideman with jazz music’s greatest innovators—included Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Jack DeJohnette, Terence Blanchard, Kenny Barron, Steve Coleman, and others—the GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist has made a powerful mark on contemporary jazz. His quartet features David Virelles (piano), Dezron Douglas (bass), and Johnathan Blake (drums). $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 29 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Robbie Rozelle – “Bring Me Giants” Rozelle’s personal new show, “Bring Me Giants, ” examines how everything is anxiety-inducing all the time. Filtered through his razor-sharp wit, and featuring special guests Liz Callaway (Anastasia), Mauricio Martínez (Emmy Award-winner) and Ari Axelrod (Bistro and BroadwayWorld Award winner), “Bring Me Giants” is a spellbinding night that’s cheaper than therapy. One part raconteur, one part stand-up comic, and one part musical storyteller, Rozelle is excited to show all of his parts. Musical direction and arrangements are by hi longtime collaborator Yasuhiko Fukuoka. Robbie Rozelle is a celebrated entertainer, director, writer and producer. His show “Songs From Inside My Locker” was recorded live. As a writer and director, he has frequently collaborated with two-time Tony Award nominee Kate Baldwin, Tony Award nominee Melissa Errico, Broadway stars Nikka Graff Lanzarone and Nathan Salstone. His frequent collaborations with Jessica Vosk culminated in her debut album Wild and Free. By day, he is the A&R Director of the Grammy Award-winning Broadway Records. $40 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 30 – July 2 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Steve Smith Vital Information Trio A truly unique musician with a fabulous artistic path, the great drummer Steve Smith began playing in big bands in the 1970s as he studied with legendary teachers Alan Dawson and Freddie Gruber. His all-star group Vital Information has performed since the early 1970s, since before Smith joined the iconic rock band, Journey, with whom he rocketed to international fame. After decades of performances and the changing of group members over the years, Vital Information now includes the incredible Manuel Valera (Guggenheim Fellow and Grammy nominated pianist) and the world-class Janek Gwizdala (electric bassist for fusion jazz legends Mike Stern, Randy Brecker and Peter Erskine). Vital Information has, over the years, been a four-member ensemble. This new trio format allows for new possibilities in the group’s miraculous combination of bebop, funk, South Indian traditional, and contemporary influences. And, in anticipation of Vital Information’s 40th Anniversary celebration in 2023, Wounded Bird Records has recently released Steve Smith and Vital Information: The Complete Columbia Recordings, a four CD set of Vital Information’s first 4 albums. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum Monthly Engagements: June 5, 12, 19, 26 (Mondays) 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks every Monday evening in June 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 June 5, 12, 19, 26 (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 June 6, 13, 20, 27 (Tuesdays) 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater Loston Harris Duo Loston Harris possesses a voice like the great big band singers and the consummate pianism of a Wynton Kelly or a Tommy Flanagan. This combination of outgoing performance and exuberant technical mastery is rare, but Harris has it in spades—and at Birdland Theater, accompanied by the brilliant Gianluca Renzi on bass, Loston will bring his one-two punch to the stage every Tuesday night in June. Harris’s life in jazz has included tutelage with some of the music’s greatest masters. He studied with Marsalis family patriarch, the pianist Ellis, on recommendation by the great Harry Connick Jr. after participating in the first Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition in Washington, D.C. Indeed it was Marsalis who was responsible for Harris’s decision to shift from his first instrument—drums—to piano. An artist with these three perspectives—rhythm of the drums, harmony of the piano, and melody of the voice—can only wow an audience. $20 + $20 food/drink minimum June 6, 13, 20, 27 (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 June 7, 14, 21, 28 (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 June 7, 14, 21, 28 (Wednesdays) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night featuring Mike Stern 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, with special guest, guitar icon Mike Stern every week in June (6/7, 14, 21, 28). *Guitar night streams live every week at YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (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 June 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (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 June 4, 11, 18, 25 (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 |