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| Live at Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater: January 2024 January 1 (Monday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Greg Ruvolo Big Band The brilliant trumpeter and arranger Greg Ruvolo leads his sterling large ensemble to ring in the new year. Ruvolo's work with legendary acts such as Gil Evans, Airto Moreira, Louis Bellson, New York Voices, and the WDR Big Band inform both his writing, playing, and bandleading. In this warm-hearted ensemble, Ruvolo throws both jazz veterans and young stars into the mix, arranging Songbook classics, jazz standards, and original work for the exciting ensemble. The band's 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. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 1 (Monday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club 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. Sharing the stage with some of the biggest acts in straight-ahead jazz—including the 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 in front of an audience. 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 for two sets to ring in the top of year. Spotlighting the music of legendary American composer Irving Berlin, the Anderson Brothers will deliver some straight-down-the-middle swinging. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 2-6 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (1/2-4); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (1/5-6) – Birdland Jazz Club Frank Wess Legacy Octet Frank Wess was one of jazz's most beloved figures. The tenor and flute man in Count Basie's Orchestra, Wess's smooth sound can be heard on countless recordings, including those for which he assembled an eight-piece band, the Frank Wess Octet. To honor this master musician, the great modern multi-instrumentalist and Birdland favorite Scott Robinson cooperated with Wess's estate to perform his beautiful octet arrangements, calling a group of living legends to take on the task: Rufus Reid (bass), Dennis Mackrel (drums), Bill Easley (saxes), Steve Davis (trombone), Michael Weiss (piano), Mike Rodriguez (trumpet), and Frank Greene (trumpet). Don't miss this vibrant tribute to one of the best! $45 tables / $35 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 4 (Thursday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club Richard Cortez and Esteban Castro 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. $40 cover / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 5-7 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater Harry Allen Quartet The saxophonist that John Pizzarelli has called "Nothing less than perfect, " Harry Allen is the consummate swinger. A veteran of jazz music, he has recorded over 70 discs as a leader—three of which winning Gold Disc Awards from Japan's Swing Journal, and his album Tenors Anyone? winning both the Gold Disc and the New Star Award. Allen's work with Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Ray Brown, Hank Jones, Frank Wess, Flip Phillips, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Kenny Burrell, Herb Ellis, John Pizzarelli, Bucky Pizzarelli, Gus Johnson, Jeff Hamilton, Johnny Mandel, James Taylor, and Sheryl Crow—to name a few—places him in an elite class, but he is no snob: in fact, what makes Harry Allen so great is his down-to-earth playing, his love of the music. His off-the-cuff style needs no set-lists. For these three nights at Birdland, he is sure to start and end swinging. What happens along the way will undoubtedly be pure magic. $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 7 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club John Sturino: Blow Globe Led by Juilliard-trained drummer and composer John Sturino, the ten-piece BLOW GLOBE synthesizes classical, jazz, electronic, and songwriter aesthetics. An adventurous project that features the talented Spanish jazz vocalist Mar Vilaseca at the front, BLOW GLOBE is alternatively symphonic, hard-driving, and sensitive. Sturino himself is a prodigious young drummer: a Yamaha Drums Artist, Prologix Artist, and Vic Firth Educational Artist who serves on the Percussive Arts Society Drumset Committee; his releases Liminality and Quartet showcase him as a technically-gifted and mentally-sharp artist. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 8 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club Julia Keefe's Mildred Bailey Project Though an oft-forgotten name in jazz, Mildred Bailey was the first female vocalist to front a big band in the 1930s. Inspiration to Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, the Native American Bailey was called "just about the greatest songbird in the US" by TIME Magazine in 1944. The talented vocalist Julia Keefe presents both the Mildred Bailey project and the Indigenous Big Band as exuberant, swinging jazz projects that highlight the contributions of Native peoples in the United States. Not to be missed! $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 9 (Tuesday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club Ben Allison, Ted Nash, Steve Cardenas Album Release Celebration Boundary-pushing bassist Ben Allison, beloved guitarist Steve Cardenas, and consummate saxophonist Ted Nash form one of contemporary jazz's most enchanting trios, and they celebrate the release of 2024's Tell The Birds I Said Hello: The Music of Herbie Nichols. The new recording comes after the unit released Healing Power in 2022, honoring the idiosyncratic, humorous, and profound writing of Carla Bley. Bley, who passed earlier this year, was one of modern music's most original writers, inspiring generations with evocative melodies and lifelike sonic portraits—a tradition which Allison, Nash, and Cardenas have continued. Starting with 2018's Quiet Revolution, and continuing with the 2019 release of Somewhere Else—West Side Story Songs, their drummerless trio is wry and adventurous: alternatively plaintive, bemused, searching, and exhilarating. Join them as they celebrate the new project at Birdland! $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 10-13 (Wednesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (1/10-11); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (1/12-13) – 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 January 12-13 (Friday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater Tia Fuller Quartet Grammy-nominated saxophonist Tia Fuller is an internationally-regarded performer and composer. Fuller’s career highlights include performances in President Barack Obama’s White House; on morning shows Oprah, Today Show and Good Morning, America; and on tour with Beyonce’s all-female I Am...Sasha Fierce band. The saxophone sound in Pixar’s Oscar-winning 2020 animated jazz movie, Soul, Fuller’s music has been heard all over the world, and she brings a deeply cultivated power to her lines and melodies. Compositionally, her music draws influence from across many genres beyond just swinging jazz music: she dives into pop, R&B and mixed-meter stylings to create a sound that is uniquely hers. Fuller’s latest release, Diamond Cut, was nominated for a Grammy and features some of jazz’s greatest living masters. She performs as part of APAP week. $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 14 (Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater Lakecia Benjamin Quartet New York native and 3x GRAMMY nominee Lakecia Benjamin is one of the electric new voices in contemporary jazz. Long influenced by jazz, R&B, and hip-hop, Benjamin and her distinctive sound gained both inner clarity and public attention through work with music icons Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Macy Gray, and The Roots. Her mission to blend genres and dismantle musical boundaries developed on her critically-acclaimed solo albums “Retox” (2012), “Rise Up” (2018), and “Pursuance: The Coltranes” (2020), and she was voted 2020 Rising Star Alto Saxophonist in the Downbeat Critics Poll, as well as Up and Coming Artist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association. When a near-fatal car accident in 2021 threatened her ability to perform, Benjamin persevered, recording and releasing her album “Phoenix” to rave reviews. Featuring special guests Dianne Reeves, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Patrice Rushen, Sonia Sanchez, Angela Davis and Wayne Shorter, it solidifies Benjamin’s artistic presence as an indispensable voice in contemporary music culture. Benjamin performs for one Sunday evening at the Theater. $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 14 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Cyrille Aimée Grammy-nominated Cyrille Aimée spent over 10 years in NYC wowing audiences with her joyful improvisations, effortless swing, and wild spirit. Having relocated to New Orleans to enter the vibrant musical community of that storied city, Aimée loves to return to Birdland—where she spent years with a weekly residency. From her native France to the USA, from jazz festivals to Broadway, from a longtime working band to new adventures in new sonic landscapes, Cyrille Aimée is never content to stay in one place too long. Recent releases include 2018’s Cyrille Aimée Live (Mack Avenue); 2019’s Move On: A Sondheim Adventure (especially relevant now that the legend has just passed); 2021’s I’ll Be Seeing You; and 2021’s Petite Fleur, as a featured guest of drummer Adonis Rose and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. Hailed as “one of the most promising jazz singers of her generation” by The Wall Street Journal, Aimée will certainly bring something new to her old city. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 15 (Monday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Maria Schneider Orchestra The legendary, groundbreaking composer and arranger Maria Schneider returns to Birdland this January, performing as part of a week of events sponsored by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. 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 most recent project, the double-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 one-night-only engagement is not to be missed. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 16-20 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (1/16-18); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (1/19-20) – Birdland Jazz Club Gunhild Carling International sensation, virtuoso multi-instrumentalist, vocalist extraordinaire—shall we say, conceptualist? The real question is: what can’t you say about Gunhild Carling? She seems to do it all: performing on trumpet, trombone, bagpipes, drums, piano, bass, three trumpets at once, a trumpet balanced vertically using no hands, all on one song which she is singing. Carling continuously proves she will break any limitation in front of her. And with her feel-good revival of 1920s hot swing, this brilliant entertainer makes audiences smile and dance as she wows them with unheard-of talents. Featured on Scott Bradlee's Post Modern Jukebox, Carling has put the 20s twist on popular contemporary songs such as Madonna’s “Material Girl, ” Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up, ” and Pharell’s “Happy.” This will surely be a week filled with surprises! $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 18 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Carolyn Montgomery – “girlSINGER: A Tribute to Rosemary Clooney” Award-winning vocalist Carolyn Montgomery will perform the world premiere of “girlSINGER, ” her tribute to beloved entertainment legend Rosemary Clooney. The show will include some of her iconic hits like “Hey There, ” “Tenderly, ” and “Come On-A My House.” In her Birdland debut, Ms. Montgomery will be joined by music director Tedd Firth on piano, leading an all-star ensemble featuring Jonathan Kantor on saxophone and clarinet, Sherrie Maricle on drums, and Matt Scharfglass on bass. Trumpeter Warren Vaché, a mainstay of Clooney’s band for years, is a special guest. “girlSINGER” is directed by Tony Award nominee Sally Mayes. Montgomery is the Executive Director of the American Songbook Association, as well as a multi-MAC, Bistro and Nightlife Award winning singer/songwriter. She’s performed in 36 states as well as London, Mexico, and Montreal. Critics laud Montgomery’s classic singing style, infectious sense of humor, feminist viewpoint and talent for storytelling. In 2017, she co-founded the American Songbook Association, a 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization that promotes and preserves classic American musical legacies through education programs, senior enrichment, and live events. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 19-21 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater Elan Mehler Backed by an enigmatic all-star ensemble, pianist Elan Mehler brings his unique sound to Birdland Theater for three nights in January. Mehler was raised by a mother who was “a mystic, ” he says. Perhaps this is why he has chosen his particular cast: mysterious guitarist Ben Monder, enigmatic alto saxophonist Loren Stillman, legendary bassist Tony Scherr, the exuberant drummer Rudy Royston, intimate tenor saxophonist Andy Zimmerman, and a different special guest trumpeter each night. Mehler has released 11 albums as a leader—his latest, “There Is A Dance” (2022), features the rhythm section on this weekend’s performance. Special trumpet guests include: Ron Horton (1/19); Nadje Noordhuis (1/20); and Riley Mulherkar (1/21). $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 21 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Uptown Jazz Tentet Founded in 2016 by the marvelous trombonist Willie Applewhite and co-led by the great trumpeter Brandon Lee, the Uptown Jazz Tentet is a family—with friendships dating back to their Juilliard days, this fine ensemble swings crisp and meaningful arrangements with imagination and energy. The 10-person band features Aaron Kimmel on drums, Clovis Nicolas on bass, Adam Birnbaum on piano, Brandon Lee and Tatum Greenblatt on trumpets, Jon Irabagon, Carl Maraghi, and Andrew Gatauskas on saxophones and woodwinds, and James Burton III joining Appliewhite on trombone. In the words of Brandon Lee, "We all have bonded playing in the bands of Christian McBride, Ron Carter, The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, etc... and we love our gigs! This is our opportunity to do our own thing.” $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 22 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Bryce Edwards’ Frivolity Hour Just three months after his sold-out debut at Birdland Theater, crooning troubadour and nouveau vaudevillian Bryce Edwards is thrilled to be bringing The Frivolity Hour back by popular demand. This time, he’s coming upstairs – to the big room! Once more, Bryce will share his brand of hot traditional jazz and early 20th century popular music. Edwards is a unique vocalist that takes equal cues from the crooners and soft singers of the late 1920s and early 30s and from the bombastic voices of the earlier, acoustic phonograph era, as well as an instrumentalist who plays banjo, ukulele, tenor guitar, and mandolin in the modernistic jazz idiom. Leading a hot combination featuring the talents of extraordinary jazzmen Scott Ricketts (cornet), Ricky Alexander (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Conal Fowkes (piano), and Jay Rattman (baritone saxophone), Edwards revels in the amazing sounds both hot and sweet that made the twenties roar! He brings his singular verve and sensibility to songs made famous by great artists such as Cliff Edwards, Ted Lewis, Jack Teagarden, Rudy Vallée, and Bing Crosby. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 24 (Tuesday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club Frank Catalano Quartet Possessing a full-bodied tone and a passion for hard-hitting lines, Frank Catalano’s famed tenor saxophone power has taken him across the world and landed him on Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated recordings with Jennifer Lopez, Destiny’s Child, John Legend, and others. The only saxman to have performed with Miles Davis, Randy Brecker, Charles Earland, Elvin Jones, Stan Getz, Betty Carter, Von Freeman, Tito Puente, Tony Bennett, Les Claypool and Louis Bellson while still in high school, Catalano signed with Delmark Records at age 18 and hasn’t let up since. His 11 albums as a leader evince a mighty musician with a broad stylistic palette and a deep commitment to the legacy of his forebears. His connection to Birdland runs deep: in fact, Catalano, who serves as the Celebrity Endorser for Drambuie Scotch Liqueur, inspired the Catalano Sidecar proudly served in The Birdland Theater. Get ready for a mighty night of high-octane performances from his quartet. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 24-27 (Wednesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (1/24-25); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (1/26-27) – Birdland Jazz Club Dee Dee Bridgewater A music legend and an NEA Jazz Master, the great Dee Dee Bridgewater remains a force to be reckoned with after fifty years at the top of her craft. Now with 23 albums as a leader, over 125 recording credits, 3 Grammy wins and 8 nominations, as well as several major acting credits (including as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wiz alongside Michael Jackson, Lena Horne, Richard Pryor, Nispey Russell and Diana Ross), Bridgewater continues to wow audiences with her incredible voice, her magnetic personality, and the sheer generosity of her spirit. For four nights, she will take the Birdland stage with a band of jazz’s top young talent. Don’t miss Bridgewater—as always, she is sure to be unforgettable. $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 25 (Thursday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater Joie Bianco and Friends After three sold-out solo performances, “Joie Bianco and Friends” makes a comeback to showcase Bianco’s own arrangements of favorite standards, debuting vocal trio/duo arrangements as well as debuting some of her original lyrics. Bianco will be joined by talented musicians and friends she’s befriended during her four years of music school. Bianco is a 22 year-old jazz singer from NYC and recently received her degree in jazz vocal performance at the University of Miami, Frost School of Music. Joie has appeared in many of NYC’s jazz and cabaret clubs, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland and Carnegie Hall. Joie was the 2019 winner in the jazz vocal category in Young Arts, and the recipient of the 2023 DownBeat Student Music Award for Best Solo Jazz Vocalist. Stephen Holden of The New York Times referred to her as a “prodigious discovery.” $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 26-28 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater The Andersons Play the Dorsey Brothers 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. Sharing the stage with some of the biggest acts in straight-ahead jazz—including the 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 in front of an audience. 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 Theater welcomes them for three nights: spotlighting the music of legendary American bandleader-brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, these modern-day brothers will deliver some straight-down-the-middle swinging. $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 28 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Ron Aprea Album Release Celebration Saxophonist Ron Aprea has performed with some of jazz’s most important figures, including Lionel Hampton, Louis Armstrong, Woody Herman, Frank Foster, Tito Puente, John Lennon, Nat Adderley, Charlie Persip, Kenny Barron, and Elvin Jones. Two years ago, he celebrated a new milestone in his artistic oeuvre: an autobiography entitled The Era I Almost Missed, offering readers a look at the 1950s and 1960s through the eyes of this jazzman. This January, the 16-piece Ron Aprea Big Band celebrates another achievement: the release of their newest recording. Don’t miss this wonderful evening! $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 29 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Ari Axelrod Most recently seen at Paper Mill Playhouse in their critically acclaimed production of Fiddler on the Roof, Ari Axelrod returns to his artistic home to debut a new show. See Ari put his signature and heartfelt spin on some of your favorite songs from musical theater, the great American songbook, the pop world, and beyond. This evening will send you home whistling a new favorite tune or humming a treasured gem. Lawrence Yurman will accompany him on piano. The Jewish Week awarded Ari the prestigious "36 to Watch Award." He received the 2022 Bistro Award for Best Theatrical Artistry in Song. Hailed by BroadwayWorld as "genuinely one of the finest shows this writer has ever seen, " his award-winning show, "A Place For Us: A Celebration of Jewish Broadway, " has grown to international acclaim, performing to sold-out audiences around the world. Ari’s critically acclaimed debut album, Ari Axelrod: Live at Birdland, is available on all streaming platforms. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 30 - February 3 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (1/30-2/1); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (2/2-3) – Birdland Jazz Club John Pizzarelli Internationally-acclaimed John Pizzarelli charms audiences with his warmth, sense of humor, and musical chops. Through his multifaceted career as a jazz guitarist, vocalist and bandleader, the son of the legendary New Jersey native guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli has become one of the most recognizable faces and voices in contemporary jazz for his interpretations of classic standards, romantic ballads and the cool jazz flavor he brings to his performances and recordings. The guitarist’s busy touring schedule has included performances on the talk shows of Jimmy Fallon, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, and Regis Philbin, as well as at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. John also founded "Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli, " a nationally syndicated radio program co-hosted with his wife, Broadway star Jessica Molaskey. Long-time a Birdland favorite, Pizzarelli puts on a show you won’t want to miss. $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum Monthly Engagements: January 1, 2, 8, 15, 22, 29 (Mondays+Tuesday 1/2) 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks every Monday evening in January 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! $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 8, 22, 29 (Mondays except 1/1 and 1/15) 9:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club Jim Caruso’s Cast Party “Jim Caruso’s Cast Party, ” a New York institution for 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 2003. Called “show-business heaven” by The New York Times and “the gold-standard of open mic nights” by The Wall Street Journal, “Cast Party” presents 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). Eric Adams, the Mayor of the City of New York, recently proclaimed, “Whereas, I am enormously proud to lead a city renowned as a global capital of the arts, ‘Jim Caruso’s Cast Party’ has enriched our dynamic cultural landscape since 2003, and on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, I am pleased to recognize the weekly show's tremendous contributions to our performing arts and nightlife sectors.” $30 + $20 food/drink minimum January 9, 16, 23, 30 (Tuesdays except 1/2) 5:30 PM - Birdland Theater Ashley Pezzotti Called a “performer to watch” by DownBeat Magazine, Queens-born Ashley Pezzotti takes an early set on the Birdland Theater stage four consecutive Tuesdays in January to deliver her trademark renditions of American standards. This 25-year-old rising star has performed with jazz icon Wynton Marsalis (on his 2020 recording The Ever Fonky Lowdown and on their latest national tour), country legend Keith Urban, and piano prodigy Joey Alexander. On her debut recording, We’ve Only Just Begun, she was backed by the Emmet Cohen Trio and other young lions. With vocals indebted to the great jazz singers like Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Carmen McRae, Pezzotti offers listeners a chance to relax into the music they know and love, while bringing a freshness of presence that enchants her audiences. $35 + $25 food/drink minimum January 9, 16, 23, 30 (Tuesdays except 1/2) 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 January 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 January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (Wednesdays) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night *January 10: Guest Host Guitarist Pasquale Grasso and his Trio with vocalist Janis Siegel. 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 Quartet, featuring pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Vince Cherico, will perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guests weekly: Mike Stern (guitar 1/3), Janis Siegel (vocals 1/10), Jocelyn Gould (guitar 1/17), Dave Stryker (guitar 1/24), Saul Rubin (guitar 1/31). *Guitar night streams live every week at YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum January 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!” $35 + $25 food/drink minimum January 6, 13, 20, 27 (Saturdays) 5:30 PM - Birdland Theater Nicole Zuraitis Grammy-nominated Nicole Zuraitis is a New York-based vocalist, pianist, and songwriter who took home the Gold Medal and Ben Tucker Jazz Award in the 2021 American Traditions Competition. A musical chameleon, she brings her signature warmth and outstanding vocals to various genres and styles, as demonstrated on her latest album, 2023’s Oil on Water: How Love Begins, featuring Christian McBride. As a bandleader, a recording artist, and the premiere vocalist of both the world-famous Birdland Big Band and the Dan Pugach Nonet, Nicole has established herself as a staple on the New York City jazz scene and has made a significant mark on the global modern jazz landscape. The 2nd-runner-up in the 2015 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition and the winner of the 2014 Herb Alpert ASCAP Young Composer Award, Zuraitis has been settled in success for years. The vocalist hosts an intimate residency at Birdland on Saturday evenings in January. $30 + $20 food/drink minimum January 7, 21, 28 (Sundays except 1/14) 8:30 & 10:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO) brings 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. Thirteen 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. $40 + $30 food/drink minimum write your comments about the article :: © 2023 Jazz News :: home page |