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| Live at Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater: February 2024 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 With Isaiah J. Thompson (piano) and Michael Karn (bass). 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 February 1 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Allyson Briggs – "Bacharach at Birdland" Allyson Briggs of Fleur Seule brings her LA tour to NYC to explore and celebrate the vast career of one of America's most beloved composers, Burt Bacharach, who created the soundtrack of American life in the 1960s. From "I Say a Little Prayer, " "What the World Needs Now, " and "Arthur's Theme, " to "Alfie" and "Close to You, " Allyson reinvigorates these hits and does her best to find songs that you might not know were written by Bacharach. The show features musical director Andy Warren on trumpet, Jason Yeager on piano, Michael O'Brien on bass, and Peter Traunmueller on drums. From Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center to the Rainbow Room, Briggs has brought her incredible voice to lead Fleur Seule to delight audiences around the world. Fleur Seule is a retro jazz band with seven languages of repertoire and many classic styles of music. The Fleur Seule experience is a mixture of the most beloved music, with sounds of soothing Karen Carpenter and vibrant Ella Fitzgerald, to the infectious Peggy Lee and diverse Linda Ronstadt. She tailors the wardrobe and repertoire selections to suit the evening, and seamlessly transitions from jazz standards to French chanson to classic salsa to keep the crowd on their feet. With over 300 performances per year, she is one of New York's most in demand vocalists, and has shared the stage with Lionel Richie, Michael Feinstein, Ciara Renée, Paris Hilton, Catherine Russell, and Jeremy Jordan. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 2-4 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Tatiana Eva Marie and the Avalon Jazz Band Nicknamed "the Gypsy-jazz Warbler" by the New York Times and acclaimed as a "millennial shaking up the jazz scene" by magazine Vanity Fair, Tatiana Eva Marie is a transatlantic bandleader, singer, and actress based in Brooklyn. Best known for her work leading the Avalon Jazz Band – a band with a Parisian "vintage" flair that has gathered 80 million views on YouTube – her interests have led her to explore a wide range of musical styles, from 1930s pop to modern jazz. Tatiana Eva-Marie's singing is always inspired by her own French and Romani heritage; a love for the Parisian art scene era spanning the 1920s to the 60s; a passion for Gypsy music and a deep connection to the Great American Songbook. February 2: "From Paris to New Orleans" with Special Guest Evan Christopher. February 3: "Jazz a Saint-Germain: Paris Swing!" February 4: "Paris Chanson, A Tribute to Edith Piaf with Special Guest Ben Rosenblum." $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 4 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Lil Maceo's "Funky Sax Evolution" Ft. Regina Martin Lil Maceo makes the world a funkier place one song at a time. The saxophonist, named in honor of the legendary James Brown saxophonist Maceo Parker, is acclaimed for his rhythmic phrasing and his soulful sound. For this Sunday performance, he joins forces with the spellbending vocalist Regina Martin, described by George Benson bassist Stanley Banks as "The closest you will ever get to the spirit of Janis [Joplin]." Martin possesses a robust, powerful voice and, like Lil Maceo, a truly no-holds-barred style. Don't miss these two powerhouses on this Sunday evening performance. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 5 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Scott Alan Songwriter Scott Alan returns to Birdland after a five-year absence to celebrate his most acclaimed works. Joined by collaborator Ben Cohn (Wicked, Dear Evan Hansen, Once Upon a One More Time), along with Mairi Dorman-Phanuef on cello, Kiku Enomoto on violin, David Fallo on viola, Sean McDaniel on drums, Vivi Rama on bass, and Tim Basom on guitar. Alan'swork will be celebrated by some of today's brightest stars including: Charity Angél Dawson, Alyssa Fox, Jenn Gambatese, Luke Islam, Robin de Jesús, Tommy Kaiser, Diva LaMarr, Ginna Claire Mason, Mauricio Martínez, Mary Kate Morrissey, Lindsay Pearce, Jake Pedersen, Henry Jacob Platt, Jelani Remy, Adam Roberts, Talia Robinson, Nic Rouleau, Analise Scarpaci, Kate Shindle, Talia Suskauer, and Eleri Ward. After the 2007 release of his debut album Dreaming Wide Awake, Alan has gone on to release seven follow-up albums that include Keys, What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up, Live, Anything Worth Holding On To, Cynthia Erivo and Oliver Tompsett Sing Scott Alan, Lifeline, and Nothing More. His compositions have been featured on "American Idol, " "So You Think You Can Dance, " "Entertainment Tonight, " HBO, MTV, and VH1. $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 6-10 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (2/6-8); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (2/9-10) – Birdland Jazz Club Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes This is a husband-wife duet you will not want to miss in a rare two-piano performance! Both leaders in music for the past thirty years, Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes have collaborated for the last several decades with jazz's foremost artists. Charlap's working trio (with drum and bass stars Kenny Washington and Peter Washington) has earned him years of accolades; Rosnes's various groups (with 10 releases on Blue Note Records) have earned her the same. But they also shine as duet performers: Charlap in particular is known for duets with Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Ron Carter, and his mother, Sandy Stewart. He and Rosnes released Double Portrait (Blue Note) nearly 15 years ago in 2010. Watch these two masterful musical minds join together again for a long-overdue night of song and improvisation. $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 8 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Marty Isenberg's Wes Anderson Playlist "A mixtape, " says composer and bassist Marty Isenberg, "is a personal, intimate reflection of what we want to show others about ourselves." Giving someone a mixtape or playlist is an act of both generosity and vulnerability; and in highly original fashion, Isenberg has used this model as the format for his latest album. "The Way I Feel Inside: Inspired By the Films of Wes Anderson" is a collection of Isenberg's favorite songs from the iconic movie director and screenwriter. The recording features iconic artists Nir Felder, Rich Perry, and a host of New York's most sophisticated players—but, like Anderson's star-studded movies, what shines through is precisely an honest personal statement, something just humble, sincere and quirky. A special project. Go enjoy Isenberg's latest gift on this Thursday evening at the Theater. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 9-11 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Troy Roberts and Tim Jago Quartet Grammy-nominated Troy Roberts and acclaimed guitarist Tim Jago released the co-led and aptly titled Best Buddies (Toy Robot) in 2021. Since then, the collaborators have continued to develop their sound, a synthesis of their accumulated experiences as sought-after session musicians and improvisers. A native of Perth, Australia, Roberts came to prominence nearly fifteen years ago when he became a semi-finalist in the 2008 Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition. He has received 3 DownBeat SM Jazz Soloist Awards and 2 Grammy nominations, touring the globe with Jeff “Tain” Watts, Joey DeFrancesco, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Christian McBride, Sammy Figueroa, Dave Douglas, Orrin Evans and Kurt Elling, among others. Guitarist Jago, also Australian, was a 2015 Semifinalist in the Wes Montgomery International Jazz Guitar Competition. He has performed at the York Jazz and Soul Festival, Perth International Jazz Festival, and Melbourne International Jazz Festivals. Jago is also a member of Roberts’ electric band Nu Jive, but their joint quartet offers an acoustic approach to their heady, whimsical, but still hard-hitting tendencies. Troy Roberts (tenor sax) and Tim Jago (guitar), with Massimo Biolcati (bass), and Chris Smith (drums). $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 11 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Pete McGuiness Jazz Orchestra After years of performing with and writing for numerous jazz big bands, Pete McGuinness finally decided to realize his life-long dream and front a large jazz ensemble of his own. The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra was formed in 2006 and immediately began performing in NYC area jazz clubs celebrating its recording First Flight. The group features all of the various aspects of McGuiness’s expert musicianship—as a trombonist, composer/arranger, and jazz vocalist. Pete’s music for the band is a reflection of all the many great jazz writers he has loved and been influenced by throughout his life—composer/arrangers Bill Holman, Bob Brookmeyer, and the late Thad Jones, as well as contemporaries John Fedchock and Maria Schneider—and comes out as a sound uniquely his own. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 12 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Julie Benko with Euphonic Gumbo Julie Benko – direct from Broadway’s Funny Girl and Harmony – and her band Euphonic Gumbo will celebrate Mardi Gras with six instrumentalists, including her jazz-pianist spouse Jason Yeager, in addition to Michael O’Brien on bass, Jay Sawyer on drums, Andy Warren on trumpet, Evan Harris on clarinet, and Rebecca Patterson on trombone. She is joined by her former Funny Girl castmate and tap dancer extraordinaire John Manzari as special guest. Performing in the classic New Orleans jazz style, Julie lets the good times roll with a delightful potpourri of tunes inspired by her love of the Crescent City. Songs include selections from Hand in Hand, Benko and Yeager’s recent album from Club44 Records (“Louisiana Fairy Tale, ” “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?”), Benko’s debut album (“Love for Sale”) and other classics (“Basin St. Blues, ” “When the Saints Go Marching In”). Benko joined the annals of theatrical lore for her sensational understudy-to-star trajectory as Fanny Brice in the recent Broadway revival of Funny Girl. She was called the 2022 “Breakout Star for Theater” in The New York Times, named among “10 Broadway Stars to Watch for 2023” by Variety, and hailed by CBS Mornings as “Broadway’s breakout star.” She is currently back on Broadway originating the role of Ruth in the Barry Manilow/Bruce Sussman musical Harmony. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 13-17 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (2/13-15); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (2/16-17) – Birdland Jazz Club Catherine Russell Internationally-renowned vocalist Catherine Russell is jazz royalty. Her grandfather, Elisha Ray, graduated from Juilliard in 1925 and performed with Harlem Renaissance legend James Reese Europe. Her mother, vocalist Carline Ray, toured with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm and attended The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music in the 1950s. And her father, Luis Russell, was Louis Armstrong’s musical director. Born into the music, Ms. Russell possesses an easy feeling and genuine soulfulness, documented on seven acclaimed recordings under her own name and over 200 recordings for and with other major artists. Her two most recent albums as a leader—2019’s Alone Together and 2016’s Harlem on My Mind—received Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album. 2014’s Bring It Back (Jazz Village) received a rare 5-star rating from Downbeat Magazine. Russell’s style tastefully mixes early Harlem jazz stylings and American Songbook gems with New Orleans music and country blues stylings. Birdland’s trusted star of Valentine’s Week, Russell has played the lover’s holiday at the Club for the last 5 years—and each time she returns, the feeling of romance is still hanging in the air. Tuesday February 13: Fat Tuesday Mardis Gras Celebration. Wednesday Feb 14 through Saturday Feb 17 Valentine’s Celebration, Love Songs and more. With Catherine Russell (vocals), Matt Munisteri (guitar), Mark McLean (drums), Tal Ronen (bass), Ben Paterson (piano). Plus, Feb 13-14 only: Jon-Erik Kellso (trumpet), Evan Arntzen (reeds), John Allred (trombone). $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 14-18 (Wednesday-Sunday) 5:30 & 8:30 (2/14-15); 7:00 & 9:30 (2/16-18) – Birdland Theater Melissa Errico – “A Manhattan Valentine” After her spectacularly successful, sold-out Valentine’s week residency at Birdland last year, celebrating her acclaimed album Out of the Dark: The Film Noir Project, Melissa returns with an entirely new program, this time celebrating her forthcoming album of New York songs by the greatest of New York songwriters, Sondheim in the City. From wistful ballads of young love (“What More Do I Need”) to hard-edged anthems of middle-aged angst (“The Little Things We Do Together”), Melissa will sing the many faces of her native city through the words and music of the man who saw it best. But it won’t be all Sondheim: this Manhattan valentine will also be embroidered with classics by Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, and even Billy Joel. Come hear why The Wall Street Journal calls Melissa Errico, “A nonpareil performer” and why BroadwayWorld announced that she is “one of the great musical interpreters of our time.” With Tedd Firth Trio $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 18 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Evan Sherman Septet Since his entrance onto the New York City scene as a teenager, Evan Sherman has turned the heads of both the young talents and the master statesmen of jazz. A drummer, composer, and arranger with a wide knowledge of jazz history, Sherman plays and writes with a deep love for the party rhythms of early jazz as well as a capacity for elegant delivery—even during raucous, joyful shout choruses or exploratory swinging passages. In 2014, he founded the Evan Sherman Big Band, a 16-piece ensemble in which New York’s most revered elders and its most dynamic young musicians sat side by side. Praised internationally as “big band heroes” by The West Australian, the ensemble has headlined Jazz at Lincoln Center, Rainbow Room, Ginny’s Supper Club in Harlem, The Django in TriBeca, Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing, Caramoor Jazz Festival, SteelStacks (PA), and the Perth International Arts Festival (Australia). Regular members have included Lew Soloff, James Zollar, Frank Lacy, Ben Wolfe, Bruce Harris, Alphonso Horne, Jerry Dodgion, Patrick Bartley, Godwin Louis, Jerry Weldon, and Patience Higgins; special guests have included Jon Batiste, Roy Hargrove, Johnny O’Neal, Cyrus Chestnut and many others. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 19 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Steve Ross – “Moonlight and Love Songs: Steve Ross Sings Romance” Vocalist and pianist Steve Ross – widely heralded as “The Crown Prince of New York Cabaret” – returns in new concert to celebrate ballads of love, loss and hope from the Great American Songbook. Expect timeless standards by Jerome Kern, Dietz & Schwartz, the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, and Cole Porter. Also included will be modern classics by Barry Manilow, Leonard Cohen and Billy Joel. 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. He hosted a live cabaret series for BBC Television, and back in America was host of New York Cabaret Nights, a series for National Public Radio. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 20-24 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (2/20-22); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (2/23-24) – Birdland Jazz Club Mike Stern Band Named one of DownBeat’s 75 Great Guitarists of All Time, Mike Stern is an iconic figure in post 1960s creative music. A member of Blood, Sweat & Tears in the 1970s—and in the 1980s, a member of groups led by Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, Jaco Pastorius, and Michael Brecker—Stern’s fusion of rock and jazz styles was part of a movement of innovators that changed the way guitarists viewed their instrument. In 2009, Stern won the Grammy award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for his recording Big Neighborhood. Catch him and his masterful group—featuring Dennis Chambers on drums, Victor Wooten on bass, Bob Franceschini on saxophone, and Leni Stern on guitar—on their week upstairs at the Jazz Club. $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 20 (Tuesday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Honoring Jay Clayton: Ed Neumeister Quartet featuring Judy Niemack With Marc Copland (piano), Drew Gress (bass), Tom Rainey (drums), Ed Neumeister (trombone), Judy Niemack (voice). The group will perform music associated with the late, great vocalist Jay Clayton. Trombonist Ed Neumeister & Jay worked together for over 20 years including the album Three for the Road (MeisteroMusic) and Jay’s last recording was a collaboration with fellow jazz vocalist Judy Niemack. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 22 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Ye Huang Quintet A revered Chinese-born multiinstrumentalist and composer, Ye Huang has performed across the world with Wynton Marsalis, Mike Stern, Dave Weckl, Arturo Sandoval, Eddie Daniels, and many others. Known for his clarinet, piano, and saxophone playing, Ye is the composer of a wide array of music: four albums, two clarinet sonatas, a clarinet concerto, a 7-movement suite, and an original musical, Jazzing, set to premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai (where he serves as musical director of the big band). Ye’s fusion of styles is a unique experience for every listener—a sound quite unlike any before it. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 23-25 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Tony DeSare Trio The excellent jazz vocalist and pianist Tony DeSare has released 11 albums of music, delivering a gem of a recording to his fans almost every year. A crooner’s crooner, he is a master interpreter of the American Songbook. But over the course of his career, he also ventured into pop classics by Carole King, Prince, and the Beatles; and while he certainly remains a descendant of the Rat Pack singers and the swinging tradition, DeSare has also carved out space as an interpreter of songs even further outside his genre’s norm, covering New Order, Philip Bailey, and Bob Dylan. With a smooth, clear voice and an entertainer’s sensibility, DeSare found himself in long-time collaboration with jazz giant Bucky Pizzarelli and in shows like Our Sinatra. Now a veteran of the music, DeSare will deliver a weekend at the Theater that’s sure to have audiences swooning. $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 25 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Mariel Bildstein The talented jazz trombonist Mariel Bildstein is a bold improviser whose vocalistic sound delights her audiences. Bildstein’s concept spans reflections on early New Orleans-based styles all the way to contemporary innovations. She serves as the lead trombonist in the Birdland mainstay Arturo O’Farill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra and the rock band Brass Against, and her performances at Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, the Chicago Jazz Festival, Caramoor Jazz Festival, Smalls Jazz Club, and other prestigious venues have marked her career for success. Across her work as both sidewoman and leader, excellence shines through. On her debut album Backbone, featuring the finest of both young and veteran New York jazz artists, she creates tonal pictures that evoke a range of eras and emotions. But Bildstein always stays invested in the romance of swing music—its raw yet restrained energy, and the colors that emerge from a band which values Duke Ellington as much as making modern statements. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 26 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Natalie Douglas – “Back to the Garden” Album Release Concert Thirteen-time MAC Award, two-time Backstage Bistro Award and Nightlife Award Winner Natalie Douglas returns to Birdland to premiere a new show celebrating the release of her latest album, Back to the Garden on Club44 Records. Natalie and her band will bring to life songs from the CD, including her first single, “Trust in Me, ”plus “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, ” “You’ll Never Know, ” “Begin the Beguine, ” “Woodstock, ” and more. The concert will include the first live performance of the new anthem written for Natalie by the award-winning team of Wayne Haun and Joel Lindsey, “Love Is the Power That Heals Me.” 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 2017 through 2020. Natalie has released three albums, including the MAC Award-winning Human Heart. $35 tables / $25 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum February 27 – March 2 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (2/27-29); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (3/1-2) – Birdland Jazz Club The Cookers One of the longest-working supergroups in jazz history, the Cookers have for fifteen strong years brought together seven of the biggest names in jazz. Drummer Billy Hart, bassist Cecil McBee, pianist George Cables, saxophonists Billy Harper and Donald Harrison, and trumpeters Eddie Henderson and David Weiss have each made powerful contributions to the history of the music and can be heard on no less than a collective 1, 000 recordings. Together, they make robust, high-octane statements, bringing back to life the harmonic and melodic sensibilities of the 1960s explorations that made jazz music what it is today. With six full-length recordings to their name—including iTunes 2014 Jazz CD of the Year Time and Time Again—this group of jazz legends has headlined more than twenty major international festivals, including the Newport Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Playboy Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Jazz a Vienne, London Jazz Festival, San Sebastian Jazz Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, and Jazz in Marciac. Anyone looking to hear jazz masters hold the flame in fiery form should make a point to witness the Cookers, who hold court at Birdland for five nights as February turns to March. $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 29 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Bryan Eng Sextet Bryan Eng, multi-faceted Broadway actor and acclaimed jazz pianist and singer, is one of the most promising and accomplished entertainers of his generation. After two sold-out Birdland performances, Eng’s sextet returns for an all-new show of swinging standards.With a sound and showmanship compared to masters such as Nat King Cole and Harry Connick Jr., Eng’s musicality packs a punch of energy that manages to maintain an alluring level of intimacy. His talents as an actor and musician have been featured in movies, TV, and at venues including Broadway, the Kennedy Center, and Lincoln Center. Additionally, his ability to compose and arrange music for all styles has led him to musical collaborations with stars such as Heather Headley, Stephen Colbert, The American Pops Orchestra, and more. Eng attended Northwestern University in Chicago. Holding multiple performance residencies and starring at regional theaters, Chicago Now proclaimed, “Bryan Eng is one of Chicago’s bright stars.” While in the Windy City, Eng was invited to join the Broadway cast of Plaza Suite with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. Now a New York star in ascension, Eng recently acted in an episode of “Law & Order” and performs around the city. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum Monthly Engagements: February 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 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 February 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 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 February 6, 13, 20, 27 (Tuesdays) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano’s “The Songbook: From Sinatra to Sondheim to Sting” 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 February 6, 13, 27 (Tuesdays except 2/20) 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 February 7, 21, 28 (Wednesdays except 2/14) 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 February 7, 21, 28 (Wednesdays except 2/14) 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 Quartet, featuring pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Vince Cherico, will perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guest guitarists weekly: Mike Stern and Sheryl Bailey (2/7), Rodney Jones (2/21), Django Celebration with Joscho Stephan, John Jorgenson, Arnt Arntzen, Vinny Raniolo (2/28). *Guitar night streams live every week at YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum February 2, 9, 16, 23 (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 February 3, 10, 17, 24 (Saturdays) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Pasquale Grasso Trio Praised by Pat Metheny as “maybe the best jazz guitar player I’ve heard in my entire life, ” the stunning guitarist Pasquale Grasso is one of the most beautiful and innovative musical voices of a generation. Grasso’s eloquent classical technique, jazz phrasing, bebop rhythms and nimble fret fireworks have distinguished him as a celebrated 21st century virtuoso. He has recorded 11 albums on the Sony Masterworks label, showcasing Grasso in solo-guitar format; and he performed on the 2x-Grammy-winning Samara Joy’s two recordings, Linger Awhile and Samara Joy. $30 + $20 food/drink minimum February 4, 11, 18, 25 (Sundays) 8:30 & 10:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club The Afro Latin Jazz OrchestraThe 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 :: © 2024 Jazz News :: home page |