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| What's Coming Up at Birdland: Jazz Programming April 1st - April 14th April 1 (Monday) 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 April 2-6 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (4/2-4); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (4/5-6) – Birdland Jazz Club Chad LB Quartet Celebrated as a saxophone prodigy from a young age, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown is now an internationally-recognized musician, seen on world stages with Taylor Swift, Chris Botti, the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, and his own groups. Performances at Carnegie Hall, the Super Bowl, and Madison Square Garden have been highlights in his star-studded career, and his albums have met great critical acclaim: critic Doug Ramsey named Lefkowitz-Brown's debut album, Image Manifesto, "Debut Album of the Year, " and DownBeat named Onward, his May 2017 release, an Editor's Pick for 2017. His two 2021 releases—Open World, featuring greats Lionel Loueke, Randy Brecker, and other stars, and Quartet Sessions featuring his brilliant peers—were released on La Reserve recordings. $45 tables / $35 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 2 (Tuesday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Will Bernard Quartet Brilliant, swinging, and funky, the guitarist Will Bernard appears at Birdland Theater for one evening in April with a veteran band featuring the talented John Ellis (saxophone), Alison Miller (drums) and Ben Allison (bass). A choice sideman, Bernard has lent his sound to nearly 80 recordings—and, a prolific composer and bandleader, he has released over 10 as a leader (the latest being "Ancient Grains" (Posi-Tone, 2021), "Pondlife" (Dreck to Disk, 2022), and "Sky" (Dreck to Disk, 2023) with Beth Custer). Bernard has performed at the Monterey, North Sea, SF Jazz, Jazz a Vienne, Bumbershoot, Be-Bop and Brew, Montreal, Vancouver, Caribbean Sea, and High Sierra festivals; opened for Herbie Hancock and the Head Hunters, Jimmy McGriff, The Funky Meters, Scofield, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Zigaboo Modeliste, and the Charlie Hunter Quartet. He has performed and/or recorded with Dr. Lonnie Smith, Tom Waits, Ben Sidran, Dr. John, Booker T. Jones, Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra, Butler/ Bernstein and the Hot Nine, Zigaboo Modeliste, Global Noize, Greyboy Allstars, Galactic, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Mike Clark, Idris Muhammad and a long list of other legendary artists. Catch his fantastic band downstairs at the Theater as they groove you into good spirits! $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 3 (Wednesday) 5:30 PM — Birdland Theater David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band Inspired by the noble jazz pioneers Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton and their colleagues, David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band breathes life and passion into America's own great art form. Now in its 18th year of residency at Birdland, the weekly post-workday engagement is the city's best musical bargain! Tuba player David Ostwald leads a rotating lineup that features talents such as clarinetist Anat Cohen, trombonist/vocalist Wycliffe Gordon, pianist Ehud Asherie, drummer Marion Felder and more! $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 3 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM — Birdland Theater Frank Vignola's Guitar Night with special guests Nicole Zuraitis and Warren Vache 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 drummers Vince Cherico or Alex Raderman, will perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guests weekly. This week it's GRAMMY winner Nicole Zuraitis and Warren Vache (vocals and trumpet). *Guitar night streams live every week at YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 4 (Thursday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band Led by veteran trumpeter Simon Wettenhall and Grammy winning pianist Conal Fowkes, The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band are a New Orleans style Jazz band which for decades have been Woody Allen's band of choice for his movies, concert tours and weekly performances. The band have appeared on all the premiere concert stages of Europe and the United States. Band members have appeared in and provided music for Woody Allen movies including: Wild Man Blues, Sweet and Lowdown, Midnight in Paris, Blue Jasmine, Cafe Society, Magic In The Moonlight, and A Rainy Day In New York. With Conal Fowkes (piano/vocals co-leader), Simon Wettenhall (trumpet/vocals co-leader), Tom Abbott (clarinet), Harvey Tibbs (trombone), Josh Dunn (banjo), Brian Nalepka (bass/vocals), Kevin Dorn (drums). $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 4 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater The Jive Aces The Jive Aces have led the world in swing dance mania for over 25 years. The UK's #1 jive and swing band, they've received outstanding praise from Dancing With The Stars's head judge Len Goodman, who called them "Infectious, uplifting and marvelous!" and from notorious American Idol judge Simon Cowell, who called them "Absolutely brilliant!" Of course, this only confirmed what their incredible track record has proved for decades: with tours in over 40 countries, performances for Her Majesty the Queen, sold-out shows at Royal Albert Hall, entrance into the finals of Britain's Got Talent, and over 250 live shows per year, this spectacular group, sharply dressed in their trademark yellow suits, brings audiences to their feet without fail. Expect hits from Louis Prima, Bobby Darin, Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis Jr. and Ella Fitzgerald as well as a selection of unforgettable originals—and join the Jive Aces for a night of fun! $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 5 (Friday) 5:30 PM — Birdland Jazz Club The Birdland Big Band Every Friday, and for two headlining weeks a year, the "BBB" roars into action playing a thrilling and original mix of jazz, funk, Brazilian, Latin and world music for sold-out audiences. Featured weekly guest artists drop in from television bands (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live) and pop music touring bands (Rob Thomas, Rod Stewart). Come see for yourself why Time Out New York called the BBB "A completely unique experience… there isn't another band like this anywhere, " and why yelp.com proclaims, "If you hear one band in NYC make sure this is it… and prepare to be blown away!" $35 + $25 food/drink minimum April 5-7 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM — Birdland Theater Sasha Dobson Sasha Dobson’s stylistic scope is rarely matched even by the greatest artists. While her love of rock and folk have led to her opening for Willie Nelson, working with Don Was, and collaborating for years with Norah Jones, Dobson’s deep relationship to jazz music found its revived expression on her 2021 outing, Girl Talk. The release featured bebop powerhouses Peter Bernstein and Neal Miner on guitar and bass, as well as Kenny Wolleson, the folk-jazz all-star drummer, as they backed Dobson’s sultry vocals. Of course, considering that her mother and father were regarded jazz musicians (Smith, a pianist, and Gail, a vocalist), it’s not hard to understand this recent explosion of swinging energy. Catch Dobson at this 3-night stint in Birdland Theater. $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 6 (Saturday) 5:30 PM — Birdland Jazz Club Quintin Harris Trio A finalist in the American Jazz Piano Competition in Savannah, Georgia, young Quintin Harris leads a trio of Sam AuBuchon (bass) and Marlen Suero-Amparo (drums) this April at the Jazz Club. With Harris himself performing dexterously on both piano and vocals, the bandleader employs a suave baritone on American Songbook standards like “What A Difference A Day Makes” and “Day By Day, ” crafting nimble piano lines over jazz standards like “Tricrotism” and “These Foolish Things.” Students of Birdland favorite and master pianist Bill Charlap at William Paterson University, the members of the group’s rhythm section are frequent guests at the Birdland Theater in Susie Mosher’s “The Lineup” on Tuesdays. After making his Birdland debut as a leader this past December, he performs two consecutive Saturdays in April. $30 + $20 food/drink minimum April 7 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Purchase Latin Jazz Orchestra Comprised of the top student musicians in SUNY Purchase’s Conservatory of Music, this exciting large ensemble performs styles from all across Latin America, rendering the worlds of mambo, cha-cha, danzon, festejo, porro, and more with youthful verve. Director David DeJesus, a fixture on both jazz and Latin music scenes, will guide the orchestra as they bring to life the many flavors of Latin Jazz on the Birdland stage. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 7 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM — Birdland Jazz Club The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra The 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 April 8 (Monday) 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 April 8 (Monday) 7:00 PM — Birdland Jazz Club Stella Cole 26-year-old Stella Cole is in rare possession of an old voice: a breathtaking visitation from the past. A veritable sensation, Cole has amassed a huge following of young fans: with nearly 900k followers on TikTok and over 600k on Instagram, she brings youth to the vintage sound of the Great American Songbook and brings the timeless wisdom of the songbook to audiences of all ages. Recent performances at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, Town Hall, 54 Below, and Cafe Carlyle, as well as praise from legends Michael Buble, James Taylor, and Meghan Trainor have all confirmed what aura of grandeur Cole naturally radiates: a dream-like quality, evoking Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and Ella Fitzgerald for modern fans. She performs two consecutive Mondays at Birdland Jazz Club in April. $40 + $30 food/drink minimum April 9 (Tuesday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater Daryl Sherman’s “Born to Swing” Celebrating Mildred Bailey One of the rare singer-pianists equally talented in both roles, Rhode Island-born Daryl Sherman has been a part of New York City’s jazz scene since the mid-70s. Indeed, legendary clarinetist Artie Shaw called her “a first rate singer-musician” and chose her for his group after returning from retirement. A frequent guest on Marian McPartland’s iconic radio show, “Piano Jazz, ” Sherman’s recordings are in regular rotation on Cable TV's Music Choice, Sirius/XM Radio, BBC, JazzRadio Berlin. For this engagement, she celebrates the life of her teacher, the renowned vocalist Mildred Bailey, frontwoman for the Paul Whiteman orchestra who influenced Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and Rosemary Clooney. Her group features Loren Schoenberg (piano, tenor sax), James Chirillo (guitar), and Boots Maleson (bass). $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 9-13 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (4/9-11); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (4/12-13) – Birdland Jazz Club Omar Sosa Quarteto Americanos A 7x Grammy nominee, 2x BBC World Music Awards nominee, and recipient of the Smithsonian Lifetime Achievement Award, the prolific pianist and composer Omar Sosa is a virtuoso conceptualist whose fusion of African diasporic, Cuban, Western classical, and American jazz styles has fascinated worldwide audiences for decades. With a career that took off in the Bay Area in the 90s, Sosa has developed a unique style of pianism and composing that is both healing, electrifying, thought-provoking, and jaw-dropping. His incredibly tight ensemble performs for a week at the Jazz Club. $45 tables / $35 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 10 (Wednesday) 5:30 PM — Birdland Theater David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band Inspired by the noble jazz pioneers Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton and their colleagues, David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band breathes life and passion into America’s own great art form. Now in its 18th year of residency at Birdland, the weekly post-workday engagement is the city’s best musical bargain! Tuba player David Ostwald leads a rotating lineup that features talents such as clarinetist Anat Cohen, trombonist/vocalist Wycliffe Gordon, pianist Ehud Asherie, drummer Marion Felder and more! $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 10 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM — Birdland Theater Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night with special guests Stefano Doglioni and Pasquale Grasso 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 drummers Vince Cherico or Alex Raderman, will perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guests weekly. This week it's Stefano Doglioni and Pasquale Grasso (reeds and guitar). *Guitar night streams live every week at YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 11 (Thursday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band Led by veteran trumpeter Simon Wettenhall and Grammy-winning pianist Conal Fowkes, The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band is a New Orleans-style Jazz band which for decades have been Woody Allen’s band of choice for his movies, concert tours, and weekly performances. The band have appeared on all the premiere concert stages in Europe and the United States. Band members have appeared in and provided music for Woody Allen movies including Wild Man Blues, Sweet and Lowdown, Midnight in Paris, Blue Jasmine, Cafe Society, Magic In The Moonlight, and A Rainy Day In New York. With Conal Fowkes (piano/vocals co-leader), Simon Wettenhall (trumpet/vocals co-leader), Tom Abbott (clarinet), Harvey Tibbs (trombone), Josh Dunn (banjo), Brian Nalepka (bass/vocals), Kevin Dorn (drums). $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 11 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Craig Davis Trio with Darmon Meader The exciting pianist Craig Davis leads a trio for one night at the Theater. Davis has held the piano chair in modern trumpet artist Sean Jones’s quintet, the legendary Artie Shaw Orchestra, and drum legend Roger Humphries’s group. His trio brings a swinging, contemporary offering. Notable performances have included the Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival, New York City’s Kitano Hotel, the Frick Museum, and the grand opening of the Pittsburgh Playhouse. His recording Tone Paintings (MCG Jazz, 2022) features rhythm royalty Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton. Expect high energy, tight ensemble communication, and beautiful compositions. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 12 (Friday) 5:30 PM — Birdland Jazz Club The Birdland Big Band Every Friday, and for two headlining weeks a year, the “BBB” roars into action playing a thrilling and original mix of jazz, funk, Brazilian, Latin, and world music for sold-out audiences. Featured weekly guest artists drop-in from television bands (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live) and pop music touring bands (Rob Thomas, Rod Stewart). Come see for yourself why Time Out New York called the BBB “A completely unique experience… there isn’t another band like this anywhere, ” and why yelp.com proclaims, “If you hear one band in NYC make sure this is it… and prepare to be blown away!” $35 + $25 food/drink minimum April 12-14 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM — Birdland Theater Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra One of the most peculiar, eye-popping, truly virtuosic, uncompromisingly glorious, absolutely renegade figures in contemporary jazz, Steven Bernstein is a musician among musicians. The chosen arranger for Robert Altman and Woody Allen films, or for collaborations between U2 and Sun Ra’s Arkestra; the trumpeter for saxophone legend Sam Rivers, rocker Courtney Love, superstar Lou Reed, and the queen herself, Aretha Franklin; and the leader of the infamous Sex Mob, which performs pan-stylistic work with the swagger of Louis Armstrong and Count Basie; whichever one he’s being at the moment, Bernstein is always proving that he is one of music’s truest heirs to the showman tradition of Cab Calloway, Jimmy Lunceford, Duke Ellington, Lester Bowie, and Sun Ra. His Millennial Territory Orchestra takes on the great works of Prince, Stevie Wonder, and the Beatles, as well as those of early jazz by the likes of Don Redman and Bennie Moten. Comprised of a stellar cast, this is a band unlike anything you’ve ever heard. Get ready: Steven Bernstein is coming to party. $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 13 (Saturday) 5:30 PM — Birdland Jazz Club Quintin Harris Trio A finalist in the American Jazz Piano Competition in Savannah, Georgia, young Quintin Harris leads a trio of Sam AuBuchon (bass) and Marlen Suero-Amparo (drums) this April at the Jazz Club. With Harris himself performing dexterously on both piano and vocals, the bandleader employs a suave baritone on American Songbook standards like “What A Difference A Day Makes” and “Day By Day, ” crafting nimble piano lines over jazz standards like “Tricrotism” and “These Foolish Things.” Students of Birdland favorite and master pianist Bill Charlap at William Paterson University, the members of the group’s rhythm section are frequent guests at the Birdland Theater in Susie Mosher’s “The Lineup” on Tuesdays. After making his Birdland debut as a leader this past December, he performs two consecutive Saturdays in April. $30 + $20 food/drink minimum April 14 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Ryan Keberle All Ears Orchestra Both a formidable trombonist and a prolific composer, Ryan Keberle has been hailed by The New York Times as a player “of vision and composure.” Named #1 Rising Star Trombonist in the Downbeat International Critics Poll, Keberle the instrumentalist is a force to be reckoned with, lending his voice to ensembles led by Maria Schneider, David Bowie, Justin Timberlake, Ivan Lins, and Wynton Marsalis. As a composer, he has developed a wide-ranging and refreshing style, writing pieces with voice and synthesized instruments, as well as traditional big band configurations. While Keberle’s first two albums featured thick brass textures and a “little big band, ” his group Catharsis incorporated Camila Meza’s stunning vocals and guitar for three stylistically groundbreaking recordings, including 2016’s Azul Infinito, named one of “five jazz albums you need to hear” by Billboard. Four subsequent albums by his group Reverso all see Keberle exploring new sonic territory. At Birdland, come see this daring explorer on his ever-changing journey: this time, with his All Ears Orchestra. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum April 14 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM — Birdland Jazz Club The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra The 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 |