|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| What's Coming Up at Birdland: Jazz Programming October 14th - October 27th October 14 (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 partial view table seating + $20 food/drink minimum October 15 (Tuesday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater The Anderson Brothers Play Henry Mancini Juilliard-trained identical twins Peter and Will Anderson have been hailed as "virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone" by The New York Times. Their passion for classic jazz shines through each time they perform. Having shared the stage with some of the music's biggest straight-ahead jazz acts—including Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Wycliffe Gordon, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Paquito D'Rivera, and Wynton Marsalis—the brothers constitute a formidable force. They've headlined shows at Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and live on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion Radio Program. Birdland welcomes them every Tuesday in October as they deliver their no-funny-business, straight-down-the-middle, jazz-lover's type of jazz: this month paying tribute to the great Henry Mancini—composer of such classics as "Moon River, " "Days of Wine and Roses, " "Pink Panther Theme, " and "Theme From Peter Gunn." $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 15-19 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (10/15-17); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (10/18-19) – Birdland Jazz Club Ron Carter's Great Big Band It's Ron Carter month at Birdland this October! One of the most celebrated bassists in the history of American music, Ron Carter—who will perform four consecutive weeks at Birdland in Quartet, Trio, Big Band, and Duo formats—has performed on over 2, 000 albums since starting his career in the 1960s. Besides his iconic five-year stint with the Miles Davis Quintet, Mr. Carter's appearances with Bill Evans, B.B. King, and Dexter Gordon, Jacki Byard, Cannonball Adderly, and countless others have cemented him as one of music's greatest sidemen. As a leader, he has commanded inspiring ensembles large and small, and with this engagement at Birdland Jazz Club, he opts for the big band: particularly, his Great Big Band, which includes an incredible cast of master musicians. Don't miss the chance to hear the Maestro! * Also streaming live Thursday, October 17 @ 7pm: veeps.com/birdland $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 16 (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! $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 16 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Frank Vignola's Guitar Night with special guest Al Gafa 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 Alex Raderman, perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guests weekly. Al Gafa takes the stage this week! *Guitar night streams live every week at: YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 17 (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). $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 17 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Emily West Emily West is a vocalist whose country roots are on display in her lush interpretations of classics and her own compositions. Claiming 1st Runner-up in America's Got Talent 2014, West released her debut album "All For You" (Portrait) in 2015 featuring the iconic Cyndi Lauper. She also released 3 EPs: "Rocket Science"; "I Hate You I Love You"; and "Emily West." Featured at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's "Live at the Hall" series, West has landed multiple Top Forty country singles, including "Blue Sky" (with Keith Urban) and "Rocks in Your Shoes." She brings her group to Birdland to deliver her a host of her favorite songs. Don't miss! $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 18 (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!" $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 18-20 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Kaleidoscope: The Music of Ornette Coleman with Donny McCaslin, Ben Allison and Steve Smith The venerable Steve Smith presides at the drum set for four weekends across September and October. With these engagements, he honors four eccentric compositional geniuses of either saxophone or piano: first, pianist Bud Powell; second, saxophonist Wayne Shorter; third, pianist Thelonious Monk; and fourth, saxophonist Ornette Coleman. With "Kaleidoscope: The Music of Ornette Coleman, " Smith will celebrate the saxophonist's legendary ouvre. Expect Ornette's originals, such as "Faces And Places, " "EOS, " "Lorraine, " "The Turn Around, " "T&T, " "European Echoes, " "Kaleidoscope" and others. Heavy-hitters Donny McCaslin (saxophone) and Ben Allison (bass) join Smith for three unforgettable nights. $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 19 (Saturday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Ashley Pezzotti Called a “performer to watch” by DownBeat Magazine, Queens-born Ashley Pezzotti takes an early set on the Birdland Jazz Club stage four consecutive Saturdays in October to deliver her trademark renditions of American standards. This 27-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. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 20 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Yardbird Big Band Can it really be over 100 years since the genius Charlie “Yardbird” Parker graced us with his music? As moving and brilliant as ever, Bird’s compositions and improvisations are the subject of great celebration and study to this day. On October 20th, join the Yardbird Big Band, directed by (Birdland Big Band director) David DeJesus, for a tribute to the great master’s music. This band has brought together some of the best musicians in New York City—Helen Sung, Mark Gross, Jon Beshay, Jeb Patton, Todd Coolman, and so many others—to play Bird’s songs, and DeJesus—an expert on the life of Charlie Parker—will guide audiences informatively through this evening of iconic music. The songs may be classic, but the arrangements are fresh. Enjoy the Yardbird Big Band and celebrate the life and legacy of this musical superhero. $30 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 20 (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 October 21 (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 partial view table seating + $20 food/drink minimum October 22 (Tuesday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater The Anderson Brothers Play Henry Mancini Juilliard-trained identical twins Peter and Will Anderson have been hailed as “virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone” by The New York Times. Their passion for classic jazz shines through each time they perform. Having shared the stage with some of the music’s biggest straight-ahead jazz acts—including Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Wycliffe Gordon, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Paquito D’Rivera, and Wynton Marsalis—the brothers constitute a formidable force. They’ve headlined shows at Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and live on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion Radio Program. Birdland welcomes them every Tuesday in October as they deliver their no-funny-business, straight-down-the-middle, jazz-lover’s type of jazz: this month paying tribute to the great Henry Mancini—composer of such classics as “Moon River, ” “Days of Wine and Roses, ” “Pink Panther Theme, ” and “Theme From Peter Gunn.” $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 22-26 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (10/22-24); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (10/25-26) – Birdland Jazz Club Ron Carter Duo with Bill Charlap It’s Ron Carter month at Birdland this October! One of the most celebrated bassists in the history of American music, Ron Carter—who will perform four consecutive weeks at Birdland in Quartet, Trio, Big Band, and Duo formats—has performed on over 2, 000 albums since starting his career in the 1960s. Besides his iconic five-year stint with the Miles Davis Quintet, Mr. Carter’s appearances with Bill Evans, B.B. King, and Dexter Gordon, Jacki Byard, Cannonball Adderly, and countless others have cemented him as one of music’s greatest sidemen. As a leader, he has commanded inspiring ensembles large and small, and with this engagement at Birdland Jazz Club, he brings the thoughtful, pristine pianist Bill Charlap to engage in a week of intimate duet performances. Charlap—long one of jazz’s leading pianists and the great Tony Bennett’s accompanist for many years—is a worthwhile companion to Mr. Carter’s brilliance. Don’t miss the chance to hear the legendary Ron Carter! *Also streaming live Thursday, October 24 @ 7pm: veeps.com/birdland $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 22 (Tuesday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Allegra Levy Have you heard Allegra Levy? Called “far beyond the ordinary” by The New York Times, and praised for her “gift for sculpting words” by The New Yorker, it is Levy’s enthusiasm with phrasing; her natural avoidance of cliche; and her sound—smart, generous, full-bodied, and so personal—that put this young singer in the Top 10 list for Downbeat’s 2021 Critics’ Poll of Rising Star Jazz Vocalists. As much a composer as a vocalist, Levy writes and performs a book of her own Songbook-style numbers (several garnering her 1st Place winnings in both national and international songwriting contests) alongside fresh versions of the familiar and beloved. Her fourth and latest recording, “Out of the Question” (Steeplechase 2024) delivers this one-two punch with fulfilling charm, wit, and emotional profundity—and all handled by a stellar all-female cast of Allison Miller, Carmen Staaf and Mimi Jones. Levy performs at Birdland Theater for a one-night engagement with Jones, Matt Wilson, and Jason Yeager. $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 23 (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! $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 23 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night with Chris Flory 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 Alex Raderman, perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guests weekly. Joining him this week is Chris Flory. *Guitar night streams live every week at: YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 24 (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). $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 24 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater The Anderson Brothers Play Henry Mancini Juilliard-trained identical twins Peter and Will Anderson have been hailed as “virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone” by The New York Times. Their passion for classic jazz shines through each time they perform. Having shared the stage with some of the music’s biggest straight-ahead jazz acts—including Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Wycliffe Gordon, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Paquito D’Rivera, and Wynton Marsalis—the brothers constitute a formidable force. They’ve headlined shows at Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and live on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion Radio Program. Birdland welcomes them every Tuesday in October as they deliver their no-funny-business, straight-down-the-middle, jazz-lover’s type of jazz: this month paying tribute to the great Henry Mancini—composer of such classics as “Moon River, ” “Days of Wine and Roses, ” “Pink Panther Theme, ” and “Theme From Peter Gunn.” $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 25 (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!” $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 25-27 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater Ethan Iverson Trio Ethan Iverson came to prominence in the early 2000s as the pianist in the iconoclastic trio The Bad Plus, a group famed for legendary explorations into genre cross-pollination and an experimentalism with style that connected with a new generation of music listener. But the pianist’s success has included many other expeditions, including a long-time post in the quartet of Billy Hart, the Miles Davis/Herbie Hancock drummer; work with legends Ron Carter and Albert “Tootie” Heath; recordings with Mark Turner, Tom Harrell, and Jack Dejohnette; and significant works of both program curation (Duke University’s Thelonious Monk Centennial Celebration) and jazz scholarship (his popular blog “Do The M@th). In this three night engagement at the Theater, the ever-cunning Iverson assembles a surprising trio: on bass, the consummately swinging Peter Washington, highest on New York’s straight-ahead totem pole; on drums, the legendary Peter Erskine of Weather Report fame, a wildly versatile artist making a rare NYC appearance. Catch this acoustic trio performing Iverson’s originals and familiar jazz standards, and as the pianist cautions: “Expect the unexpected!” $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 26 (Saturday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Ashley Pezzotti Called a “performer to watch” by DownBeat Magazine, Queens-born Ashley Pezzotti takes an early set on the Birdland Jazz Club stage four consecutive Saturdays in October to deliver her trademark renditions of American standards. This 27-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. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 27 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club Migiwa Miyajima and the Miggy Augmented Orchestra Japan-born, New York-based Migiwa “Miggy” Miyajima is an artist of expansive scope. Author, composer, arranger, and pianist, she was also the former conductor and associate producer of jazz master Slide Hampton’s big band, the producer of two Grammy-nominated recordings by the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and the named recipient of 2019’s highly prestigious Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship. This month, Birdland welcomes back Miyajima and her famed Miggy Augmented Orchestra for a special night of her imaginative arrangements. With a radiant 17-piece ensemble that combines both rising stars and accomplished veterans of New York’s music scene, Miyajima delivers complex, melodic, and urgently swinging original music. Miggy’s artistic successes have accumulated in recent years, and in March 2021 she released a book with accompanying music entitled “Your Future Story” —the first product of her year-long “Unbreakable Hope and Resilience” project representing the real stories of survivors and volunteers of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. She is the winner of the 2018 PDX Prize in the “Search for New Music” awards hosted by the International Alliance for Women in Music; a Finalist in the International Song Writing Contest, Instrumental Category; and her music has received support from the NY Consulate General, Japan Travel Bureau, and Brooklyn Arts Council. Highly unique—especially in realizing its aim of evoking nature’s profound beauty—the music of the Miggy Augmented Orchestra is something not to be missed. $35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum October 27 (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 |