WHERE THE RHYTHM SWOOPS AND SWIRLS,
THIS IS THE JAZZ CORNER OF THE WORLD
There is so much excitement this month at Birdland Jazz Club on 44th near Times Square — it’s becoming even more of a hotspot than it used to be. Now when I attend, shows are PACKED. This sophisticated, intimate club hosts regular acts as well as headliners — the best in the Biz — and I recommend you catch any or all of them!
It amazes me how many of my NY friends haven’t been to Birdland (I’m an L.A. boy and have been there more than they). It’s a must-visit for tourists and New Yorkers alike. There are two rooms: The one on top, the club, has the audience curved around the musical acts, sitting at classy tables. The food is astounding and, considering you are in a club, quite affordable. Downstairs at Birdland Theater, where the same fare is available, you will see the bigger bands — the powerful intimacy of both spaces is something to behold. Plus, four tickets and food are less than one ticket for one orchestra seat to a Broadway show.
Here is the upcoming schedule for October, 2023.
Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater are proudly open this October with a full slate of nightly performances!
At Birdland Jazz Club, catch Mehmet Ali Sanlikol & WHATSNEXT? featuring Anat Cohen & Miguel Zenon, Jeff Harnar, Ron Carter’s Golden Striker Trio, Jen Brett: “Mosaic,” Ron Carter’s Great Big Band, Michael Davis Hip-Bone Big Band, Maude Maggart, Ron Carter’s Foursight Quartet, Nick Finzer Big Band, Jamie de Roy & Friends, Frank Catalano Quartet, Karrin Allison: “Brazilian Nights and Beyond,” Benny Benack III Band: “Third Time’s the Charm” Album Celebration, Steve Ross, and Mingus Big Band.
Birdland Theater will present “Bouncin with Bud” Bud Powell Birthday Celebration, Bryce Edwards, Donnie McCaslin, Lonnie Plaxico, and Steve Smith Play the Music of Sonny Rollins, John Manzari, The Misterioso Quintet Plays Monk: Thelonious Monk Birthday Celebration, Bill Mays Trio, Steve Kuhn Trio, Gabrielle Stravelli Quintet Feat. Tim Armacost, and Ethan Iverson Trio with Buster Williams and Billy Hart.
See below for the full schedule! More information can be found at www.birdlandjazz.com
September 29 – October 1 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater“Bouncin with Bud” Bud Powell Birthday CelebrationOver his life in music, the singular master drummer Steve Smith has proven himself a dedicated practitioner of big band, rock, fusion, South Indian music, and straight ahead bebop. In this engagement, he celebrates the life of genius American pianist Bud Powell, the modern jazz innovator of the 1940s and 50s. Joined by bassist Lonnie Plaxico (bass) as well pianist Manuel Valera (of Smith’s Vital Information band), Smith presents Bud Powell’s seminal music, canonized as fundamental and unavoidable for the last 60 years of jazz. Bud Powell was born on September 27th, 1924 and would be 99 for this birthday celebration. Help Steve and crew wish the beloved pianist a happy birthday as they bounce through his radiant music.$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 1 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubMehmet Ali Sanlikol & WHATSNEXT? Featuring Anat Cohen & Miguel ZenónAn innovative composer and multi-instrumentalist of Turkish-American heritage, Mehmet Ali Sanlikol’s award-winning orchestral arrangements blend jazz large ensemble writing with Turkish traditional music, bringing listeners into transfixing sound-worlds and blazing new stylistic territory. With WHATSNEXT, Sanlikol organizes star-studded groups to deliver his original orchestral work, including concerts and recordings featuring saxophonist Dave Liebman, drummer Antonio Sanchez and trumpeter Tiger Okoshi—or, for this Sunday performance at Birdland, the exceptional clarinetist Anat Cohen and virtuosic saxophonist Miguel Zenón. They celebrate the release of his new album Turkish Hipster. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 2 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubJeff Harnar – “A Collective Cy: The Music of Cy Coleman”Jeff Harnar will return to the stage with “A Collective Cy,” celebrating the PS Classics album release of the songs of master songwriter Cy Coleman. Harnar salutes the Emmy, Grammy, Tony winner. Expect to hear standards like “The Best Is Yet to Come,” “Witchcraft,” “Hey, Look Me Over!,” “When in Rome,” as well as surprises from Coleman’s six-decade career that included Broadway hits like “Sweet Charity.” Alex Rybeck conducts The Rhythm of Life Quartet, with Jay Leonhart on bass, Ray Marchica on drums, and Marc Phaneuf on saxophone. The show is directed by Sara Louise Lazarus. Harnar is an award-winning cabaret, concert and recording artist. His Carnegie Hall appearances include both the Cole Porter and Noel Coward Centennial Galas. Jeff’s televised PBS concerts include “The 1959 Broadway Songbook” and NJPAC’s American Songbook, co-starring KT Sullivan. Jeff has won multiple MAC, Bistro and BroadwayWorld Cabaret Awards and The Noel Coward Foundation Cabaret Award. In 2022, Jeff released his fifth solo album, I Know Things Now: My Life in Sondheim’s Words, with a twenty-piece orchestra conducted by Jon Weber (PS Classics).$40 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 3-7 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (10/3-5); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (10/6-7) – Birdland Jazz ClubRon Carter’s Golden Striker TrioOne of the most celebrated bassists in the history of American music, Ron Carter will call Birdland home for three consecutive week-long engagements in October. The legendary artist has performed on over 2,000 albums since starting his career in the 1960s: besides a five-year stint with the iconic Miles Davis Quintet, Mr. Carter’s appearances with Bill Evans, B.B. King, Dexter Gordon, Jacki Byard, Cannonball Adderly, and countless others have cemented him as an inspiring sideman with a sound and concept second to none. As a leader, Mr. Carter has commanded ensembles from big band to trio, and with this engagement at Birdland Jazz Club, he opts for the trio: particularly, his famed Golden Striker Trio, which includes master musicians Russell Malone on guitar and Donald Vega on piano.$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 5 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland TheaterBryce Edwards’ Frivolity HourAfter years of cutting his teeth at Jim Caruso’s Cast Party, Bryce Edwards is thrilled and honored to be making his Birdland debut with his Frivolity Hour, a show that enthusiastically revives traditional jazz and popular music from the early 20th century. A vaudevillian troubadour, 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 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 (bass saxophone), Edwards revels in the idiosyncrasies and eccentricities of the sweet and raucous music of the 1910s, ‘20s, and ‘30s and 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. Steeped in jazz age novelty, Bryce Edwards takes frivolity very seriously, and vows to entertain his audience or die trying.$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 6-8 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland TheaterDonnie McCaslin, Lonnie Plaxico, and Steve Smith Play the Music of Sonny RollinsThe second tribute engagement in October with the venerable Steve Smith presiding at the drum set, this weekend—in honor of Sonny Rollins—will celebrate the saxophonist’s legendary achievements. Expect Sonny’s originals, such as “Airegin,” “Oleo,” and “Doxy,” which he recorded with Miles Davis, and “Strode Rode” and “St. Thomas” from his iconic Saxophone Colossus album. In addition, the band will perform standard material associated with Rollins, such as “I’m An Old Cowhand,” “Solitude,” and the appropriate “There Will Never Be Another You”—because There Will Never Be Another Sonny Rollins. Saxophonist McCaslin and bassist Plaxico have been major heavy-hitters of jazz for decades. They join Smith for three swinging nights. $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 8 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubJen Brett: “Mosaic”Acclaimed actress and vocalist Jen Brett brings her group, Mosaic, to Birdland for one Sunday evening performance! Brett has brought her talents across the globe—all the way from Alaska to Europe—and she makes this Birdland appearance back in her home city of New York. Playing a wide range of repertoire from jazz to rock to pop, Brett’s group will feature bassist Coleman Cook, drummer Ryan Knudsen, and Brett’s husband, the renowned Rick Westrip on guitar. Expect some new material as well as time-tested standards.$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 10-14 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (10/10-12); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (10/13-14) – Birdland Jazz ClubRon Carter’s Great Big BandOne of the most celebrated bassists in the history of American music, Ron Carter will call Birdland home for three consecutive week-long engagements in October. The legendary artist has performed on over 2,000 albums since starting his career in the 1960s: besides a five-year stint with the iconic Miles Davis Quintet, Mr. Carter’s appearances with Bill Evans, B.B. King, Dexter Gordon, Jacki Byard, Cannonball Adderly, and countless others have cemented him as an inspiring sideman with a sound and concept second to none. As a leader, Mr. Carter has commanded ensembles from big band to trio, 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.$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 12 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland TheaterJohn ManzariTap dancer and singer John Manzari returns to Birdland Theater with collaborator and friend, pianist Luther S. Allison. Fresh from his Broadway debut in Funny Girl, he features a selection of standards and debuts of original works. Manzari, a talent as melodic as he is rhythmic, promises to delight audiences with his creativity. Allison, a virtuosic musician, is joined by Jonathon Muir-Cotton on bass and Domo Branch on drums. Manzari is an Ovation Award and Helen Hayes Award nominated dancer, singer, actor, choreographer, and teacher. Stage credits include the Bessie Award winning production Ayodele Casel: Chasing Magic; 42nd Street, choreographed by Jared Grimes; Maurice Hines: Tappin’ Thru Life, featuring his mentor Maurice Hines; The Wiz is 40: A Celebration in Dance and Music, directed and choreographed by George Faison, and Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies. Concerts include his one man show John Manzari: The First Set, NY Pops Up, Spoleto Festival with Caleb Teicher, Fall for Dance, Amelia Island Dance Festival, Gold Coast Dance Festival, and Jacob’s Pillow with Luke Hickey. John can be seen in the documentary about his mentor “Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back” and the award-winning short film “Slip.”$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 13-15 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland TheaterThe Misterioso Quintet Plays Monk: Thelonious Monk Birthday CelebrationFor the third tribute engagement in October with drummer Steve Smith, this all-star quintet honors the great Thelonious Monk for what would be his 106th birthday. The Misterioso Quintet features Greg Osby on alto saxophone, Jon Irabagon on tenor, Ben Allison on bass, and a rotating piano chair of heavy-hitters: Helen Sung (Fri), Uri Caine (Sat), and Aaron Goldberg (Sun). They will perform some of Monk’s most beloved compositions: “Ruby My Dear,” the ballad for Monk’s first love; “Little Rootie Tutti,” written for his son, and the anthem “Thelonious.” $30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 15 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubMichael Davis Hip-Bone Big BandMichael Davis’s trombone-forward large ensemble features some of the instrument’s greatest virtuosi: Marshall Gilkes, Conrad Herwig, Michael Dease, Andy Martin, Bill Reichenbach, Nick Finzer and Bob McChesney. Davis writes powerhouse horn arrangements and hard-hitting anthems that span stylistic influences, making for modern and exciting listening. On the self-titled CD, Hip-Bone Big Band, he brings in the great Will Kennedy on drums, as well as his many masterful friends Scott Wenholdt, Charles Pillow and other greats. Davis’s resume includes works with The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bob Mintzer, Buddy Rich, Paul Simon, and Sarah Vaughan. Catch his fantastic band for this Sunday performance!$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 16 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubMaude Maggart – “Here Come The Dreamers”Maude Maggart, the singular cabaret artist, will debut a new show, “Here Come the Dreamers,” is a musical journey on the subject of dreams, and how they weave their way through The American Songbook and beyond. Since her debut in 2001, Maude has gained a loyal following and critical acclaim, performing across the United States and Europe; notably at Cafe Carlyle, and her longtime yearly engagement at The Oak Room of The Algonquin Hotel. Maude has been featured in Michael Feinstein’s “Standard Time” at Carnegie Hall, and “A Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor. She has also performed at Lincoln Center with Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, and sang for Dr. Cornel West’s celebration at Princeton University. On film, Maude can be seen in the Johnny Mercer documentary for TCM, “This Time the Dream’s On Me,” directed by Clint Eastwood. She has been the subject of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” and is a favorite of radio personality Jonathan Schwartz. Maude is featured on her sister Fiona Apple’s Grammy-award-winning album “Fetch the Bolt Cutters.” Maude has five solo albums,; including her latest, “Here Come the Dreamers.”$40 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 17-21 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (10/17-19); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (10/20-21) – Birdland Jazz ClubRon Carter’s Foursight QuartetOne of the most celebrated bassists in the history of American music, Ron Carter will call Birdland home for three consecutive week-long engagements in October. The legendary artist has performed on over 2,000 albums since starting his career in the 1960s: besides a five-year stint with the iconic Miles Davis Quintet, Mr. Carter’s appearances with Bill Evans, B.B. King, Dexter Gordon, Jacki Byard, Cannonball Adderly, and countless others have cemented him as an inspiring sideman with a sound and concept second to none. As a leader, Mr. Carter has commanded ensembles from big band to trio, and with this engagement at Birdland Jazz Club, he opts for a quartet: particularly, his famed Foursight Quartet, which includes Jimmy Greene on saxophone, Renee Rosnes on piano, and Payton Crossley on drums.$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 19 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland TheaterBill Mays TrioBill Mays has lived a beautiful life in modern music, performing in the piano chair for a long list of its greatest practitioners: singers Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow, Al Jarreau, and Anita O’Day; soloists Harold Land, Art Pepper, Sonny Stitt, Toots Theilmans, Clark Terry, Gerry Mulligan and Benny Golson; drummers Jimmy Cobb, Mel Lewis, and Shelly Manne; and in large ensembles such as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Maria Schneider’s group. A pianist of imagination, restraint, and exuberant power, he leads a creative and dynamic trio.$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 20-22 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland TheaterSteve Kuhn TrioJazz master Steve Kuhn was the pianist for modern jazz’s most revered icons: John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Coleman Hawkins, Scott Lafaro, Ron Carter, Kenny Dorham, Chet Baker, Art Farmer, Billy Cobham, Oliver Nelson, Lee Konitz, Jack Dejohnette, Al Foster, Bob Moses, Miroslav Vitous, Tom Harrell, Steve Swallow, Pete LaRoca, Lewis Nash, Buster Williams, George Mraz, Bill Stewart, Gary Peacock, Eddie Gomez, and just about anyone else with a pulse and the skills to make forward-thinking music of their time. Though he announced that he stopped touring in 2022, Kuhn makes a special appearance for three nights at the Birdland Theater. A veritable jazz legend, Kuhn is still very much a voice to be heard. Join him and his trio with Aidan O’Donnell on bass and Billy Drummond on drums.$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 22 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubNick Finzer Big BandAward winning composer, arranger, producer, educator and trombonist Nick Finzer is one of the most dynamic musicians of the millennial generation. Famed trombonist and mentor Wycliffe Gordon called Finzer “a new voice [in] the pantheon of upcoming trombone greats in the making.” Finzer’s resume boasts an impressive roster of positions within the bands of jazz greats, including Wynton Marsalis, Dafnis Prieto, and Bob Stewart. He is also featured on the 2019 GRAMMY-nominated recording Triple Helix with the Anat Cohen Tentet. Finzer’s latest album, Cast of Characters, was released on his universally loved label Outside in Music in early 2020. An accomplished cast of characters will join him for this large ensemble date at Birdland Jazz Club, where his lyrical creations will be on full display.$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 23 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubJamie de Roy & FriendsHostess and producer Jamie deRoy returns with her multi-MAC Award-winning variety show. Proceeds benefit The Entertainment Community Fund: Jamie deRoy & friends Cabaret Initiative. Special guests will be Tony Danza, Nikki M. James, Daisy Jopling, Nicolas King & Seth Sikes, and Steven Scott. The show is directed by Barry Kleinbort, and musical directed by Ron Abel, with Ritt Hennon bass and Ray Marchica on drums. This colorful cabaret series has been thrilling New York City audiences for the past 25 years and serves as the basis for de Roy’s award-winning cable television show which spotlights well-known entertainers and newcomers that are lighting up the marquees of cabaret, theater, music and comedy. Jamie deRoy has won three Tony Awards, eight MAC Awards, four Back Stage Bistro Awards and ten Telly Awards for her extensive work on both stage and screen.$75-40 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 24-25 (Tuesday-Wednesday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubFrank Catalano QuartetPossessing 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 two nights-worth of mighty performances by his quartet.$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 26 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland TheaterGabrielle Stravelli Quintet Feat. Tim ArmacostAward winning-vocalist Gabrielle Stravelli and Grammy-nominated saxophonist Tim Armacost make a formidable front line. In this hard-hitting quintet featuring pianist Josh Richman, bassist Pat O’Leary, and drummer Eric Halvorson, Gabrielle’s voice and Tim’s sax blend seamlessly—whether playing their original compositions or the group’s adventurous arrangements of material from songwriters diverse as the Beatles, Burt Bacharach, Hoagy Carmichael, or Fred Hersch. Stravelli has headlined international jazz festivals such as WBGO Jazz on the Mountain Festival, the All That Jazz Festival in Bahamas, and the Maree Sonore Festival in Venice; Dream Ago, her 2017 release primarily of original material, received a 5-star review from Downbeat, and her 2019 release celebrating Willie Nelson was featured in the Wall Street Journal. Armacost is one of the most formidable improvisers on the New York scene, his big tenor sound and impeccable rhythmic sense bringing him into the bands of masters Jimmy Cobb, Kenny Barron, Roy Hargrove, and Randy Brecker. One night only this October!$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 26-28 (Thursday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (10/26); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (10/27-8) – Birdland Jazz ClubKarrin Allyson: “Brazilian Nights and Beyond”Nominated for a whopping 5 Grammy awards, Karrin Allyson has lived a tremendous career in music. Her stylistic palette is broad: she has put out records addressing the music of Chopin, Jobim, Coltrane, Parker, Blakey, Ellington, and many others; and she shows no sign of losing the edge on her artistic daring. 2019’s Shoulder to Shoulder: Centennial Tribute to Women’s Suffrage features an all-star cast reflecting on the early 20th century suffrage movement with contemporary grooves and moving recitations of historical documents. Next, she visited the music of blues, folk, and country legend Bonnie Raitt for five nights at Birdland. What does she have in store for audiences at this three-night engagement? A trip to Brazil: featuring accordionist/pianist Vitor Goncalves, bassist Harvie S, and percussionist Rafael Barata. Not to be missed.$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 27-29 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland TheaterEthan Iverson Trio with Buster Williams and Billy HartAn icon and iconoclast, Ethan Iverson came to prominence as the co-founder and pianist in The Bad Plus, the visionary 2000s trio in which renegades Dave King, Reid Anderson, and Iverson merged indie rock with jazz. 17 years of work with this legendary modern group cemented Iverson’s presence in modern music, but it has been his deep interest in the history of the music, its traditions and its masters, that has kept him moving forward. Iverson’s recordings and performances with jazz drumming legends Billy Hart, Albert “Tootie” Heath, and Jack Dejohnette, or bass legends Buster Williams or Ron Carter have kept him on the rare fine line of the torch bearer: right between the cutting-edge and the devotionally traditional. His work with Mark Morris Dance Company, Joshua Redman, Mark Turner, and his Village Vanguard recordings are beloved due to Iverson’s idiosyncratic pianistic conception: a mischievous sensibility mixed with an encyclopedic knowledge of the music. He plays trio for three nights with two of jazz’s greatest.$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 29 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubBenny Benack III Band: “Third Time’s the Charm” Album CelebrationJoin BBIII for the release of his third solo recording! A trumpeter’s trumpeter with a true entertainer’s gift, Benny Benack’s boundless energy and charismatic crooning has earned him his spot at the front of his generation’s jazz talent. With trumpet chops in the legacy of Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Freddie Hubbard—and with a singing voice reminiscent of Sinatra and Mel Torme—Benny has brought his high spirits and remarkable virtuosity across the country and around the world. Appearing as a soloist with Josh Groban, Ben Folds and fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi, as well as with jazz bass extraordinaire Christian McBride, cabaret legend Ann Hampton-Callaway (at Birdland!), and several regarded philharmonic orchestras, Benack is a captivating figure to watch and hear. Join his as he debuts a collection of new original music with some special guests and great friends.$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 29 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubThe Yardbird Big Band directed by David DeJesusThe Yardbird Big Band, directed by David DeJesus, pays tribute to Birdland’s namesake, Charlie Parker. This band brings together some of the best musicians in New York City to play Bird’s songs, and DeJesus—an expert on the life of Charlie Parker—will guide audiences through this evening of iconic music. The songs may be classic, but the arrangements are fresh. $30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 30 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubSteve RossVocalist and pianist Steve Ross – widely heralded as “The Crown Prince of New York Cabaret” – returns in a special new show. 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
October 31 – November 4 (Tuesday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (10/31-11/2); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (11/3-4) – Birdland Jazz ClubMingus Big BandCelebrating the music of its founder Sue Mingus’s late husband, this Grammy-winning and 4-time Grammy-nominated ensemble plays with fire and imagination. The Mingus Big Band and its two sister ensembles, Mingus Dynasty and Mingus Orchestra, held a famed weekly residency in New York City for decades until the COVID-19 pandemic put them on pause. But they are still swinging as hard as ever, and with this 6-night run at the jazz club, they are bound to knock the socks off of their audience. Charles Mingus was known for powerful bass playing, his groundbreaking compositions of visionary genius, and his openness to the individual personalities of the members of his groups. The Mingus Big Band continues this legacy with a cast of New York’s most inventive, accomplished jazz musicians.$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
Monthly Engagements:October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (Mondays) 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Vince Giordano & The NighthawksCatch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks every Monday evening in October 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
October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (Mondays) 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubJim 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” will take advantage of the city’s post-pandemic nightlife renaissance to keep presenting a potent mix of Broadway stars, jazz swingers and cabaret legends, in addition to new faces and rising talent from every genre. The buoyant, sharp and charming Caruso guides the entire affair, while musical genius Billy Stritch (Liza Minnelli, Tony Bennett) holds court at the ivories and leads the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra (Steve Doyle on bass and Daniel Glass on drums). 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
October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (Tuesdays) 5:30 PM – Birdland TheaterThe Anderson Brothers Play Cole PorterJuilliard-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 Cole Porter.$30 + $20 food/drink minimum
October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (Tuesdays) 8:30 PM – Birdland TheaterThe 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
October 4, 11, 18, 25 (Wednesdays) 5:30 PM – Birdland TheaterDavid Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity BandInspired 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
October 4, 11, 18, 25 (Wednesdays) 8:30 PM – Birdland TheaterFrank Vignola’s Guitar NightIt’s the best jazz guitar lover’s show in the world. Frank Vignola’s virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Les Paul, the Boston and New York Pops, and more. Every Wednesday at 8:30pm in the Birdland Theater, Frank leads “Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night at Birdland.” Inspired by journeyman jazz guitarist John Pisano’s now famous Los Angeles Guitar Night, the Frank Vignola Trio, featuring bassist Gary Mazzaroppi and drummer Vince Cherico, will perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guests: Ed Cherry and Pasquale Grasso (guitars, 10/4), James Chirillo (guitar, 10/11), Pasquale Grasso Birthday Bash (guitar, 10/18), and Rodney Jones and Mark Whitfield (guitars, 10/25). *Guitar night streams live every week at YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
October 6, 13, 20, 27 (Fridays) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubThe Birdland Big BandEvery Friday, and for two headlining weeks a year, the “BBB” roars into action playing a thrilling and original mix of jazz, funk, Brazilian, Latin and world music for sold-out audiences. Featured weekly guest artists drop in from television bands (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live) and pop music touring bands (Rob Thomas, Rod Stewart). Come see for yourself why Time Out New York called the BBB “A completely unique experience… there isn’t another band like this anywhere,” and why yelp.com proclaims, “If you hear one band in NYC make sure this is it… and prepare to be blown away!”$30 + $20 food/drink minimum
October 7, 14, 21, 28 (Saturdays) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubEric Comstock & Barbara FasanoHailed 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
October 1, 8, 15, 22 (Sundays except 10/29) 8:30 & 10:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubThe Afro Latin Jazz OrchestraThe GRAMMY ® award winning 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. Twelve years of critically-acclaimed performances internationally have firmly established the ALJO as the standard-bearer for creative interpretation of Latin jazz greats such as Tito Puente, Frank “Machito” Grillo, and Chico O’Farrill, as well as the driving force behind new commissions from Latin music’s most talented composers and arrangers. $30 + $20 food/drink minimum