WHERE THE RHYTHM SWOOPS AND SWIRLS,
THIS REALLY IS THE JAZZ CORNER OF THE WORLD
From bands like The Hot Sardines, Hot Club of Cowtown and Maria Schneider Orchestra to cabaret stalwarts such as Karen Mason and Tedd Firth, there is nothing but excitement this month, March 2024, at Birdland Jazz Club — named after legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie “Yardbird” Parker — on 44th near 8th (Times Square). For those who haven’t visited in a few years, it’s becoming even more of a hotspot than it used to be. Now when I attend, shows are PACKED. This sophisticated, buddy-buddy 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 that feature solo acts to giant orchestras: 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 (the burger with bleu cheese and bacon ROCKS). Downstairs at Birdland Theater, where most of the same fare is available, the tables are set up more proscenium style — the powerful intimacy of both spaces is something to behold, especially when you get a big band like the DO-NOT-MISS Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks. Plus, four tickets and food and drinks are less than one ticket for one orchestra seat to a Broadway show. If you do have a ticketed Broadway show, I suggest catching a performance at Birdland before or after, as it’s an easy walk to or from your show in Times Square.
Here is the upcoming schedule for March, 2024.
February 27 – March 2 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (2/27-29); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (3/1-2) – Birdland Jazz ClubThe CookersOne 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 Craig Handy 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
March 1-2 (Friday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland TheaterDon Braden QuartetTenor Saxophonist, flute player, and composer Don Braden has toured the world with jazz legends Betty Carter, Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, Terumaso Hino, Mingus Big Band, Geri Allen, Art Farmer, J.J. Johnson, Tom Harrell, Mulgrew Miller and others. His 21 recordings as a leader—not to mention his compositions and arrangements for film and television programs on Nickelodeon and CBS—reveal a distinctive personal sound radiating joy and virtuosity. Braden is widely considered one of his generation’s foremost reedists and brings a quartet to this weekend at the Theater.$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 3 (Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland TheaterHilary Gardner and The Lonesome PinesVocalist Hilary Gardner’s quartet specializes in the nexus of jazz with the cowboy songs of the Old West. With in-demand bassist Noah Garabedian, virtuosic guitarist-vocalist Justin Poindexter, and immaculately tasteful drummer Aaron Thurston providing an easy-handed backbone, Gardner can float high above her Lonesome Pines on such romantic melodies as “Cowboy Serenade,” “I’m An Old Cowhand,” and “Lights of Old Santa Fe.” Gardner is a vocalist with vast experience: work spanning cinema, pop, Broadway, and straight-ahead jazz informs her sophisticated choices, and her jazz vocal group, DUCHESS, won Vocal Group of the Year (2021 & 2022) at the Jazz Journalists Association awards and Best Vocal Group (2021) in the Jazz Times Critics’ Poll. Gardner and her woebegone compatriots perform for two sets on this Sunday evening.$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 3 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubJon Gordon QuartetWith 14 albums as a leader to his name, and nestled in long-term company with some of the music’s greatest practitioners, Jon Gordon is a powerful force in saxophone whose quartet is sure to excite audiences. Gordon, a mentee of legendary Phil Woods and the 1st place winner of the Thelonious Monk Saxophone Competition in 1996, is known for his virtuosic technique, his rooted and soulful explorations, and his cerebral modernity. His latest recording, “Stranger Than Fiction,” was selected as one of 2021’s top 10 jazz releases by Hot House, Jazziz, Cadence, and The Winnipeg Free Press. Wayne Shorter stated, “Gordon has embraced the history of his instrument, carrying with it the ability to extend music as a universal language,” and All About Jazz calls him “easily one of the top alto saxophonists of his generation.” His New York appearance is not to be missed.$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 4 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubDavid MarinoRising young Canadian jazz vocalist David Marino – finalist on Canada’s edition of TV “The Voice” – will treat the Birdland audience to a mesmerizing and eclectic journey of jazzy renditions of everything from the Great American Songbook to beloved pop songs. Marino is also sure to sprinkle in some multilingual classics, from Italian hits to the great French songs of Michel Legrand and Charles Aznavour. Marino is joined by Grammy Award winner Billy Stritch on piano, Steve Doyle on bass, and Daniel Glass on drums. David Marino is taking the jazz world by storm with his undeniable charm, exceptional range and natural ability to connect with fans of all ages. Since winning acclaim as a finalist on Canada’s version of “The Voice” on TV, the 24 year-old Montreal native has performed across Canada at prestigious venues like Place Des Arts and is quickly being booked at venues across the Unites States as well. Marino has been called the best of Tony Bennett, the Rat Pack and Andrea Bocelli all rolled into one amazing voice. Marino is recording his debut album and is currently booking dates for his first U.S. west coast tour in the spring of 2024.$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 5-9 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/5-7); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (3/8-9) – Birdland Jazz ClubThe Hot SardinesStars of the trad-jazz world, The Hot Sardines bring early jazz into the modern day. With their love of classic jazz—jazz that feeds the heart and soul—bandleader Evan Palazzo, lead singer Elizabeth Bougerol and a New York-based ensemble have brought their music across the globe for years. Their brassy horn arrangements, rollicking piano melodies, smooth vocals and love for audience engagement earned them the respect of Downbeat Magazine, who called the group “one of the most delightfully energetic bands on New York’s ‘hot’ music scene.” The Hot Sardines have released five records since 2011 to critical acclaim. “Everything in our DNA is about connecting with the audience,” says Bougerol. Make sure not to miss this exciting night!$50 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 7 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland TheaterAlicyn YaffeeSinger, songwriter, and guitarist Alicyn Yaffee brings pensive lyrics, fretboard prowess, and lush vocals together with her electrifying contemporary jazz group. Part of the movement by millennial artists from Northern California to blend jazz and indie rock sensibilities, Yaffee represents a particularly intimate and authentic space in jazz music where the authentically modern meets the nostalgic and the reverential. Under her belt already are tours of Europe with Becca Stevens (Winner of Downbeat’s prestigious “Rising Star Vocalist” award); acting and guitar roles in Bacchae at the Classical Theater of Harlem; and an endorsement by PRS Guitars. Her debut album, Someone Else, features appearances by music greats such as Cindy Blackman Santana, Pepe Jimenez, Jeff Cressman and Ronnie Foster. Catch her on this Thursday night engagement at the Theater!$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 8-10 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland TheaterFlying High: Champian Fulton, Lezlie Harrison, Jane Monheit, Nicholas Payton, and moreThe new star-studded vocal group Flying High carries forth the legacy of the great female big band vocalists who went solo: Billie Holiday, Anita O’Day, Lena Horne, Peggy Lee, Jo Stafford, Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald, and others. Presented by California music non-profit Jazz At The Ballroom, the group features three powerful vocalists—Champian Fulton, Lezlie Harrison, Jane Monheit—accompanied by an incredible band of Nicholas Payton, Willie Jones III, and Neal Miner. Birdland fan-favorite Fulton serves as pianist and Artistic Director. Singing such classics as “Mad About The Boy,” “A Tisket A Tasket,” “Travelin’ Light,” and “Social Call,” this group delivers in a big way and highlights the trailblazing women of yesteryear with the trailblazers of today.$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 10 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubDan PugachThe acclaimed Dan Pugach is a drummer and composer based in New York whose explorations with his 9-piece ensemble, the Dan Pugach Nonet, have brought him the 2019 Grammy Nomination for Best Arrangement (Instruments with Vocals); the 2019 BMI Charlie Parker Composition Prize; the 2013 ASCAP Jazz Composer Award; and the 2011 ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award. Birdland favorite Nicole Zuraitis sings with the group—she herself just took home the 2024 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal album this past month. Pugach’s band is sure to delight audiences with intricate but open-hearted arrangements and fire-breathing performances.$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 11 (Monday) 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland TheaterVince Giordano & The NighthawksCatch 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
March 11 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubJeff Harnar – “It’s De-Lovely: Jeff Harnar Sings Cole Porter”Harnar’s show is a celebration of the words and music of the beloved songwriter that includes standards such as “Night and Day,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Begin the Beguine,” “Let’s Do It,” “At Long Last Love,” and surprises originally introduced by Danny Kaye and Jimmy Durante. He will be joined by music director Alex Rybeck. 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. His most recent albums are A Collective Cy (2023) and I Know Things Now: My Life in Sondheim’s Words (2022) from PS Classics.$40-50 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 12 (Tuesday) 5:30 PM – Birdland TheaterThe Andersons Play Richard RogersJuilliard-trained identical twins Peter and Will Anderson have been hailed as “virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone” by The New York Times. Their passion for classic jazz shines through each time they perform. Sharing the stage with some of the biggest acts in straight-ahead jazz—including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Wycliffe Gordon, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Paquito D’Rivera, and Wynton Marsalis—the brothers constitute a formidable force in front of an audience. They’ve headlined shows at Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and live on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion Radio Program. Birdland welcomes them every Tuesday in March. Spotlighting the music of legendary American composer Richard Rogers, the Anderson Brothers will deliver some straight-down-the-middle swinging.$30 + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 12-16 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/12-14); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (3/15-16) –Birdland Jazz ClubMaria Schneider OrchestraThe legendary, groundbreaking composer and arranger Maria Schneider returns to Birdland this February. Ms. Schneider’s music, which has received 7 GRAMMY wins and 14 nominations across jazz, classical and arranging categories, is regarded as some of the most evocative work of our contemporary artistic world. Her most recent project, the double-album Data Lords (2020)—called “the most daring work of Schneider’s career” by esteemed critic Nate Chinen—was a Finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize. It pits the digital world against the natural one in musical form to warn listeners of the profound dangers of Big Data and reacquaint them with their essential lifeforce. A living icon of music, Ms. Schneider’s week-long engagement is not to be missed.$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 13 (Wednesday) 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 minimumMarch 13 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM – Birdland TheaterFrank Vignola’s Guitar Night with special guests Audra Mariel and Chris FloryIt’s the best jazz guitar lover’s show in the world. Frank Vignola’s virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Les Paul, the Boston and New York Pops, and more. Every Wednesday at 8:30pm in the Birdland Theater, Frank leads “Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night at Birdland.” Inspired by journeyman jazz guitarist John Pisano’s now famous Los Angeles Guitar Night, the Frank Vignola Quartet, featuring pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Vince Cherico, will perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guests weekly. This week it’s Audra Mariel and Chris Flory. *Guitar night streams live every week at YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 14 (Thursday) 5:30 PM – Birdland TheaterThe High Society New Orleans Jazz BandLed 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 minimumMarch 14 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland TheaterTedd FirthTedd Firth is a renowned pianist, musical director, arranger and orchestrator. The consummate accompanist, Firth has worked with superstars Barbara Cook, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Maureen McGovern, Marilyn Maye, Joshua Bell, and many others. He has performed and/or recorded with jazz luminaries John Pizzarelli, Houston Person, Frank Wess, Mark Whitfield, Red Holloway, Benny Golson and Joe Morello. Firth recently served as the musical director for the original Broadway cast of Into The Woods and for Michael Feinstein’s “Jazz and Popular Song” concert series at Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is both a leader in his field and a truly humble music-maker. Appearances include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Blue Note, Birdland, the Iridium, and the White House. Firth brings a sensitive, swinging trio to serenade the Birdland Theater.$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 15 (Friday) 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!”$35 + $25 food/drink minimumMarch 15-17 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland TheaterHot Club of CowtownOne of the most revered groups in Western Swing, the Hot Club of Cowtown is a virtuosic trio performing at the top of their game. Since forming in 1998, the group—an exuberant storm of vocals, fiddle, guitar, and bass—has won a wide range of awards, including both Western Swing Group of the Year and Western Swing Female of the Year (2015, Ameripolitan Music Awards); Best Music Group (2012, Village Voice Jazz and Pop Poll); and induction into the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame (2004). 25 years after vocalist and fiddler Elana James joined forces with guitarist and vocalist Whit Smith, the group—which has performed the Glastonbury Festival, the National Folk Festivals of the US and Australia, Midsummer Night’s Swing at Lincoln Center, the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, and tours with Bob Dylan, The Avett Brothers, and Willie Nelson.$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 17 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubEmilio Solla & La Inestable de BrooklynGrammy-winning composer Emilio Solla calls this 9-piece orchestra La Inestable de Brooklyn. Comprised of celebrated musicians performing in an unusual configuration—two reedists, one trumpet, one trombone, accordion, violin, piano, double-bass and drums—the group garnered the attention of the The New York Times, which stated that “The virile throb of Astor Piazzolla’s nuevo tango was omnipresent in the pianist Emilio Solla’s stately pulse.” The ambitious master composer’s writing for the ensemble is eclectic: he utilizes small configurations of musicians from out of his larger 9 to represent everything from traditional tango and Latin American sounds to avant-explorations to the classicism of American jazz.$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 17 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubThe 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 minimumMarch 18 (Monday) 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland TheaterVince Giordano & The NighthawksCatch 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 minimumMarch 19 (Tuesday) 5:30 PM – Birdland TheaterThe Andersons Play Richard RogersJuilliard-trained identical twins Peter and Will Anderson have been hailed as “virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone” by The New York Times. Their passion for classic jazz shines through each time they perform. Sharing the stage with some of the biggest acts in straight-ahead jazz—including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Wycliffe Gordon, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Paquito D’Rivera, and Wynton Marsalis—the brothers constitute a formidable force in front of an audience. They’ve headlined shows at Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and live on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion Radio Program. Birdland welcomes them every Tuesday in March. Spotlighting the music of legendary American composer Richard Rogers, the Anderson Brothers will deliver some straight-down-the-middle swinging.$30 + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 19-23 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/19-21); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (3/22-23) –Birdland Jazz ClubChristian Sands TrioOnce a breathtaking piano prodigy employed by the great Christian McBride in his trio and his Inside Straight band, the consummate Christian Sands has since blossomed into a mature voice in music. With his 2020 release “Be Water,” Sands garnered an NAACP Image Award win and a Grammy nomination. His latest recording, “Christmas Stories,” offers fresh takes on classics featuring modern jazz greats Stefon Harris, Marvin Sewell, Keita Ogawa, and Jimmy Greene. Sands is a Steinway Artist and an American Pianists Association Jazz Fellowship Awards Finalist. He brings his group for the week at the jazz club.$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 20 (Wednesday) 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 minimumMarch 20 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM – Birdland TheaterFrank Vignola’s Guitar Night with special guest Tessa LarkIt’s the best jazz guitar lover’s show in the world. Frank Vignola’s virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Les Paul, the Boston and New York Pops, and more. Every Wednesday at 8:30pm in the Birdland Theater, Frank leads “Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night at Birdland.” Inspired by journeyman jazz guitarist John Pisano’s now famous Los Angeles Guitar Night, the Frank Vignola Quartet, featuring pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Vince Cherico, will perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guests weekly. This week it’s Tessa Lark. *Guitar night streams live every week at YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 21 (Tuesday) 5:30 PM – Birdland TheaterThe High Society New Orleans Jazz BandLed 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 minimumMarch 21 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland TheaterMichael Kanan TrioConsummate jazz pianist Michael Kanan has established himself as a voice in modern jazz with his versatility, his gorgeous touch, and his melodic sensibility. A student of the bebop masters, Kanan grew a reputation not only as a modern voice—performing extensively with peers Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Ben Street, and Jorge Rossy—but also as a vocal accompanist, touring the world with contemporary jazz vocal star, Jane Monheit. His own recordings on prominent Barcelona-based label, Fresh Sound New Talent, include The Gentleman Is a Dope and Convergence. He has performed on nearly 50 albums, including several with jazz vocal giant “Little” Jimmy Scott. He brings his swinging trio to Birdland Theater for one night. Don’t miss!$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 22 (Friday) 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!”$35 + $25 food/drink minimumMarch 22-24 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland TheaterJoe Alterman TrioEnjoy a night with Birdland favorite Joe Alterman as he celebrates the release of his new recording! Alterman is the pianist who Ramsey Lewis calls “a joy to behold”; who Les McCann calls “a giant”; and whose warm, upbeat pianism calls forth the exuberant wit of Ahmad Jamal, the blues of Red Garland, and the reflections of Bill Evans. An Atlanta native who has been performing in New York City for over ten years, his latest release is Joe Alterman Plays Les McCann: Big Mo & Little Joe (August 2023); he also released Solo Joe: Songs You Know in the same month. His prior recording, The Upside of Down, captured the power of two sets he played at Birdland in 2019 and 2020 in the months just preceding the pandemic. Alterman’s expertise lies in his ability to bring the heat on keys, conjuring up the down-home good feelings which we so badly need right about now. Perhaps this is why famed jazz critic Nat Hentoff says that the young pianist “would have been able to hold his own jamming with…Lester Young, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, and Duke Ellington.” Let Alterman and company swing you out of your seats. Really—don’t be surprised if you start dancing!$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 23 (Saturday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubLoston Harris DuoLoston Harris possesses a voice like the great big band singers and the consummate pianism of a Wynton Kelly or a Tommy Flanagan. This combination of outgoing performance and exuberant technical mastery is rare, but Harris has it in spades—and at Birdland, accompanied by the brilliant Gianluca Renzi on bass, Loston will bring his one-two punch to the stage for four Saturday nights in March. Harris’s life in jazz has included tutelage with some of the music’s greatest masters. He studied with Marsalis family patriarch, the pianist Ellis, on recommendation by the great Harry Connick Jr. after participating in the first Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition in Washington, D.C. Since then, Harris has wowed many a special audience: besides tours with the legendary Wynton Marsalis, or an appearance with piano genius Marcus Roberts on the PBS special “Portraits in Blue,” he was also the featured singer at George Clooney’s Birthday with John Mayer; Sarah Jessica Parker’s private Sex and the City movie after-party; Tom Cruise’s ICON Award Ceremony; and the Friar’s Club Gala honoring Don Rickles. Don’t miss the heavy-hitting crooner!$30 + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 24 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubCanadian Jazz Collective (CJC) SeptetThe Canadian Jazz Collective is a new group comprised of some of Canada’s most esteemed jazz artists. Led by Kirk MacDonald (saxophone), Derrick Gardner (trumpet), & Lorne Lofsky (guitar), and joined by Virginia MacDonald (clarinet), Neil Swainson (bass), Brian Dickinson (piano), and Austrian drummer Bernd Reiter, the exciting group is deeply grounded in the exuberant and profound lexicon of straight-ahead jazz while swinging with a freshly modern commitment. A large band filled with heavy-hitters, they have taken the stage around the world, with performances at Ronnie Scott’s, Duc Des Lombards, Germany’s Cafe Museum, and Toronto’s Jazz Bistro.$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimumMarch 24 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM – Birdland Jazz ClubThe 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
