Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater are proudly open this August with a full slate of nightly performances!
At Birdland Jazz Club, catch John Pizzarelli, Nancy Kelly, Gerry Gibbs Dream Band Ft. Ron Carter, Randy Brecker, Kenny Barron, and Chris Potter, Kelly Green Trio Album Release: “Corner of My Dreams”, Nicole Henry: “Summer’s Soul”, Oscar Peterson Centennial Celebration w/ Makoto Ozone, John Clayton, & Jeff Hamilton, Ben Jones & Laurence Hobgood, Jennifer Grimm & The Adi Yeshaya Jazz Orchestra, Frankie Moreno, Ken Peplowski: Bird With Strings, and Yardbird Big Band Directed by David DeJesus.
Birdland Theater will present Jonathan Stout with Hilary Alexander, Harry Allen Quartet, Oscar Peterson at 100: Centennial Celebration, “Tell It Like It Is”: Wayne Shorter Birthday Celebration, and The David DeJesus Boptet – Charlie Parker Birthday Celebration.
Repeat engagements include Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks, Jim Caruso’s Cast Party with Billy Stritch at the piano, David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night, The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band, The Birdland Big Band, Will Anderson and Friends, and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.
See below for the full schedule! More information can be found at www.birdlandjazz.com
July 29 – August 2 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (7/29-31); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (8/1-2) – Birdland Jazz Club
John Pizzarelli Trio
Internationally-acclaimed John Pizzarelli charms audiences with his warmth, sense of humor, and musical chops. Through his multifaceted career as a jazz guitarist, vocalist and bandleader, the son of the legendary New Jersey native guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli has become one of the most recognizable faces and voices in contemporary jazz for his interpretations of classic standards, romantic ballads and the cool jazz flavor he brings to his performances and recordings. The consummate guitarist has performed on the talk shows of Jimmy Fallon, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, and Regis Philbin, as well as at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. While maintaining a busy touring schedule, John also founded the beloved “Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli,” a nationally syndicated radio program co-hosted with his wife, Broadway star Jessica Molaskey. Long-time a Birdland favorite, Pizzarelli puts on a show you won’t want to miss. With Isaiah J. Thompson (piano) and Michael Karn (bass).
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
August 1-3 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Jonathan Stout Trio with Hilary Alexander
The Los Angeles-based Jonathan Stout’s love for jazz began when he started swing dancing as a high schooler. He quickly fell in love with the music—since then, this master of swinging early jazz guitar has recorded six albums with his band Campus Five; a solo guitar album; and an EP with his Close Shave Quartet. Stout has performed with a laundry list of great contemporary swing bands, including the Bonebreak Syncopators (led by DJ Bonebrake of the band X), Michael Gamble and his Rhythm Serenaders, The Mint Julep Jazz Band, Josh Collazo’s Candy Jacket Jazz Band, Keenan McKenzie and the Riffers, the Lucky Stars, and recorded with Barry Manilow. His musical partner, Hilary Alexander, is the co-bandleader and vocalist for all of the bands in the Campus Five family. The daughter of a jazz pianist and a Brazilian samba dancer, Alexander’s earliest days were soundtracked by jazz vocalists Anita O’Day, Betty Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Mae Morse, and Blossom Dearie. She has been a featured vocalist with the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra and Mora’s Modern Rhythmists. Alexander was also among the pioneering Los Angeles-area dancers that repopularized Lindy Hop in the late 1990s. She founded Camp Hollywood in 1998; now in its 27th year, it is one of the world’s most significant swing dance conventions, home of the National Jitterbug Championships, with over 1,000 dancers gathering from across five continents and 30 countries annually to perform.
$35 table / $25 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 3 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Nancy Kelly: “Be Cool” Album Release Celebration
The modern legend that is Nancy Kelly plays one night only in August at Birdland! A 2020 inductee to the Rochester Jazz Hall of Fame; 4x-SAMMY (Syracuse Area Music) Award-winner, including twice as Best Jazz Vocalist and once as 2006 Hall of Fame inductee; 2x Best Jazz Vocalist in the Downbeat Reader’s Poll; the recipient of the Unsung Heroine Award from the National Organization of Women; and the leader of 6 critically-acclaimed recordings; Nancy Kelly is an incredibly swinging vocalist and bandleader whose performances across U.S. and the globe have cemented her status as one of the idiom’s best contemporary practitioners. Performances with Houston Person, The Benny Goodman Orchestra, Harry Allen, Randy Brecker, Joey Defrancesco, Don Menza, Mark Murphy, Eric Reed, Tamir Hendelman, and (Tony Bennett drummer) Clayton Cameron have marked her illustrious 5-decade career. On this Sunday evening, Kelly celebrates the release of her latest outing, “Be Cool,” featuring veteran tenor saxophonist Jerry Weldon, virtuosically-grooving drummer Carmen Intorre, Jr., young phenom Charlie Sigler on guitar, and the exciting talent William Gorman on organ…plus a surprise guest. Expect ultra-soulful, down-home renditions of familiar standards, as well as both bop tunes and pop tunes. Not to be missed.
$35 table / $25 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 4 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
“My Fanny Valentine” – Julie Benko Sings Richard Rodgers
Julie Benko (Funny Girl, Harmony) returns to Birdland for My Fanny Valentine, a celebration of Richard Rodgers’ timeless music. Joined by Jason Yeager (piano), Michael O’Brien (bass), and Gabe Terraciano (violin), Benko reimagines classics from Rodgers’ collaborations with Hart and Hammerstein, blending sophisticated swing with fresh storytelling. Benko is best known for her 180+ performances as Fanny Brice in Broadway’s Funny Girl, earning the Dorothy Loudon Award and being named a Breakout Star by The New York Times. She originated the role of Ruth in Harmony, and her album Hand in Hand (Club44 Records) with husband Yeager won the BroadwayWorld Award for Best Commercial Album. A concert headliner and actor with numerous regional, Off-Broadway, and upcoming film credits, Benko is also a rising social media personality.
$40 table / $40 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 5-9 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (8/5-7); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (8/8-9) – Birdland Jazz Club
Gerry Gibbs Dream Band Ft. Ron Carter, Randy Brecker, Kenny Barron, and Chris Potter
Drummer extraordinaire Gerry Gibbs has performed with the greatest names in music, including McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Alice Coltrane, Patrice Rushen, Sarah Vaughan, Roy Hargrove, James Moody, and so many others. The son of famed bebop vibraphonist Terry Gibbs, drummer Gerry grew up inside the world of jazz. His own recordings have garnered many awards, including #1 spots on national and international jazz radio charts and a 2014 Grammy nomination for his Thrasher Dream Trio. Gibbs’s technical prowess, modernist edge, and deeply tradition-steeped approach make him one of jazz’s most exciting drummers to watch. He brings his (literal) Dream Band to a week at Birdland, featuring some of the music’s most revered names: Ron Carter (bass), Randy Brecker (trumpet), Kenny Barron (piano), and Chris Potter (saxophones).
$50 table / $40 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 8 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Harry Allen Quartet
The saxophonist that John Pizzarelli has called “Nothing less than perfect,” Harry Allen is the consummate swinger. A veteran of jazz music, Allen was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2024 and, in 2020, into the Jazz Monsters Hall of Fame at SOKA University of America. He has recorded over 70 discs as a leader—three of which winning Gold Disc Awards from Japan’s Swing Journal, and his album Tenors Anyone? winning both the Gold Disc and the New Star Award. Allen’s work with Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Ray Brown, Hank Jones, Frank Wess, Flip Phillips, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Kenny Burrell, Herb Ellis, John Pizzarelli, Bucky Pizzarelli, Gus Johnson, Jeff Hamilton, Johnny Mandel, James Taylor, and Sheryl Crow—to name a few—places him in an elite class, but he is no snob: in fact, what makes Harry Allen so great is his down-to-earth playing, his love of the music. His off-the-cuff style needs no set-lists. For these three nights at Birdland, he is sure to start and end swinging. What happens along the way will undoubtedly be pure magic.
$40 table / $30 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 10 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Kelly Green Trio Album Release: “Corner of My Dreams”
Celebrating the release of her fifth and latest album, Steinway Artist Kelly Green will perform with her trio of Evan Hyde (drums) and Luca Soul Rosenfeld (bass). In 2024, Green debuted at Birdland late last year with the release of her album “Seems,” joining forces with the string quartet O Kwarteto Collective. Known for her intricate lyric-driven arrangements of jazz standards and for her auspicious “outside-the-box” original compositions, this triple-threat pianist, vocalist, and composer Kelly Green—whom Christian McBride has called “one of the most talented and spirited people I know”—will provide something special for every listener. This is a performance you will not want to miss. Come celebrate “Corner of My Dreams”!
$40 table / $30 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 11 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Nicole Henry: “Summer’s Soul”
Singer Nicole Henry and her band return to Birdland, this time with “Summer’s Soul”! The New York Times, Miami Herald, and Jazz Times Magazine have compared the powerhouse jazz vocalist to Sarah Vaughan, Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston for her dynamic range, impeccable phrasing, and ability to connect to a lyric. Whether burning through a swing tune or gently caressing a ballad, Nicole truly makes each song uniquely her own, “aim[ing] right for the emotional center” (Billboard). Celebrating a 20-year recording career with 8 critically acclaimed chart-topping CDs, Henry is the recipient of a Soul Train Award for “Best Traditional Jazz Performance,” and she has garnered four top-ten jazz albums on the U.S. Billboard, JazzWeek, HMV Japan (“Best New Jazz Artist”), and U.K. Sweet Rhythms charts. Hot House Jazz said, “few voices can set a listening room on fire, then let it burn into a cinder like Nicole Henry’s.” An all-star cast backs her up: the greats Shedrick Mitchell on piano, Richie Goods on bass and Mike Piolet on drums. Expect classic jazz and classic soul, spanning from Bye-Bye Birdie’s “A Lot of Living to Do” to McCoy Tyner’s “You Taught My Heart to Sing,” and everywhere in between.
$40 table / $40 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 12-16 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (8/12-14); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (8/15-16) – Birdland Jazz Club
Oscar Peterson Centennial Celebration w/ Makoto Ozone, John Clayton, & Jeff Hamilton
A very special date approaches: on August 15, 2025, the “Maharajah of the Keyboard,” jazz’s genius pianist Oscar Peterson would turn 100 years old. Birdland commemorates his towering legacy in music—one of deep-pocket swing, breakneck tempos, and refined creative elegance—with shows in both the Jazz Club and the Theater. Upstairs at the club, catch three legends of jazz, all acolytes of Peterson’s, performing for the first time together on Birdland’s stage. Master pianist Makoto Ozone switched from classical to jazz after hearing an Oscar Peterson recording at age 12; he met and performed for Oscar later in life. Jeff Hamilton served as Peterson’s drummer for five years of the 90s, and played with Peterson bassist Ray Brown’s trio for years more than that. His longtime partner in time, John Clayton performed and studied with Ray Brown—and so, together, they form a kind of perfect triangle to celebrate 100 years of their late hero. Expect some of OP’s most beloved repertoire, and come ready to tap that foot—it’s going to be a swinging week.
$50 table / $40 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 15-17 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Oscar Peterson at 100: Centennial Celebration
Celebrate the life of one of jazz’s most pivotal stylists and genius artists: Oscar Peterson! OP would have turned 100 years old on August 15th, 2025—so, for this week, we commemorate the towering legacy of the “Maharajah of the Keyboard” at both the Jazz Club and the Theater. That legacy is one of deep-pocket swing, breakneck speed, and refined creative elegance—all of which will find their way into these three nights with three separate pianists: Robi Botos (8/15); Champion Fulton (8/16); and Ben Paterson (8/17). Brandi Disterheft on bass and Jim Doxas on drums.
$40 table / $30 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 17 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Sarah Hanahan Quartet
Powerhouse saxophonist Sarah Hanahan brings her quartet to the Birdland stage for the first time! One of the most talked-about young artists on the New York scene, Hanahan is a virtuosic, soulful, and spiritual reedist who carries forth the legacy of prophetically swinging saxophonists like Jackie McLean, Gary Bartz, and Kenny Garrett. Chosen as one of NPR Jazz Night in America’s 30 Under 30 Youngbloods, she has made a mark performing with Jeff “Tain” Watts, Nat Reeves, Marc Cary, Billy Hart, Jason Moran, Joe Farnsworth, Peter Washington, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Nicholas Payton, the Mingus Big Band, Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, and Ulysses Owens and Generation Y. Her debut recording, Among Giants (Blue Engine, 2024), received a rare 5-star review in Downbeat Magazine and was included in their Best Albums of the Year for 2024. Expect rich compositions with strong melodies, breathtaking improvisations, and exciting interplay.
$35 table / $25 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 18 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Ben Jones & Laurence Hobgood
On Monday, August 18 at 7pm, award-winning vocalist Ben Jones and Grammy-winning pianist Laurence Hobgood join forces for a concert that’s raw, refined, and transcendent. Stripping beloved songs down to their essence—just voice and piano—the duo creates a seamless, high-wire act of intimacy and virtuosity. No band, no filler, no fourth wall. Expect reimagined classics from jazz, Broadway, and pop, woven together by improvised transitions into a singular arc. Ben Jones is a singer, comedian, storyteller, and actor who has performed worldwide—from the Edinburgh Festival to the Shanghai Concert Hall—sharing the spotlight with artists like Rita Moreno, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Nathan Gunn. He recently starred as Sid Sorokin in The Pajama Game in San Francisco, earning a Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award, and his solo shows I Think I’m in Love and I Think We Should See Other People were named among BroadwayWorld’s “Best of 2022.” Laurence Hobgood is a Grammy-winning pianist, composer, and Yamaha Artist, best known for his 20-year collaboration with Kurt Elling. He’s performed at Carnegie Hall, the White House, and the Sydney Opera House, and appeared on NPR’s Jazz Night in America.
$40 table / $40 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 22-24 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
“Tell It Like It Is”: Wayne Shorter Birthday Celebration
At Birdland, August doesn’t JUST mean the birth month of our namesake, Charlie “Yardbird” Parker (August 29th, 1920): it also means the birth month of a subsequent saxophone devotee, the legendary Wayne Shorter on August 25th, 1933. To honor the incredible Shorter, an all-star band plays songs from throughout his storied career. Wayne Escoferry (tenor sax), Helen Sung (piano), Lonnie Plaxico (bass), and Billy Drummond (drums) will perform Wayne’s best compositions: “Toys In The Attic” and the provocatively titled “Tell It Like It Is” will represent the Blakey years; “Armageddon,” “Footprints,” “Infant Eyes,” “Tom Thumb,” and “Yes and No” from Shorter’s Blue Note Records years; and classics like “Pinocchio” will evoke his tenure with Miles Davis’s second quintet.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
August 24 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Jennifer Grimm & The Adi Yeshaya Jazz Orchestra
Join talented vocalist Jennifer Grimm as she sings with the Adi Yeshaya Jazz Orchestra! Israeli-American composer and arranger Adi Yeshaya has worked with major artists such as Prince, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Lena Horne, Doc Severinsen and Burt Bacharach, as well as major programs such as The Swiss Jazzaar Jazz Festival and NBC’s The Voice. He currently sits on faculty at Berklee College of Music. For his Big Band, Adi writes and arranges with a wide stylistic range: from a toe-tapping swinging aesthetic to a modern funk-Latin-fusion sound, Yeshaya gets the most out of his arrangements—both danceable and sensitive, adventurous and classic. Jennifer Grimm grew up singing on the road with her family’s variety act. Since then she has performed at Carnegie Hall; starred in My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra; and sang on Garrison Keillor’s Rhubarb Show. Featured with Yeshaya’s Jazz Orchestra, she performs for one Sunday evening at Birdland.
$35 table / $25 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 25 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Frankie Moreno
On Monday, August 25 at 7pm, genre-blurring rock ’n’ roller Frankie Moreno brings his electrifying TRIO show to Birdland, joined by his brother Tony Moreno on bass and son Giovanni Moreno on drums. Expect a high-octane night of hits, fan favorites, and musical fireworks. With 18 Top-Ten albums (9 No. 1s), nearly 150 Top-Ten singles, and five “Las Vegas Headliner of the Year” awards, Moreno continues to break records and dazzle crowds coast to coast. In 2019, he became the only artist to land six albums in Billboard’s Top Ten within a single year. A child prodigy and gifted multi-instrumentalist, Moreno first appeared on CBS’s Star Search at age 10, and later performed his hit “Tangerine Honey” on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. He’s performed sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Hollywood Bowl, and beyond. Moreno’s collaborations with violinist Joshua Bell produced two Billboard hits and featured artists like Sting, Gloria Estefan, and Chick Corea. He’s toured with Sugarland and Billy Currington, served as musical director for Air Supply, and performed his own original works with leading U.S. symphonies. An all-around talent, Frankie Moreno will light up Birdland for one night only—don’t miss!
$75 VIP / $40 table / $40 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 26-30 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (8/26-28); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (8/29-30) – Birdland Jazz Club
Ken Peplowski: Bird With Strings
In April of last year, Cleveland native tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Ken Peplowski, “…arguably the greatest living jazz clarinetist” (BBC), celebrated the release of a new landmark recording, “Unheard Bird.” The legendary Charlie Parker’s best-loved album, “Charlie Parker with Strings,” was originally released in 1950, but a number of his arrangements were never recorded. They ended up in the hands of Peplowski, who went into the studio with a masterful band featuring Eric Marienthal (alto sax), Glenn Zaleski (piano), Peter Washington (bass), and Willie Jones III (drums), plus a 7-piece orchestra (3 violins, viola, cello, harp, and oboe) directed by Loren Schoenberg. To celebrate Parker’s 105th birthday (August 29th, 1920), Peplowksi will present Bird With Strings, performing both the heard and the unheard arrangements of the “Yardbird”’s iconic 1950 recording project. Not to be missed!
$45 table / $35 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 29-31 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
The David DeJesus Boptet – Charlie Parker Birthday Celebration
Celebrate Charlie “Yardbird” Parker, the giant of American music and namesake of Birdland Jazz Club, on his birthday weekend! To honor this legend, born August 29th, 1920, Birdland Theater presents David DeJesus and his ensemble, the Boptet. Alto saxophonist DeJesus is a master musician fluent across Latin, jazz and dozens of other styles, and he is an expert on the life of Charlie Parker. He serves, too, as the director of the Birdland Big Band, and has been a fixture on the New York City music scene for three decades, performing with the best of the best: the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band, the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars, Ron Carter’s Great Big Band, and Jimmy Heath’s Big Band; the Grammy-nominated Arturo O’Farrill Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Bobby Sanabria Big Band, Ruben Blades, Larry Harlow, and Gilberto Santa Rosa. DeJesus is also a passionate educator, serving as Professor of Jazz Studies at SUNY Purchase and directing the conservatory’s Latin Jazz Orchestra. Gather to celebrate this weekend: Bird lives!
$40 table / $30 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
August 31 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Yardbird Big Band Directed by David DeJesus
Birdland celebrates Charlie “Yardbird” Parker’s birthday! Born August 29th, 1920, the genius of music would be 105 at the end of this month. Birdland Jazz Club honors his life and legacy with a performance wholly dedicated to the Bird’s trailblazing genius. On August 31st, join the Yardbird Big Band, directed by David DeJesus, for a tribute to the great master. This little big band—or maybe it’s a large small band!—brings together 11 of the best musicians in New York City to play the great 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 with this bebop big band!
$40 table / $30 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum
Monthly Engagements:
August 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 (Mondays and Tuesdays) 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks
Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks every Monday and Tuesday evening in August 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
August 4, 11, 18, 25 (Mondays) 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
Step into the glittering world of Jim Caruso’s Cast Party, the legendary weekly open mic night that turns Birdland into the ultimate showbiz playground! Every Monday, the iconic venue transforms into a raucous, star-studded celebration of music, comedy, and jaw-dropping talent, where seasoned pros and up-and-coming performers share the stage in an unforgettable, high-energy variety show. Leading the charge is the ever-dapper Jim Caruso. With his signature charm and boundless enthusiasm, Caruso keeps the night moving at a thrilling pace, welcoming Broadway belters, jazz virtuosos, master tappers, and the occasional surprise megastar drop-in! Fueling the musical magic is the incomparable trio of powerhouse musicians: the dazzling Billy Stritch at the piano, the rock-solid Steve Doyle on bass, and the dynamic Daniel Glass on drums. Together, they create a swinging, electrifying sound that transforms every performance into a showstopping moment. From Tony and Oscar winners to hopeful newcomers, Cast Party is where talent shines, friendships are forged, and the spirit of live performance is alive and thriving. Whether you’re gracing the stage or cheering from the audience, one thing’s for sure—you never know who might take the mic next! Join the party every Monday night at Birdland and witness why Jim Caruso’s Cast Party remains a can’t-miss New York City tradition.
$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
August 6, 13, 20, 27 (Wednesdays) 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 25th 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!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
August 6, 13, 20, 27 (Wednesdays) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night
It’s the best jazz guitar lover’s show in the world. Frank Vignola’s virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Les Paul, the Boston and New York Pops, and more. Every Wednesday at 8:30pm in the Birdland Theater, Frank leads “Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night at Birdland.” Inspired by journeyman jazz guitarist John Pisano’s now famous Los Angeles Guitar Night, the Frank Vignola Quartet, featuring pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Alex Raderman, perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guests weekly. In August, catch Jimmy Bruno and Jonathan Stout (guitars, 8/6); Rodney Jones (guitar, 8/13); Freddie Bryant and Pasquale Grasso (guitars, 8/20); Dave Stryker (guitar, 8/27).
**Guitar night streams live every week at: YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
August 7, 14, 21, 28 (Thursdays) 5:30 PM & 8:30 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 group which for decades has served as Woody Allen’s band of choice in his movies, concert tours and other performances—including, on the silver screen, the celebrated Wild Man Blues, Sweet and Lowdown, Midnight in Paris, Blue Jasmine, Cafe Society, Magic In The Moonlight, and A Rainy Day In New York. Appearing on all the premiere concert stages of Europe and the United States, the group features 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), and Kevin Dorn (drums). Catch them each Thursday at Birdland Theater.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 (Fridays) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
The Birdland Big Band
Every Friday, and for two headlining weeks a year, the “BBB” roars into action playing a thrilling and original mix of jazz, funk, Brazilian, Latin and world music for sold-out audiences. Featured weekly guest artists drop in from television bands (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live) and pop music touring bands (Rob Thomas, Rod Stewart). Come see for yourself why Time Out New York called the BBB “A completely unique experience… there isn’t another band like this anywhere,” and why yelp.com proclaims, “If you hear one band in NYC make sure this is it… and prepare to be blown away!”
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (Saturdays) 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Will Anderson and Friends
Will Anderson has been hailed as a “virtuos[o] on clarinet and saxophone” by The New York Times. His passion for classic jazz shines through each time he performs. Comprising half of a long-standing duo project with identical twin Pete Anderson, Will (and his brother) have 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. Together and apart, they constitute a formidable force, headlining 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 Will every Saturday in August as he and his brilliant friends deliver their no-funny-business, straight-down-the-middle, jazz-lover’s type of jazz. Special guests include Pete Anderson (reeds, 8/2); Sam Chess (trombone, 8/9); Jon-Erik Kellso (trumpet (replacing Anderson), 8/16); Mike Davis (trumpet, 8/23); Joseph Boga (trumpet, 8/30).
$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (Sundays) 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 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum