Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater are proudly open this March with a full slate of nightly performances! Come celebrate the holidays with us!
At Birdland Jazz Club, catch The Boss Baritones, Frankie Moreno, John Pizzarelli, Eyal Vilner Big Band, Elizabeth Gillies, Anat Cohen Quartet, Ricky Alexander: Album Release “Ragology”, Miss Maybell & Her Ragtime Romeos, Frank Catalano Quartet, Kurt Elling with the Future of Jazz Orchestra, Aubrey Johnson Album Release Party, Champian Fulton & Klas Lindquist Present The Nonet, Emmet Cohen Presents Miles & Trane Centennial, Lew Tabackin Quartet, Karen Mason’s Birdland Birthday Bash, and UNLIMITED MILES: Miles Davis at 100.
Birdland Theater will present Gunhild Carling, Tony DeSare’s Billy Joel Songbook, Frank Vignola’s Django Reinhardt Celebration, Orrin Evans Trio, Flying High: Still Soaring.
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, The Anderson Brothers and Friends, and The Birdland Latin Jazz Orchestra.
See below for the full schedule! More information can be found at www.birdlandjazz.com
February 27 – March 1 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Gunhild Carling
International sensation, virtuoso multi-instrumentalist, vocalist extraordinaire—shall we say, conceptualist? The real question is: what can’t you say about Gunhild Carling? She seems to do it all: performing on trumpet, trombone, bagpipes, drums, piano, bass, three trumpets at once, a trumpet balanced vertically using no hands, all on one song which she is singing. Carling continuously proves she will break any limitation in front of her. And with her feel-good revival of 1920s hot swing, this brilliant entertainer makes audiences smile and dance as she wows them with unheard-of talents. Born to a family where everyone played multiple instruments, Carling began touring Europe as a girl; since then she has performed with the Count Basie Orchestra, the WDR Big Band, Sabrina Carpenter, Macy Gray, Scott Bradlee’s Post Modern Jukebox, and countless others; and she has been delivered her amazing show on America’s Got Talent, Sweden’s Dancing With the Stars, ABC News, and in her online videos which have garnered over 70 million views. Carling is known to put the 1920s twist on popular contemporary songs such as Madonna’s “Material Girl,” Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” and Pharrell’s “Happy.” Expect a weekend of delightful surprises!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 1 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
The Boss Baritones
There is a palpable kinship between Gary Smulyan and Frank Basile. Maybe it lies in the shape of their Max Roach-style eyeglasses, or in their dead-giveaway grins, or maybe in the even obvious colossal baritone saxophones they both hold lovingly in their arms. The two men are widely-respected voices on the life-sized instrument, each leading their own groups and performing as some of the most active sidemen in jazz. A 6-time Grammy-winner, Smulyan joined Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd in 1978 and took the baritone chair in the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band in 1980—a position he has kept through today, 46 years later, performing at the Village Vanguard every Monday night now as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. He has worked with Freddie Hubbard, Gene Harris, Joe Henderson, Joe Lovano, and Michel Camilo, George Coleman, and countless others. Smulyan’s younger counterpart Basile has been dubbed a “prized sideman” by The New Yorker, and deemed a “Rising Star” by Downbeat. Called upon to perform with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, Jimmy Heath Big Band, Bob Mintzer Big Band, Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra, Christian McBride Big Band, Count Basie Orchestra, and the Duke Ellington Orchestra, he forms a deserving foil for Smulyan in The Boss Baritones as the two friendly saxophonists recall the storied lineage of great 2-tenor pairings in jazz. After several beloved shows at Smalls Jazz Club and a recording entitled “The Boss Baritones” on Steeplechase in 2024, this dynamic duo will set the stage ablaze at the Jazz Club for one Sunday evening only.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 2 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Frankie Moreno
Genre-blurring rock ’n’ roller Frankie Moreno brings his electrifying 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 tables / $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 3-7 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/3-5); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (3/6-7) – Birdland Jazz Club
John Pizzarelli
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. He celebrates the release of his new album, “Dear Mr. Bennett” – a tribute to the great Tony Bennett, out this month via Green Hill Music – with his trio all week long.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 6-8 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Tony DeSare’s Billy Joel Songbook
The excellent jazz vocalist and pianist Tony DeSare, named a Rising Star Male Vocalist by Downbeat Magazine, has released 11 albums of music, delivering a gem of a recording to his fans almost every year, with 4 of them reaching top 10 positions on the Billboard jazz charts. A crooner’s crooner, he is a master interpreter of the American Songbook who has performed as a featured guest on the CBS Early Show, NPR, A Prairie Home Companion, and the Today Show. Over the course of his career, Desare has also ventured into pop classics by Carole King, Prince, and the Beatles; and while he remains proudly a descendant of the Rat Pack singers and the swinging tradition, he has also carved out space as an interpreter of songs further outside his genre’s norm, covering New Order, Philip Bailey, and Bob Dylan. His smooth, clear voice and his entertainer’s sensibility landed DeSare in long-time collaboration with jazz giant Bucky Pizzarelli and in shows like Our Sinatra. Now a veteran of the music, DeSare will deliver a weekend at the Theater that delivers the music of an artist who, though a household name, is an uncommon candidate for jazz interpretation: the great Billy Joel. The talented DeSare is sure to make the audience swoon!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 8 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Eyal Vilner Big Band
“One of the more notable swing dance orchestras in the world” -– Downbeat Magazine. Raised in the thriving jazz community in Tel Aviv and long a supporter of contemporary swing revival, Eyal Vilner has earned a name for himself in New York City over the past nearly twenty years, bringing his joyful big band sound to top clubs such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Midsummer Night Swing, Birdland, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Smalls Jazz Club, Minton’s Playhouse, The Django, Battle of the Big Bands on the Intrepid, Swing ReMix, Swing 46 and Central Park SummerStage, as well as the Joyce Theater, Jacob’s Pillow and the LA Music Center. The big band’s first five albums: Introducing the Eyal Vilner Big Band, Almost Sunrise, Hanukkah, Swing Out!, and the quarantine-era live-in-Washington-Square-Park document, The Jam!, were widely played on US and Canadian radio. The band is as swinging as ever as they release their latest effort. Don’t miss this release celebration at Birdland for the Eyal Vilner Big Band’s debut of Big Apple Stomp!” “Vilner’s compositions were written with dancing in mind,” writes All About Jazz, so “it’s hard to keep the toes from tapping.”
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 9 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Elizabeth Gillies
Elizabeth Gillies will make her solo concert debut at the iconic Birdland! This one-night only event promises a soulful, shimmering celebration of jazz standards and generational classics, featuring music made famous by legends including Peggy Lee and Nancy Wilson alongside additional timeless selections. Fresh off her acclaimed turn in Little Shop of Horrors, Gillies brings her rich, expressive voice and deep musicality to Birdland’s storied stage, offering audiences an intimate look at her lifelong love of classic American song. Gillies is an actress, singer, and director best known for her starring role as Fallon Carrington on the hit Netflix series Dynasty. She made her Broadway debut at age 15 in 13, written by Jason Robert Brown, and rose to widespread fame as Jade West on Nickelodeon’s Victorious. Later, she starred opposite Denis Leary in the FX series Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. Beyond acting, Gillies is a devoted vocalist and recording artist, releasing two albums alongside longtime friend and collaborator Seth MacFarlane (as well as two new singles, released in 2024). Don’t miss a rare opportunity to experience Elizabeth Gillies live and in her element—up close, swinging, and fully at home in the beloved Great American Songbook.
$100 VIP tables / $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 10-14 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/10-12); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (3/13-14) – Birdland Jazz Club
Anat Cohen Quartet
Anat Cohen—the Grammy-nominated clarinetist and saxophonist beloved at Birdland for her guest appearances with David Ostwald’s Monday night residency band—is a forward-thinking artist whose love of authentic trad-jazz stylings is only one aspect of a broad-ranging and powerfully contemporary body of work. Her inventive, chamber-style group debuted in 2022 with Quarteninho and followed up with Bloom in 2024, both on Anzic Records. Spanning flamenco, tango, and Afro‑Brazilian dance—alongside sparkling renditions of Thelonious Monk—she incorporated accordion, marimba, percussion, and guitar with her warmly bold work as a reedist. Sold-out world tours, major awards, legions of fans, profiles by NPR’s Fresh Air and The New York Times flow from the affecting energy of this virtuosic musician. She brings a quartet of veteran artists and long-time collaborators Matt Wilson (drums), Martin Wind (bass), and Gary Versace (piano).
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 13-15 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Frank Vignola’s Django Reinhardt Celebration
Frank Vignola, leader of Birdland’s famed weekly Guitar Nights, headlines at the Theater for a 3-night engagement celebrating the music of Django Reinhardt! Featuring the great gypsy jazz guitarists Joscho Stephan and John Jorgensen with regular Guitar Night bassist Gary Mazzaroppi (as well as guitarist Jonathan Stout on Saturday night), Vignola will lead audiences through the fascinating musical world which Django fearlessly pioneered. Reinhardt’s music was some of the first that Vignola learned in his study of guitar. Indeed, it was his first tribute to the Hot Club Of France in 1988 that prompted the New York Times to call him one of the Top 10 acts of the year, and inspired others to record albums dedicated to the music of Reinhardt’s all-string quintet. He released 100 Years Of Django in early 2010, making this run of shows a 16 year affair. Sure to be both rollicking and intimate—don’t miss!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 15 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Ricky Alexander: Album Release “Ragology”
Celebrate Ragology! New York City’s own Ricky Alexander is a sought-after sideman who can be heard playing in the city’s top jazz clubs and music venues every night of the week. A favorite for Jazz Age performers such as Grammy-Award-winning Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, Gordon Webster, Sweet Megg, Tatiana Eva Marie, Dandy Wellington, and The Revisionists Jazz Band— all of whom savor Alexander’s warm sound, his bouncing rhythm lines, and his brilliantly-phrased solo flights—the tenor sax player has been featured across over 30 recordings, including two as a leader: Strike Up The Band (featuring Harry Allen, Martina DaSilva, and James Chirillo) and I’m In Love Again. For this Sunday evening set on the upstairs stage, he debuts his new Ragology!, the ragtime soul-injection you didn’t know you seriously needed. Ragology! explores ragtime music with a cast of New York’s trad-jazz best, approaching material by Jelly Roll Morton, Sydney Bechet, and James Sylvester Scott.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 16 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Miss Maybell & Her Ragtime Romeos
Miss Maybell plays “old music for the young at heart,” and it’s a sight to behold. Offering an exuberant mix of ragtime, early jazz, blues, and country classics, Maybell (the talented Lauren Sansaricq) and crew transport audiences to a different time, but in their expert hands, the music feels as fresh as ever. Vocalist/washboardist Sansaricq’s lovely connection with pianist Charlie Judkins—called a “genius piano player” by the Syncopated Times—radiates an infectious energy. Their toe-tapping romps will leave audiences smiling. Brian Nalepka (bass and tuba) and Andy Stein (saxophone) round out the group, which was featured on The NPR Show Person Place Thing with Randy Cohen. Don’t miss this delightful one-nighter—this time with her Ragtime Romeos!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 17 (Tuesday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Frank Catalano Quartet
Possessing 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. Recent highlighs as a coveted guest artist include playing a 7-minute improvised sax solo at The Hollywood Bowl with The Smashing Pumpkins, closing out the Chicago Blues Festival with Los Lobos, and performing with Les Claypool, Sean Lennon, and the Violent Femmes. After signing with Delmark Records at age 18, he became 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 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. The connection to Birdland runs deep, too; indeed, as he serves as Celebrity Endorser for Drambuie Scotch Liqueur, it was Frank who inspired the famous Catalano Sidecar proudly served in The Birdland Theater. Get ready for a mighty night of high-octane performance from his quartet.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 18-21 (Wednesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/18-19); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (3/20-21) – Birdland Jazz Club
Kurt Elling with the Future of Jazz Orchestra
Kurt Elling returns to Birdland! Elling, the winner of 3 Prix du Jazz Vocal (France), 2 German Echo Awards, 2 Dutch Edison Awards, and 2 GRAMMY wins (with 15 GRAMMY nominations), is one of contemporary jazz’s most prolific, celebrated voices. The Guardian has called him “a kind of Sinatra with superpowers” and “one of jazz’s all-time great vocalists.” Elling’s originality is intertwined with his devotion to the masters that came before him, and he regularly writes lyrics to classic melodies and improvisations by iconic artists, such as John Coltrane, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, and Jaco Pastorius. Join the singer for an inspiring 3-night run. Join the singer and the Future of Jazz Orchestra—a big band collective curated by Jazz at Lincoln Center filled with the most exciting young improvisers in the city.
$55 tables / $45 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 20-22 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Orrin Evans Trio
The prolific pianist, composer, and bandleader Orrin Evans is revered and adored for his effortless combination of influences from jazz to gospel to hip-hop and classical; his recent work as the second pianist in the iconic progressive jazz trio, The Bad Plus; his Downbeat Critics Poll wins; and his innovative ensembles from trio, to quartet, all the way up to his Grammy-nominated 17-piece Captain Black Big Band. On this special weekend of performances at Birdland Theater, Evans—a launching pad for the careers of such young luminaries as Immanuel Wilkins, Mark Whitfield Jr., Sean Jones, Troy Roberts, and others—performs with his trio.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 22 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Aubrey Johnson Album Release Party
The release of Aubrey Johnson’s The Lively Air is finally upon us! Vocalist and composer Johnson is a force to be reckoned with. With beautiful, heartfelt original lyrics and darting, crisp vocal lines, she pens and performs modern music that starts from contemporary jazz and dares to trek forward. Her 2020 release, Unraveled, met critical acclaim—and her standards recording with pianist Randy Ingram, Play Favorites, was released in November 2022 on prestigious Sunnyside Records. The singer was born from musical roots: her uncle is the late great pianist Lyle Mays, musical partner of Pat Metheny. She sang the wordless melody on his final release, 2021’s Eberhard, which won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition. Johnson has recorded on Grammy-nominated releases for Birdland favorite Arturo O’Farrill and the legendary Bobby McFerrin, as well as with trumpeter Alex Sipiaign and Brazilian legend Toninho Horta; performed with flautist Jamie Baum at the Kennedy Center; served on faculty at the Berklee, the New England Conservatory of Music, Montclair State University, and the New School; and received grants from the South Arts and Chamber Music America. Celebrate Aubrey’s new full-length recording, The Lively Air, which drops March 20th on Dave Douglas’s Greenleaf Music.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 23 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Champian Fulton & Klas Lindquist Present The Nonet
Hot off their critically-acclaimed recording At Home (Turtle Bay Records, May 2025), pianist-vocalist Champian Fulton and saxophonist/clarinetist Klas Lindquist bring their new 9-piece outfit to the Birdland stage this March after a successful run last fall. Champian Fulton, hailed as “a charming young steward of the mainstream jazz tradition” (The New York Times), and Klas Lindquist, praised for his “technical brilliance, imagination and style” (Göteborgs-Posten), reimagine jazz standards to infectious delight. Named the Hot House Readers Poll 2019 Pianist and Vocalist of the Year, and with 17 albums to her name, including 3 named Album of the Year by the NYC Jazz Record, Fulton is a Birdland fan favorite; Lindquist is a shining star in Sweden’s jazz landscape, awarded the Gavatin Prize and a prestigious “Golden Sax” prize for his contributions, which include over 40 albums as a featured artist and 5 of his own as a leader. The collaboration with Fulton has been called “a conversation of high art” by GRAMMY-winning historian Ricky Riccardi: expect big-band grandeur with the intimacy of a late-night jam session.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 24-28 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/24-26); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (3/27-28) – Birdland Jazz Club
Emmet Cohen Presents Miles & Trane Centennial
The well-established pianist Emmet Cohen—Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association, 1st prize winner of the 2019 American Pianists Awards, Finalist in the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, and young collaborator of masters Benny Golson, Ron Carter, George Coleman, The Heath Brothers, and Christian McBride—has just brought his wildly popular livestream concert series, “Live From Emmet’s Place,” to a close. When the pandemic sent musicians and audiences into lockdown in March 2020, Cohen decided to begin filming concerts from his Harlem apartment starring his electrifyingly-swinging trio with special guest friends and a “rent party” feeling with live audiences. The series became an instant hit; his Youtube channel now boasts over 1000 videos with an accumulated nearly 60 million views, and Emmet’s Place is a (literal) household name in jazz. While the homebound concerts are over—for now!—you can still catch Cohen performing across the world—like this springtime show at Birdland in centennial tribute to one of jazz’s most historic groups: Miles Davis’s first Great Quintet, which featured the legendary John Coltrane (born 1926) as unique acolyte and foil to Davis (also born in ’26). The group cut iconic recordings such as Some Day My Prince Will Come and Relaxin’ (as well as Cookin’, Workin’, and Steamin’) with the Miles Davis Quintet. To pay homage, Cohen has selected the great trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and the brilliant saxophonist Tivon Pennicott. Joe Farnsworth and Reuben Rogers round out the group.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 27-29 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Flying High: Still Soaring
Flying High carries forth the legacy of the great female big band vocalists who went solo: Dinah Washington, Jo Stafford, Anita O’Day, Billie Holiday, and others started in big bands and went on to well-known soloist careers. The group features three powerful vocalists—Champian Fulton, Laura Anglade, and Imani Rousselle—supported by a dream rhythm team led by Champian herself who plays piano and serves as the group’s Artistic Director. Singing classics of the jazz vocal tradition, this group delivers in a big way and highlights the trailblazing women of yesteryear with the trailblazers of today. Fulton is a Birdland favorite, and boasts 16 albums as a leader to her name. She was named the Hot House Readers Poll 2019 Pianist and Vocalist of the Year. The savvy and very swinging Anglade is a Juno Award nominee for Vocal Jazz Album of Year in both 2023 and 2026, performing on the talk shows of both Stephen Colbert and Kelly Clarkson; Rousselle is a brilliant new voice on the scene that has performed with Stefon Harrison, Casey Benjamin, Marc Carey, Jaleel Shaw, Cory Henry, and Ben Williams. Flying High brings these incredible vocalists together for an evening of joyful music.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 29 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Lew Tabackin Quartet
Jazz legend Lew Tabackin is a true original. Since the late 1950s, he has cultivated an expression at once raw, passionate, technically masterful and boundlessly imaginative. Adept as both a flautist and saxophonist, Tabackin’s early career included work with jazz luminaries Donald Byrd, Elvin Jones, Billy Higgins, and Clark Terry in the 1960s, as well several years with The Tonight Show band. He formed small and large ensembles with his wife, the masterful pianist and arranger Toshiko Akiyoshi, which toured the world for three decades. Tabackin’s playing remains remarkably vibrant, and he continues to perform regularly. For this one-night engagement, Tabackin brings in his trio, which is sure to cook up soulful, unbridled jazz for the modern moment.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 30 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Karen Mason’s Birdland Birthday Bash
Birdland is proud to present the return of singer/actress Karen Mason in her birthday extravaganza, “Karen Mason’s Birdland Birthday Bash.” This one-night only Bash will take place on Monday, March 30 at 7pm. After sold-out shows in New York, Chicago, Connecticut, and Puerto Vallarta, singer Karen Mason brings a celebration of her actual birth date to Birdland. She’s ready to celebrate all 75 years! Sassy, brassy, and tinged with confessional monologues, and songs from some of her favorite writers, Karen will share her love of music and storytelling, featuring songs from every decade of her life, plus fan favorites like “All That Jazz,” “A Whole New World, Help/Being Alive,” “For Good,” and more. Mason is a beloved Broadway and concert star, best known for originating the role of Tanya in Mamma Mia! (Drama Desk nomination), playing Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, and starring in Wonderland, Hairspray, and Love Never Dies. On screen, she recently appeared as Mrs. Marsh in Ryan Murphy’s Halston on Netflix. She earned an Outer Critics Circle Award for And The World Goes ‘Round, is a 14-time MAC Award winner (including the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award), and has recorded nine albums, including the 2024 release All That Jazz. Other credits include Side by Side by Sondheim, Gypsy, White Christmas, her MAC Award-winning album Right Here/Right Now, and Better Days (featuring the Emmy-winning “Hold Me”). Barry Kleinbort will direct, with Music Direction by Christopher Denny, and with Tom Hubbard on bass.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 31 – April 4 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/31-4/2); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (4/3-4/4) – Birdland Jazz Club
UNLIMITED MILES: Miles Davis at 100
Miles Davis will turn 100 on May 26th of this year. Miles remains one of music’s strongest voices, envisioning and delivering some of the most thought-provoking, serious, and heartwrenching music in American history. This year, extraordinary pianist John Beasley (Sergio Mendes, Chaka Khan, Freddie Hubbard) will tour the country celebrating the brilliant star of trumpet with UNLIMITED MILES: Miles Davis at 100, bringing together some of contemporary jazz’s most powerful practitioners. They hit Birdland for a week as March turns to April: John Beasley (piano), Sean Jones (trumpet), Marcus Strickland (saxes), Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar), Ben Williams (bass), and Terreon Gully (drums). Beasley has composed music that explores each decade of Miles’s career, from his early innovations in the swing form with Charlie Parker to his crystallization of bebop in the 50s, his intense explorations in the 60s, his funky explosion in the 70s and his intergalactic pop of the 1980s. A great group to celebrate with, Beasley’s band will honor the innovator in their approach: always looking toward the future.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
Monthly Engagements:
March 2-3, 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, 30-31 (Mondays and Tuesdays) 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks
Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks every Monday and Tuesday evening 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
March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (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
March 4, 11, 18, 25 (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 26th 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
March 4, 11, 18, 25 (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 guitarist Pasquale Grasso, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Alex Raderman, perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guests weekly. In March, catch Janis Siegel (vox, 3/4); Joscho Stephan and John Jorgenson (guitars, 3/18); and Gray Sargent (guitar, 3/25). **Guitar night streams live every week at: YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 5, 12, 19, 26 (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/guitar), Brian Nalepka (bass/vocals), and Kevin Dorn (drums). Catch them each Thursday at Birdland Theater.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 6, 13, 20, 27 (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
March 7, 14, 21, 28 (Saturdays) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Anderson Brothers & Friends
Juilliard-trained identical twins Peter and Will Anderson have been hailed as “virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone” by The New York Times. The twins, whose passion for jazz is palpable in every rhythm, have shared the stage with some of the music’s biggest straight-ahead acts: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Wycliffe Gordon, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Paquito D’Rivera, and Wynton Marsalis included. A formidable force, the brothers have 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. The Anderson brothers have appeared in the major motion pictures Revolutionary Road, Killers of the Flower Moon, Boardwalk Empire, and The Marvelous Ms. Maisel, and can be heard on Board Empire’s Grammy-winning soundtrack. Vanity Fair magazine listed their debut album Correspondence in “Four New Releases to Make You Love Jazz,” and the Washington Post called their music “imaginatively unfolding in ways that consistently bring a fresh perspective to classic jazz.” The duo received a Drama Desk nomination for their Off-Broadway Show, Le Jazz Hot, in 2014; in 2017, the Andersons raised over $25,000 to establish the Joe Temperley Juilliard Student Scholarship Fund and create the tribute album Blues for Joe in honor of their late great saxophone mentor.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 (Sundays) 8:30 & 10:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
The Birdland Latin Jazz Orchestra
Birdland presents the debut of its Latin Jazz Orchestra, directed by master saxophonist David DeJesus. A fixture on the New York City music scene for three decades, DeJesus brings his deep expertise in both jazz and Latin music to this exciting new ensemble. Composed of a rotating cast of New York’s top talent, the orchestra will perform classics of the Latin jazz big band repertoire, showcasing the vibrant rhythms and sophisticated arrangements that define this legendary style—lifting spirits with their dancing beats, their buoyant harmonies, and the deep traditions they represent.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum