Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater are proudly open this April with a full slate of nightly performances! Come celebrate the holidays with us!
At Birdland Jazz Club, catch UNLIMITED MILES: Miles Davis at 100, Jon-Erik Kellso Quartet, Ehud Asherie Trio, Karen Akers, Yellowjackets, Christian Wiggs, Victoria Shaw’s Under the Covers, Songs of Promise: An Evening with Miss America, The Hot Sardines, Trombocalist Big Band, Amanda McBroom & Michele Brourman Words and Music: Celebrating 50 Years of Friendship and Song, SF Jazz Collective, Ginita y La Orquesta Esa, Natalie Douglas in “Different Drum…The Songs of Linda Rondstadt”, and João Bosco 80th Birthday Celebration with Special Guest Anat Cohen.
Birdland Theater will present New Jazz Underground, Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas & Ted Nash “Triological” Release Celebration, Billy Stritch Trio, and Vanessa Rubin Trio.
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, Pasquale Grasso, and The Birdland Latin Jazz Orchestra.
See below for the full schedule! More information can be found at www.birdlandjazz.com
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
April 3-5 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
New Jazz Underground
In a world filled with solo acts, one of the most promising new bands in jazz today is 2023 DCJazzPrix Winner, New Jazz Underground. Early viral success online—due to hip-styled videos that showcase the trio’s authentic, youthful artistic brilliance—has set the group on an exciting trajectory to jazz festivals across the country and the world. Since their days at Juilliard, these friends have cultivated a unique chemistry and a robust, dark sound that sings full from just saxophone, bass, and drums. Sebastian Rios (bass), Abdias Armenteros (sax) and TJ Reddick (drums) each have unique musical personalities which blend powerfully as they move through contemporary repertoire, hard-swinging stretches and funky pathways. Rios is a 2024 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award Winner; both Reddick (BM’ 20) and Armenteros (MM’ 22) are Juillard School Graduates, Armenteros the youngest member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Reddick and Rios have played as sidemen for the likes of Jon Batiste, Sullivan Fortner, Emmet Cohen, and ELEW (who frequently guests with the trio in concert) among many more. They preview their upcoming album Hoodies, releasing in May at Birdland.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 4 (Saturday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Jon-Erik Kellso Quartet
A Birdland favorite for his weekly work with Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks, the veteran trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso is one of the world’s premier practitioners of early jazz stylings. His work as a sideman has included performances with the legendary Milt Hinton, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Dick Hyman, Bob Haggart, Catherine Russell, and Wycliffe Gordon, as well as pop royalty Linda Ronstadt and Elvis Costello. Kellso also celebrated Louis Armstrong’s Hot 5s and 7s in a week-long engagement with Wynton Marsalis at Dizzy’s Club in Manhattan; and has taken his group the The EarRegulars to the Detroit Jazz Fest, Moab Music Fest, and the Bohém Ragtime and Jazz Fest in Hungary, among others. Kellso can be heard on over 100 recordings, as well as live every Monday and Tuesday with Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks. This rare appearance as a leader at the Jazz Club will be exciting to anyone tuned into New York’s thriving early jazz scene; Kellso’s daring tone is full of grit, soul, and the shout of the blues. He is joined by Jay Rattman (reeds), Ehud Asherie (piano), and Kevin Dorn (drums).
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 5 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Ehud Asherie Trio
Pianist Ehud Asherie grew up attending shows at Smalls Jazz Club in New York City, where he steeped himself in the live, communal dynamics of jazz. His style—a personal combination of “old school” piano players, Brazilian masters, and the inflections of his own curious mind—has taken him around the world performing with Cécile McLorin Salvant, Wycliffe Gordon, Catherine Russell, Harry Allen, John Pizzarelli, Charles McPherson, Wilson das Neves, Duduka da Fonseca and Maucha Adnet. He has performed at clubs and festivals in South America, Europe, Asia, and throughout the U.S, and his playing is heard on acclaimed recordings—13 of his own and many for others, including the 2010 Grammy Award winning soundtrack of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. The New Yorker calls him “A master of swing and stride.” Joined by veteran collaborators John Webber on bass and Kenny Washington on drums, Asherie will deliver his trademark pianism at this Sunday early evening performance.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 6 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Karen Akers in Come With Me To Paris!
Pour the champagne and escape to the City of Light and amour as award-winning chanteuse Karen Akers (Nine, Grand Hotel) sweeps you away with the music of Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, and a mélange of other favorites, and culminates in a deeply personal remembrance of time spent in Piaf’s former apartment, closing with the iconic “Non, je ne regrette rien.” Reuniting with her longtime musical director Alex Rybeck for one-night-only, Karen Akers—one of America’s most arresting and successful concert and cabaret stars—is the recipient of the 2005 New York Nightlife Award for Outstanding Female Cabaret Vocalist in a Major Engagement, as well as the 2009 Nightlife Legend Award. She has appeared at Carnegie Hall and The Hollywood Bowl, as well as New York’s premiere nightspots, the Cafe Carlyle and The Oak Room at The Algonquin Hotel. She has appeared on television in Cheers, The Tonight Show, The Merv Griffin Show and the PBS Specials Ellington: The Music Lives On and Ira Gershwin at 100: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall. PBS featured her in two specials: Presenting Karen Akers and Karen Akers: On Stage at Wolf Trap. She has appeared (opposite Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep as the femme fatale) in Mike Nichol’s Heartburn, as well as in Woody Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo; and she was one of the original stars of the Tony Award-winning musical Grand Hotel, directed by Tommy Tune at the Martin Beck Theater. She made her debut on the Great White Way in the original production of NINE, also directed by Tommy Tune, receiving a Tony nomination and a Theatre World Award.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 7-11 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (4/7-9); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (4/10-11) – Birdland Jazz Club
Yellowjackets
The Yellowjackets are a household name for jazz fusion fans. The band’s original flavor, beloved for its long and whirling sing-song melodies and undeniable pocket, has been captivating listeners since the group first burst onto the scene in the late 1970s. Originally the rhythm section behind guitarist Robben Ford, the Yellowjackets became its own entity and—adding the then-trailblazing (and now-legendary) saxophonist Bob Mintzer—turned into one of the most original quartets of the last 40 years, recording 30 albums, winning 2 Grammys, and receiving 17 Grammy nominations. Currently, the lineup includes founding member Russell Ferrante on keys, Bob Mintzer on winds, the spectacular drummer Will Kennedy, and the band’s youngest member, Dane Alderson, twisting out brilliant basslines.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 10-12 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas & Ted Nash “Triological” Release Celebration
Boundary-pushing bassist Ben Allison, beloved guitarist Steve Cardenas, and consummate saxophonist Ted Nash form one of contemporary jazz’s most enchanting trios, and they celebrate the April 9th release of 2026’s Triological (Sunnyside) with a weekend at the Theater. Their 5th recording together, Triological succeeds 2024’s Tell The Birds I Said Hello: The Music of Herbie Nichols, which also featured at Birdland, and 2022’s Healing Power, which honored the idiosyncratic, humorous, and profound writing of Carla Bley. Indeed, starting with 2018’s Quiet Revolution, and continuing with the 2019 release of Somewhere Else—West Side Story Songs, their drummerless trio has forged a path wry and adventurous: alternatively plaintive, bemused, searching, and exhilarating. Join this small yet remarkable unit as the trio celebrates their new project at Birdland!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 12 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Christian Wiggs: “Oscar Meets Tony: Songs from Broadway and Cinema”
True multi-hyphenate Christian Wiggs is variously a vocalist, bandleader, lyricist, producer, director, artist manager, educator, record label executive, founder and CEO of Bandstand Presents, and host of Jazz Tonight on PBS. (Oh, and don’t forget: Executive Director of the Global Jazz Workshop alongside Artistic Director and Birdland favorite Chad LB). Sharp-suited and with a clean delivery, the powerful Wiggs is in possession of a striking technique “akin to Kurt Elling, but with more of a James Moody flexibility,” wrote George W. Harris of Jazz Weekly. Work with top swingsters Emmet Cohen, Benny Benack III, Chad LB, Steven Feifke, and Tony-winning drummer-arranger Bryan Carter places him amongst a young jazz in-crowd, devoted to the old swing feeling and committed to developing a new generation of listenership—and Wiggs builds from this world as he lays out “Oscar Meets Tony: Songs from Broadway and Cinema,” a new set that celebrates the musical worlds of both theater and the silver screen. The emergent artist has appeared at prestigious venues Birdland, Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club and SXSW, and has released three recordings under his own name: 2015’s Wonderful You Came By; 2017’s From Dusk Till Dawn; and 2020’s Between Love and Fascination.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 13 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Victoria Shaw’s Under The Covers
Victoria Shaw returns to Birdland Jazz Club on Monday, April 13 at 7:00 PM with her award-winning show Under The Covers, joined by special guests Paul Adelstein and Gary Burr for an intimate evening of songs and stories. Under The Covers is a unique, conversational concert in which celebrated songwriters take turns performing their hits and sharing the personal stories behind them, offering rare insight into the creative process. Victoria Shaw’s songs have been chart fixtures since the early 1990s, with #1 hits including Garth Brooks’ “The River” and “She’s Every Woman,” Ricky Martin’s “Sólo Quiero Amarte,” Doug Stone’s “Too Busy Being in Love,” Jim Brickman’s “Sending You a Little Christmas,” and “I Love the Way You Love Me,” recorded by John Michael Montgomery and Boyzone. Her work has also been recorded by Eric Church, Christina Aguilera, and Trisha Yearwood, among others. She is the recipient of an ACM Song of the Year Award, two Daytime Emmy Awards, multiple Emmy nominations, and numerous ASCAP and SESAC honors, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024. Paul Adelstein, known for Prison Break, Private Practice, The Menu, and the upcoming AMC series The Audacity, brings his voice to the stage as a singer/songwriter, while Gary Burr—also a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee—has written fourteen #1 hits recorded by artists including Faith Hill, Garth Brooks, Kelly Clarkson, Carole King, Reba McEntire, and Kenny Chesney. This one-night-only engagement promises an unforgettable evening of great music, legendary songs, and the stories behind them—only at Birdland.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 13 (Monday) 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Songs of Promise: An Evening with Miss America
“Songs of Promise: An Evening with Miss America” is a special benefit concert supporting arts education nationwide, taking place at Birdland Jazz Club on Monday, April 13 at 9:30pm. Starring Miss America 2026 Cassie Donegan—herself a Musical Theater graduate from Belmont University—the evening features performers Daniel Baskins, Drew Becker, Olivia London, Maria Norris, and Jelani Remy, with music director Billy Stritch leading a stellar ensemble including Michael O’Brien (bass), Daniel Glass (drums), and guest pianist Jo Lynn Burks. Proceeds from the concert support the Fray Sykes Scholarships Fund, founded by Donegan in 2013, as well as its affiliated nonprofit, The Arts Legacy Foundation, both dedicated to expanding access to arts education nationwide. The funds raised this evening will directly benefit the Lydia Fray Music Scholarship, the Kay Sykes Arts Scholarship, and the Judith Coffman Legacy in Performance Scholarship—all programs that provide lessons, instruments, training, supplies, tuition, and performance opportunities to help remove financial and geographic barriers to the arts. Through music and storytelling, Songs of Promise celebrates the transformative power of creative expression while helping ensure that every student has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive through the arts.
$40 GA tables / $30 bar / $65 GA tables + personalized signed photo / $100 VIP table seating + signed photo + Meet & Greet + $20 food/drink minimum
April 14-18 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (4/14-16); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (4/17-18) – Birdland Jazz Club
The Hot Sardines
Stars of the trad-jazz world, The Hot Sardines are “potent and assured” (The New York Times) and “simply phenomenal” (The Times of London) in their nearly decade-long effort to bring early jazz into the modern day. Pianist Evan Palazzo and frontwoman Elizabeth Bougerol lead this New York-founded, world-touring ensemble that has racked up 60 million streams on Spotify alone and performed on Later…With Jools Holland, NPR’s Weekend Edition, CBS Saturday Morning, NPR’s Soundcheck, and Live at WFUV, as well as major jazz festivals Newport, Montreal, Toronot, London, and Blue Note in Japan. Their brassy horn arrangements, rollicking piano melodies, smooth vocals and unabashed love of performing 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 eight records since 2011 to critical acclaim, with three landing on Best Of lists in Downbeat and JazzTimes, and with Rolling Stone celebrating that “100-year-old jazz standards get reborn” in their hands. “Everything in our DNA is about connecting with the audience,” says Bougerol. Make sure not to be in that audience for this week at the club!
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 17-19 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Billy Stritch Trio
Stritch is one of the premier singer-pianists on the New York and national jazz and cabaret scenes. In addition to his 25-year collaboration with Liza Minnelli, Billy toured with the legendary Tony Bennett as Tony’s pianist and musical director. A solo entertainer in his own right, he has performed his own shows (including tributes to Mel Tormé and Cy Coleman) in concert halls and nightclubs across the country. He is proud to call Birdland his musical home in New York and this will mark his twelfth annual engagement at the legendary nightclub. His 2022 engagement was named Best Jazz Vocal Show of that year by BroadwayWorld, and he was recently named Best Musical Director for an unprecedented sixth time. Billy also serves as musical director for such leading vocalists as Linda Eder, Christine Ebersole and Linda Lavin. He has recorded five solo CDs and his latest CD release “Billy’s Place” (Club44 Records). He will be joined by Michael O’Brien (bass) and Eric Halvorson (drums). “On top of his warm voice and pianistic virtuosity,” says Patrick Honoré of Musical Theater Review, London 2022, “Billy Stritch really has the gift of communicating with his audience and holding them in the palm of his hand, even though his hands are often on the keyboard!”
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 19 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Trombocalist Big Band
Witness The Vigil and the Sleeping Giant as it flashes onto the Birdland stage this Sunday early evening. Fronted by partners Rebecca Patterson and Ron Wilkins, both veteran trombonists and low-end brass specialists, the Trombocalist Big Band performs the original work, penned collaboratively. It is a special work that tells a harrowing story: during the COVID pandemic, Ron fell so ill that he was intubated and placed in a medically-induced coma that lasted 32 days. The Sleeping Giant is his story; The Vigil is Rebecca’s. Watching over Ron and not knowing what the future held was its own trauma. Together these two narratives—inside and outside experiences of tragedy, and the subsequent triumphant return to health, peace, and the virtuosity that Wilkins was known for—are borne along by the community of brilliant musicians that have surrounded Ron and Rebecca in their lives as long-time New York jazz artists. Ron Wilkins is a member of the Birdland Big Band and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band; Rebecca Patterson has performed with the Christian McBride Big Band, Mingus Big Band, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Count Basie Orchestra, Ron Carter Big Band, and 8-bit Big Band. Join the group for a moving portrait of life-affirming circumstance.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 20 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Amanda McBroom & Michele Brourman – Words and Music: Celebrating 50 Years of Friendship & Song
Five decades ago, Amanda McBroom and Michele Brourman wrote their first song together, launching one of cabaret’s most enduring creative partnerships. Their work has spanned theatre, film, animation, and concert stages worldwide, performed by some of the most celebrated artists of our time. Now, they reunite at Birdland Jazz Club on Monday, April 20 for an intimate evening sharing the story of their remarkable collaboration—told, as only they can, through words and music. Amanda McBroom’s songwriting and concert career was catapulted by her Golden Globe–winning song “The Rose,” recorded by Bette Midler for the 1979 film inspired by the life of Janis Joplin. Since then, she has performed internationally, with her songs recorded for television and film and by major artists including LeAnn Rimes, Betty Buckley, Barbara Cook, and The Manhattan Transfer. Michele Brourman is an award-winning singer-songwriter whose best-known song, “My Favorite Year,” has been recorded by Michael Feinstein, Margaret Whiting, Dame Cleo Laine, and others. With lyricist Amanda McBroom, she has written songs for 18 animated features for Universal Studios, including the beloved Land Before Time series, composing for artists such as Reba McEntire, Olivia Newton-John, Donny Osmond, and many more. Her work has been widely performed in cabaret and featured in film and television, earning critical acclaim and numerous awards.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 21-25 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (4/21-23); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (4/24-25) – Birdland Jazz Club
SF Jazz Collective
The SFJAZZ Collective’s mission is “to perform fresh arrangements of works by a modern master and newly commissioned pieces by each member….honoring music’s greatest figures while championing jazz’s up-to-the-minute directions.” Under artistic direction of modern saxophone legend Chris Potter, the rotating supergroup’s current members include Mike Rodriguez, trumpet; Kendrick Scott, drums; Matt Brewer, bass; David Sanchez, saxophone; Warren Wolff, vibraphone; Chris Potter, saxophone; and Edward Simon, piano. Usually a “one-composer-in-depth-per-year” ensemble (variously studying the music of Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, McCoy Tyner, Michael Jackson, Horace Silver, Tom Jobim, Chick Corea, and Thelonious Monk), this year they depart from the norm to celebrate the 10th Season of the SFJAZZ Center and the endless diversity of music that this all-star jazz team has debuted. This follows the group’s 2025 decision to focus on a wide-range of socially concious material to meet our challenging times. Serving up new compositions, timeless classics, and everything in between, the Collective has created over 100 new arrangements and original compositions. Greet music’s best as they join forces on the Birdland stage.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 24-26 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Vanessa Rubin Trio
With a storyteller’s smile, a robust voice, and an ear tuned both to the classic and the uncommon, Vanessa Rubin treats audiences to real deal, swinging music. With 9 critically-acclaimed albums to her name, Rubin has swung audiences into the night with her easygoing presentation and her clear tone since the 1980s when she first entered the scene. The vocalist’s last release, 2019’s The Dream Is You: Vanessa Rubin Sings Tadd Dameron, received a nomination for Outstanding Jazz Album at the 2020 NAACP Image Awards. Rubin’s earliest recordings reached #1 spots on radio and featured the legendary Frank Foster, Cecil Bridgewater, Kenny Burrell, and Grover Washington, among other jazz greats. In 2011, for her work in the one-woman show Yesterdays: An Evening with Billie Holiday, she received a nomination for the Kevin Klein Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical. Enjoy Ms. Rubin’s stylings for three special nights—sultry, swinging, and full of life—at Birdland Theater.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 26 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Ginita y La Orquesta Esa
Founded only 2 years ago in New York City, the incredible La Orquesta Esa (LOE) has gained a strong footing as it dances toward wider recognition. The brainchild of Ecuadorian-Honduran-American trombonist, arranger, composer, vocalist, and bandleader Ginita, LOE comes in many shapes and sizes – from a 10tet to a 16-piece band – but always brings audiences joyous original dance music from across Latin America, drawing from salsa, cumbia, mambo, tango, and Afro-Cuban rhythms. The group has found a home at both Jazz at Lincoln Center (through twice-annual performances at Dizzy’s Club and other features) and at the Jazz Gallery. Ginita herself performs with other major emergent orchestras such as The Roy Hargrove Big Band, Ulysses Owens Jr.’s New Century Big Band, The Sinfonietta, Lulada Club, Etienne Charles’ Creole Soul, The Rufus Reid Big Band, The Dee Dee Bridgewater Big Band, Helen Sung’s Big Band, and Ted Nash’s Big Band. A new sound that brings together some of New York’s most self-assured voices in celebration of Latin American culture, LOE debuts at Birdland in late April.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 27 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Natalie Douglas – “Different Drum… The Songs of Linda Ronstadt”
Fourteen-time MAC Award, two-time Backstage Bistro Award, and Nightlife Award Winner Natalie Douglas returns to the Birdland spotlight on Monday, April 27 at 7pm with “Different Drum…The Songs of Linda Ronstadt.” In this one-night-only performance, Douglas continues her musical journey through the 1970s, celebrating the silver-voiced troubadour alongside her dear friend and Music Director Billy Stritch and a stellar band featuring Alec Berlin (guitar), Jakubu Grifin (drums) and Lavondo Thomas (bass). Together, they explore both beloved hits and hidden gems from Ronstadt’s iconic catalog, sharing songs and stories that illuminate her enduring influence, from classics like “Desperado,” “Long, Long Time,” “Try Me Again,” and “Different Drum” to lesser-known treasures. Hailed for her “pure energy, playfulness and heart-on-sleeve emotion” (Clive Davis, The Times UK), Douglas has performed throughout the U.S. and internationally and has produced more than 80 concerts at her NYC musical home, Birdland, where she continues to captivate audiences with her signature warmth, humor, and passion.
$65 VIP tables / $45 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 28 – May 2 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (4/28-30); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (5/1-2) – Birdland Jazz Club
João Bosco 80th Birthday Celebration with Special Guest Anat Cohen
The master of Brazilian music João Bosco turns 80 this year, and his US tour included a week-long appearance at Birdland as April turns into May. During his 50 years as a performer, and across 31 records as a leader, a Lifetime Award from the Latin Grammys, 2 Latin Grammy wins and 10 nominations, and universal recognition as one of Brazilian song’s greatest practitioners, João Bosco has carved a beautiful life of sound, uniting the messages of samba, bossa nova, jazz, black American rhythm, and the sounds of his own Lebanese heritage. Notable compositions like “O Bêbado e a Equilibrista,” “Papel Mache,” “Kid Cavaquinho”, “Incompatibilidade de Gênios,” and “A Nível De” have been shining jewels in his career, which began in the early 1970s with beloved vocalist Elis Reginas singing many of his compositions; and when his music reached wide American audiences in the late 1980s, he continued an upward climb toward greater and greater notoriety as one of the world’s most captivating composer-performers, collaborating with Joao Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, the great Antonio Carlos Jobim, and lyricist Vinicius de Moraes. Do not miss this amazing opportunity to hear Bosco, who is joined by the incredible reedist Anat Cohen every night except Friday. Produced by Pat Philips. Sponsored by Intercontinental Hotel Times Square and The Consulate General of Brazil in New York.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
Monthly Engagements:
April 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, 27-28 (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
April 6, 20, 27 (Mondays except 4/13) 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
April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 (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
April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 (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 an assortment of special guests. In April, catch Rodney Jones (guitar, 4/1); Eleanora Strino (guitar, 4/8); Ed Cherry (guitar, 4/15); and guest hosts Dave Stryker and Jimmy Bruno (guitars, 4/29). **Guitar night streams live every week at: YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (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
April 3, 10, 17, 24 (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
April 11, 18, 25 (Saturdays) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Pasquale Grasso
Praised by Pat Metheny as “maybe the best jazz guitar player I’ve heard in my entire life,” the stunning guitarist Pasquale Grasso is one of the most beautiful and innovative musical voices of a generation. Grasso’s eloquent classical technique, jazz phrasing, bebop rhythms and nimble fret fireworks have distinguished him as a celebrated 21st century virtuoso. He has recorded 11 albums on the Sony Masterworks label, showcasing Grasso in solo-guitar format; and he performed on world-renowned vocalist Samara Joy’s first two Grammy-winning recordings, Linger Awhile and Samara Joy. Grasso performs the final three Saturdays of this month with his trio, but he brings a special fourth member to augment his normal set up for this special Tuesday night show.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 5, 12, 19, 26 (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