Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater are proudly open this May with a full slate of nightly performances! Come celebrate the holidays with us!
At Birdland Jazz Club, catch João Bosco 80th Birthday Celebration with Special Guest Anat Cohen, Quintin Harris, David DeJesus and the Boptet — Miles Davis Centennial Celebration, Karen Mack, Joey Alexander Quartet Featuring: Jaleel Shaw and Laura Anglade, Caelan Cardello, Jonathan Karrant with the Joe Alterman Trio, VIRTUAL HALSTON, Bill Charlap Trio (Week 1), Sinatra With Style RETURNS: Hits and Rare Gems Swung by Richard Cortez, Jason Yeager and Justin Poindexter: Don’t Fence Me In – The Music of Cole Porter, Bill Charlap Trio (Week 2), Steven Feifke Trio, The Gil Evans Project directed by Ryan Truesdell, La Tanya Hall, and Duduka Da Fonseca.
Birdland Theater will present Gabrielle Cavassa, Peter Bernstein Quartet, Michael Wolff Quartet, Robin McKelle, and Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom.
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, Bill Charlap Solo Piano, and The Birdland Latin Jazz Orchestra.
See below for the full schedule! More information can be found at www.birdlandjazz.com
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 (except 5/1)
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
May 1-3 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Gabrielle Cavassa
A uniquely disarming, highly individual voice, the young Gabrielle Cavassa debuts her recording Diavolo (Blue Note), on May 1st, the first night of her three-night residency at the Theater. Cavassa possesses the cutting-edge of a self-aware artist, the mind of a newcomer, and the soul of an old master. First-Prize Winner of the 2021 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, she released her self-titled debut, Gabrielle Cavassa, in 2020 on Jazz Fest Records; in 2023, she was the featured guest on Joshua Redman’s critically-acclaimed where are we (Blue Note) with DownBeat Magazine calling her a “star in the making”; and this new outing represents a confident step out into the light of jazz’s upper echelons. Produced by Redman and Blue Note’s legendary Don Was, Diavolo features a jaw-dropping yet intimate cast: drum legend Brian Blade, bass master Larry Grenadier, and the young phenom Paul Cornish on piano support the singer’s incredibly emotional delivery and impossible to ignore talent. Stereophile wrote that Cavassa’s “voice gets under your skin. It is idiosyncratic…trustworthy in its clarity…physical in its intimacy.” One not to be missed.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 2 (Saturday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Quintin Harris
An acolyte of Birdland favorite and master pianist Bill Charlap, Quintin Harris performs with a sensibility beyond his years. The New York City Jazz Record writes: “The classic American Songbook has rarely felt so authentic.” Fast-rising in New York City’s songbook and bebop circuits, Harris has brought his trio several times to the Birdland stage, and has been a frequent guests in Susie Mosher’s Tuesday-night “The Lineup” at the Theater. New York performances at Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Jazz Club at the Aman Hotel, The Gotham Jazz Festival, Chelsea Table + Stage, Minton’s Playhouse, Jazz On Main—as well as performances with The Bria Skonberg Quintet and a top-5 Finalist spot in the American Jazz Piano Competition in Savannah, Georgia—have established Harris as a confident voice in the newest generation of jazz artists. Performing dexterously on both piano and vocals, he’ll employ his suave baritone on American Songbook standards while crafting nimble piano lines.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 3 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
David DeJesus and the Boptet – Miles Davis Centennial Celebration
Normally, saxophonist David DeJesus’s Boptet celebrates the music of Charlie “Yardbird” Parker, the giant of American music and namesake of Birdland Jazz Club. This performance, therefore, is a special occasion. As May 26th is Miles Davis’s centennial birthday, the Boptet will direct its focus toward this legend—who got his start performing with Parker’s band. DeJesus will lead the group in new arrangements of Miles’s compositions, drawing from the many eras of his artistry: early bebop, the cool period, the First Great Quintet, the fiery Second Great Quintet, and his explorations in funk, the avant garde, and fusion. Altoist DeJesus is a master musician fluent across Latin, jazz and dozens of other styles, and he serves, too, as the director of the Birdland Big Band and the Birdland Latin Jazz Orchestra. A fixture on the New York City music scene for three decades, he has performed 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. Gather to celebrate this weekend: Miles Davis lives.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 4 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Karen Mack
Karen Mack is a multi-award-winning jazz vocalist based in New York City with creative roots in jazz, folk, and swing. A longtime favorite with audiences and critics alike, Karen has performed coast to coast, including appearances at Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center. For this evening at Birdland, she returns with a joyful new set that blends contemporary jazz classics and reinvented standards with finds from leading female songwriters on the New York jazz scene, including Grammy-winner and frequent Birdland favorite Nicole Zuraitis. The release of Mack’s latest album, Catch and Keep, produced by Peter Eldridge of the Grammy-winning New York Voices, was celebrated on the Birdland stage in 2024. On Monday night, she will be accompanied by Andy Ezrin on piano, Pete McCann on guitar, Matt Aronoff on bass, Mark McLean on drums/percussion, with special guest Elliot Roth. Mack’s style blends a warm storyteller’s sensibility with a love of vocal harmony, wordplay, and improvisation, creating performances that are fun, unique, and richly musical—from fierce swing to tender ballads to soulful blues. The through-line is connection, humor, and spontaneity. Expect great music and a great time!
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 5-9 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (5/5-7); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (5/8-9) – Birdland Jazz Club
Joey Alexander Quartet Featuring: Jaleel Shaw and Laura Anglade
3x Grammy nominee and early piano prodigy Joey Alexander returns to Birdland with new fire and a new band. Featuring saxophone beacon Jaleel Shaw (long-time member of drum legend Roy Haynes’s twilight Fountain of Youth band) and vocalist Laura Anglade (Juno Award-winner 2026 for her album Get Out of Town), Joey’s latest ensemble continues a series of collaborations with the leading voices in jazz. Alexander’s 2023 outing, Continuance (Mack Avenue), as well as 2022’s Origin (Mack Avenue), were both met with critical acclaim; the latter featuring his heavy-hitting trio of Kendrick Scott and Larry Grenadier, as well as his collaborators Chris Potter and Gilad Hexelman. The passionate virtuoso Alexander has been in the company of masters for now quite some time. At only 22 years old, he has already lived a musician’s dream life, performing on the world’s biggest stages (Obama’s White House, the Grand Ole Opry, Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Newport Jazz Festival) with its most revered names (Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Esperanza Spalding)—all since the age of 11. For this week at the Jazz Club, Alexander will bring the latest moment of his mature genius to your ears.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 8-10 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Peter Bernstein Quartet
Born and raised in New York City, leading voice in guitar Peter Bernstein has been playing and recording since 1990, when he first appeared on recordings with saxophone legend Lou Donaldson. Bernstein played in Donaldson’s group for 10 years while building associations with Joshua Redman, Jimmy Cobb, Dr. Lonnie Smith, David Fathead Newman, Brad Mehldau, Etta Jones, Melvin Rhyne, Diana Krall, Bobby Hutcherson, Lee Konitz, Nicholas Payton, George Coleman, and the icon Sonny Rollins. In the early 90s, he debuted what would become a famed organ trio with the great Larry Goldings and Bill Stewart—a group still touring and recording today. Indeed, Bernstein appeared on over 300 recordings and cut 14 records under his own name. His collaborations with contemporary artists Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, Greg Hutchinson, Larry Grenadier, Gerald Clayton, Sullivan Fortner, Peter Washington, Doug Weiss, and Joe Farnsworth have kept the six-string master in the limelight to this day. For this weekend engagement at the Theater, Peter Bernstein’s quartet includes Aaron Goldberg (piano), Doug Weiss (bass), Kush Abadey (drums).
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 9 (Saturday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Caelan Cardello
A talented young pianist with a sensitive touch, a love for swinging, and a robust technical facility, Caelan Cardello started playing piano at the age of 5. Since his early training in both jazz and classical styles, the young artist has been recognized by the music community many times over, including as the recipient of the New Jersey Governor’s Award, the James Moody College Scholarship Award for “Outstanding Musicianship,” the 2021 BMI Foundation’s Future Jazz Master Award, and selection as a Semifinalist in the prestigious Herbie Hancock 2023 International Piano Competition and as a Finalist in the American Pianist Awards. He has performed at some of New York City’s most famed halls of music, including Dizzy’s Club, Minton’s Playhouse, Smalls Jazz Club and the Jazz Standard. Bill Charlap has praised his pianism as “an extension of his soul,” The New York City Jazz Record has praised his “light touch,” and Dave Kikoski has called Cardello “the brightest star.” Recent recipient of a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School, Caelan is active in and out of New York City. He released his debut album, Chapter One, in the fall of 2025, and brings his sparkling music to the Jazz Club for a single special spring evening.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 10 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Jonathan Karrant with the Joe Alterman Trio
Announcing their new album, Live in Concert, the award-winning and very swinging vocalist Jonathan Karrant—together with his long-time collaborator, the beloved pianist and Birdland favorite Joe Alterman—perform one Sunday evening on the Birdland stage in May. Album highlights include a romping “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight”, a slick, snappy “The Great City,” and soulful versions of “Your Song” and “How Glad I Am.” Some of the choices reflect the embedded influence of close musical mentors such as the giants Diane Schuur, Les McCann, Nancy Wilson and Ramsey Lewis, honoring the love they hold for and from their teachers while delivering their contemporary perspective. (Lewis is quoted as saying of Alterman, “his ability to swing is a joy to behold.”) The album comes after Jonathan Karrant’s On and On reach the #4 spot on Billboard’s Jazz charts, and his album Live reached #2 on the iTunes Jazz charts. Other distinctions include the New York City Cabaret Jazz Honors; Best Singer for the Bravo California Awards; and placement in the Top 10 Rising Jazz Vocalists from Downbeat Magazine. Joining Karrant and Alterman on this recording and this Birdland performance are the world-class bassist Mike Gurrola and incredibly tasteful percussionist Kevin Kanner.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 11 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
VIRTUAL HALSTON
The hit web series VIRTUAL HALSTON, created during the global pandemic by Julie Halston, Jim Caruso, and Ruby Locknar, returns to the stage for a special one-night-only live presentation at Birdland on Monday, May 11. Julie Halston brings her signature wit, theatrical storytelling, and backstage brilliance to this special evening, joined by celebrated playwright and novelist Paul Rudnick. The program will feature Halston’s trademark stories along with an entertaining and insightful conversation between the longtime friends and collaborators. “One of my favorite playwrights and novelists is Paul Rudnick,” said Halston. “Performing in his play The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told remains one of my most treasured memories. We have been friends for years, and one of the most popular episodes of Virtual Halston featured Paul alongside actor Peter Bartlett. I can’t wait for this conversation.” Halston most recently appeared in the Broadway revival of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. Her Broadway credits include Tootsie, Hairspray, Gypsy, and Anything Goes. In 2021, she received the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award for her advocacy on behalf of The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Halston is widely known for her portrayal of Bitsy Von Muffling on Sex and the City and And Just Like That, and her sold-out one-woman performances at Birdland have earned her multiple comedy honors and a devoted following. Livestream available at veeps.com/birdland.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum / $20 Livestream
May 12-16 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (5/12-14); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (5/15-16) – Birdland Jazz Club
Bill Charlap Trio (Week 1)
One of the world’s leading pianists for more than thirty years, Bill Charlap served for nearly 20 as Tony Bennett’s primary pianist, all the while leading his working trio with legendary drum/bass team Kenny Washington and Peter Washington to the heights of jazz honor. Nominated for the Grammy in Best Jazz Instrumental Album for their records Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein, Live at the Village Vanguard, and Uptown/Downtwon, this trio’s communication is finely tuned, its energy boundless, its taste immaculate, and its repertoire expansive. Now one of the longest-running groups in the music, these three gentlemen of jazz are celebrated for their telepathic connection, admirable restraint, and tight arrangements of standard material. Leader Charlap is the son of Broadway composer Moose Charlap and jazz singer Sandy Stewart; he is renowned for his old school solo playing, as well as for his duos with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ron Carter, Renee Rosnes, and others. The trio performs at Birdland for two consecutive weeks. Jazz fans will regret missing this band! With David Wong (bass) and Dennis Mackrel (drums).
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 15-17 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Michael Wolff Quartet
The Birdland Theater is pleased to welcome back the Michael Wolff Quartet with Camille Thurman (sax/vocals), Darrel Green (drums), Andy McKee (bass). The award-winning pianist—known for an impressive and eclectic career that has spanned five decades and included stints with Cannonball Adderly, Nancy Wilson, Sonny Rollins, Cal Tjader, and Tom Harrell, as well as recordings with Tony Williams, Christian McBride, Freddie Hubbard, and Sheila E—released his latest recording A Letter to Bill Evans (Jazz Avenue 1) with collaborators Mike Clark and Leon Lee Dorsey in 2024. The album features the three musical masters in a personal and original tribute to the great pianist. Before that, Wolff released Live at Vitellos in 2021 on Sunnyside Records—a stirring snapshot, surfacing a decade after its live recording at the iconic Los Angeles jazz club in 2011. Don’t miss a chance to see Wolff’s wondrous pianism in this weekend’s-worth of shows!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 17 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Sinatra With Style RETURNS: Hits and Rare Gems Swung by Richard Cortez
Back after a sold-out engagement last year, acclaimed vocalist Richard Cortez pays tribute to Old Blue Eyes on a Sunday evening in mid-May that you won’t want to miss. Cortez’s debut jazz album Mood Swings (La Reserve, 2024) hit 1 million streams just three months after its release—and it has now passed 2 million. With Amazon Music listing his recording of “You Don’t Know What Love Is” as one of the top jazz recordings of 2024, and the subsequent release to critical acclaim of his 2025 albums Nightbird and Standards in Orbit (an intimate duo portrait with the adventurous piano prodigy Esteban Castro), Richard Cortez has quickly become a leader in the new crop of vocal talents emerging from the contemporary straight ahead jazz scene. Pairing sweetness, self-assuredness and disarming vulnerability with a well-timed wit, Cortez rose from inside the vibrant New York jazz scene to share the bandstand with some of the world’s most celebrated jazz musicians: Sullivan Fortner, Peter Bernstein, Kyle Poole, Yasushi Nakamura, Nicole Glover, and Russell Hall, to name a few. Performances in distinguished productions such as Live at Emmet’s Place with the Emmet Cohen Trio, or Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz at Pride with Tony/2x Grammy Award winner Bryan Carter marked the vocalist’s career early for success. Now, when not on the road, Richard splits his time between a number of monthly residencies at iconic venues across the city. His renditions of Sinatra’s hits and uncommon gems will breathe exciting new life into this beloved material, forever reminding us that as we progress as a society, so do the stories told within these sacred songs.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 18 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Jason Yeager and Justin Poindexter: Don’t Fence Me In – The Music of Cole Porter
Jason Yeager & Justin Poindexter bring their expansive musical vision and deep jazz sensibility to Don’t Fence Me In – The Music of Cole Porter, an all-star tribute celebrating the enduring brilliance, wit, and sophistication of one of America’s greatest songwriters. Known for its elegance, clever lyricism, and melodic ingenuity, Porter’s music provides the perfect canvas for this dynamic collaboration, offering fresh perspectives while honoring the composer’s unmistakable style. Joining Yeager and Poindexter is an extraordinary rhythm section featuring master drummer Steve Little and legendary bassist Bill Crow, together delivering vibrant, inventive interpretations of Porter’s beloved classics that blend swing, sophistication, and joyful spontaneity. Special guest artists Julie Benko and Sasha Papernik add further sparkle to an evening that promises warmth, wit, and musical excellence, celebrating songs that continue to charm audiences across generations. Pianist and composer Jason Yeager has performed across five continents at venues including Carnegie Hall, Birdland, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, collaborating with artists such as Miguel Zenón, Luciana Souza, George Garzone, and Sean Jones, and contributing to more than 40 recordings as a pianist, arranger, and producer. Guitarist and banjoist Justin Poindexter, a specialist in American roots traditions spanning jazz, blues, country, and folk, has performed at venues from Carnegie Hall to Lincoln Center, toured internationally as a musical ambassador for the U.S. State Department, and appeared with artists including Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Jonathan Batiste, and Pete Seeger.
$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 19-23 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (5/19-21); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (5/22-23) – Birdland Jazz Club
Bill Charlap Trio (Week 2)
One of the world’s leading pianists for more than thirty years, Bill Charlap served for nearly 20 as Tony Bennett’s primary pianist, all the while leading his working trio with legendary drum/bass team Kenny Washington and Peter Washington to the heights of jazz honor. Nominated for the Grammy in Best Jazz Instrumental Album for their records Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein, Live at the Village Vanguard, and Uptown/Downtwon, this trio’s communication is finely tuned, its energy boundless, its taste immaculate, and its repertoire expansive. Now one of the longest-running groups in the music, these three gentlemen of jazz are celebrated for their telepathic connection, admirable restraint, and tight arrangements of standard material. Leader Charlap is the son of Broadway composer Moose Charlap and jazz singer Sandy Stewart; he is renowned for his old school solo playing, as well as for his duos with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ron Carter, Renee Rosnes, and others. The trio performs at Birdland for two consecutive weeks. Jazz fans will regret missing this band! With David Wong (bass) and Dennis Mackrel (drums).
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 22-24 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Robin McKelle
Acclaimed vocalist Robin McKelle brings a wealth of experience to her latest project, a tribute to her greatest influence, Ella Fitzgerald. “My voice has matured,” muses the singer, “and I have grown so much as a woman. I felt like I was really at a point in my life where…I could sing these stories because I had lived them.” And so, to record Impressions of Ella, Robin McKelle decided to enlist the best of the best: Kenny Washington on drums, the pinnacle of straight-ahead swinging; Peter Washington on bass, renowned as one of jazz’s most important low-end men; and the legend Kenny Barron, whose work with Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, and Freddie Hubbard is beloved. From “How High the Moon” to “I Won’t Dance,” to Gershwin’s “My One and Only,” to “April in Paris” and “Lush Life,” McKelle’s new recording brings audiences both into the stylistic world of her idol Fitzgerald and into the idiosyncratic world of McKelle’s contemporary voice, one which has traveled the world performing everything from R&B to country to jazz. She will deliver a performance of this new material and more for a weekend at the Theater with Luther Allison (piano), Estratos (drums), and Blake Meister (bass).
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 24-25 (Sunday-Monday) 5:30 PM (5/24); 7:00 PM (5/25) – Birdland Jazz Club
Steven Feifke Trio
Steven Feifke isn’t just an arranging extraordinaire: he’s also a fantastic pianist. When appearing in trio format, he can’t command the eighteen voices from his 2022 Grammy-winning album, Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra (which made him the youngest to ever win in the Large Ensemble categroy) nor those from his two imaginative 2021 big band releases, Kinetic and Prologue. But in pared-down form, this two-time Thelonious Monk Competition finalist still brings his music to grand and robust heights, using the more open-ended configuration as a vehicle for bluesy, daredevil improvisations. Feifke—the recipient of the 2020 David Baker Prize in composition from the Ravinia Festival, a Yamaha Performing Artist, and a sought-after educator with Artist-in-Residence postions at Juilliard, NYU, Yale, UT Austin, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Northern Illinois, and even a former professorship at Berklee—has quickly made a name for himself in the jazz world. His prodigious output includes recording credits on upwards of 45 albums, as well as in television and film (Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Animaniacs, Impractical Jokers). Audiences will experience the artist in a more intimate—but still high-powered—setting for this Sunday-into-Monday two-nighter at Birdland.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 26-30 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (5/26-28); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (5/29-30) – Birdland Jazz Club
The Gil Evans Project directed by Ryan Truesdell
The critically-acclaimed and Grammy Award-nominated Gil Evans Project returns to Birdland celebrating the music of legendary composer/arranger, Gil Evans—and, in honor of the centennial birthday of Miles Davis, celebrating Davis and Evans’s famed collaboration. Led by Grammy Award-winning producer Ryan Truesdell, this outstanding ensemble of New York City’s finest musicians will move through week exploring two groundbreaking sonic worlds: Tues/Wed/Thu (5/26-28), the landmark album Sketches of Spain; and Fri/Sat (5/29-30), the beloved Porgy and Bess. The Gil Evans Project released its latest album, Shades of Sound: Gil Evans Project Live at the Jazz Standard Vol. 2, as a moving testament to rarely-performed arrangements by Evans penned from the 1940s-1960s. It includes never-before-recorded Evans arrangements as well as classics by the great and colorful arranger—and features an unbelievable roster of jazz’s best: including Lewis Nash, Donny McCaslin, Steve Wilson, Ryan Keberle, Wendy Gilles, and the late Frank Kimbrough. Many of the members of this all-star cast will perform at this spring week at the Club, honoring Evans and Davis and pushing their music toward new horizons.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 29-31 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom
Beloved drummer Allison Miller debuted her solo project Boom Tic Boom with a self-titled recording — Boom Tic Boom — in 2010 on Foxhaven Records. Since then she has maintained a soaring career, both developing the group and serving as the drummer for supergroup Artemis, singer-songwriters Ani DiFranco, Brandi Carlile, and Natalie Merchant, and pianist Myra Melford, organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, and guitarist Wendy Eisenberg. Miller’s Boom Tic Boom is an improvising jazz group, but it can span rock, funk, and folk textures and sentiments, doing so with both virtuosity and a vulnerable sensitivity. The group has released live video concerts at NPR’s Tiny Desk, Bimhuis, and Jazz St. Louis, been featured on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, NPR’s Jazz Night in America with Christian McBridge, and performed at the jazz festivals of Monterey, Saratoga, Stanford, San Francisco, North Sea, RockIt, Chicago, Reykjavik, and Earshot, among others. They released Glitter Wolf in 2019.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 30 (Saturday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
La Tanya Hall
A show-stopping singer, La Tanya Hall has performed for decades with music’s biggest names, including years-long stints touring with Steely Dan, Bobby McFerrin, and Harry Belafonte, plus tours and performances with Diana Ross, Michael McDonald, Burt Bacharach, Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Rob Thomas, and Patti Labelle. Her new recording, If Not Now, When…, out this past October on Blue Canoe Records, came long-awaited: her last release, Say Yes (Blue Canoe) was in 2019, before the pandemic which would steal her voice for a terrifying 5 months, leading to a renewed sense of mission that resulted in her latest outing. Say Yes and her debut recording, 2008’s It’s About Time (Bridge Records), were critically-acclaimed, and the same is sure to be true of If Not Now, When…, given the album’s incredible line-up of producer Michael Leonhart, saxophonist Gary Bartz, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, harmonicist Gregoire Maret, bassist Gerald Cannon, drummer Mark McLean, and guitarist Marvin Sewell. Be there to celebrate the modern gem that is Hall as she performs for one night only.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 31 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Duduka Da Fonseca
Beloved for his work as a co-founder of the iconic Trio de Paz, which brought Brazilian music and jazz together in unprecedented ways, Duduka Da Fonseca is a legend of the international music scene. In his nearly six decades behind the drums, he has recorded and performed with Nancy Wilson, Phil Woods, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, John Scofield, Paquito D’Rivera, Bill Charlap, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, Toninho Horta, and Milton Nascimento, among countless other masters. Da Fonseca continues to make waves in the international music scene: in 2022, he enlisted a top-tier group of Vinicius Gomes (g), Helio Alves (p) and Gili Lopes (b) to record Quarteto Universal’s Yes!!!, a record that met much critical acclaim. It is this group that performs at Birdland Theater for this one-night engagement. Don’t miss!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
Monthly Engagements:
May 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 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
May 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
May 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 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
May 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 guitarist Pasquale Grasso, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Alex Raderman, perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in an assortment of special guests. In May, catch talented friends Matt Munisteri and James Chirillo (guitars, 5/6), Mark Whitfield (guitar, 5/13), James Chirillo (guitar, 5/20) Josh Dunn (guitar, 5/27). **Guitar night streams live every week at: YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 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/guitar), Brian Nalepka (bass/vocals), and Kevin Dorn (drums). Catch them each Thursday at Birdland Theater.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 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
May 16, 23 (Saturdays except 5/2, 5/9, 5/30) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Bill Charlap Solo Piano
Time and time again, Bill Charlap has proven himself an ultrasensitive interpreter of popular song. The consummate pianist’s collaborations with jazz legends—be it Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ron Carter, Houston Person, or his own trio of Kenny Washington and Peter Washington—are always highly satisfying. But his solo performances are also stuff of dreams, as he delivers characteristically heartwarming renditions of classics from the Great American songbook, unpretentiously showcasing deft fingers, flights of the imagination, and a passionate commitment to the tradition of piano. Twice Grammy-nominated, Charlap is an adored figure in jazz. His trio performs for two full weeks at Birdland this month, and on each Saturday, he will perform solo for one early evening set before joining his trio for another two sets.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (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