Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater are proudly open this September with a full slate of nightly performances! Come celebrate the holidays with us!
At Birdland Jazz Club, catch Greg Osby: Dancing with Duke – Music of Duke Ellington feat Ethan Iverson, Eric Harland, JD Allen, Virginia Macdonald, Lonnie Plaxico, Monica Ramey, Joe Alterman Trio, An Evening With Felix Hagan, Emmet Cohen Trio, Emily Braden, Bryce Edwards’ Frivolity Hour, Eliane Elias, Jon De Lucia’s Dave Brubeck Octet Project, A Night With Nicole Henry, COLTRANE REVISITED CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION with Jimmy Greene, Troy Roberts, Helen Sung, Steve Smith, Lonnie Plaxico, Ed Neumeister’s NeuNeuNonet, Karen Mason Birthday Bash at Birdland, and The Hot Sardines.
Birdland Theater will present Steve Smith & Vital Information, Donny McCaslin, Ben Allison, Steve Smith: “WAY OUT WEST” A Birthday Tribute to Sonny Rollins, Emma Smith Quartet, Bill Mays Trio, and Matt Wilson’s Good Trouble.
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, Gabrielle Stravelli Trio, and The Birdland Latin Jazz Orchestra.
See below for the full schedule! More information can be found at www.birdlandjazz.com
September 1-5 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (9/1-3); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (9/4-5) – Birdland Jazz Club
Greg Osby: Dancing with Duke – Music of Duke Ellington feat Ethan Iverson, Eric Harland, JD Allen, Virginia Macdonald, Lonnie Plaxico
Master saxophonist and modern innovator of the jazz tradition, the great Greg Osby presents a new project in tribute to American legend Duke Ellington entitled “Dancing with Duke.” Beloved and revered for his work in the 1980s and 90s as a founding member of the M-Base Collective that rose to acclaim in New York City, Osby delivered a shocking 11 albums as a leader before the year 2000 across both Blue Note and JMT labels, and had put out another 10 more by 2008, also largely on Blue Note. His music fused contemporary beats and sounds from pop, R&B, hip hop, and rock, all while developing harmonically adventurous, rhythmically mysterious innovations on the long tradition of black American forms. Hard-smacking grooves and undeniable virtuosity were prioritized. Osby’s last recording as a leader was in 2023, entitled Minimalism (Inner Circle Music). The turn backward to Ellington may surprise fans given his always trailblazing gaze forward. But together with masters Ethan Iverson (piano), Eric Harland (drums), JD Allen (saxophone), Virginia Macdonald (clarinet) and Lonnie Plaxico (bass), Osby is sure to interpret the Duke’s artistic genius in joyfully fresh and striking ways.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 4-6 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Steve Smith & Vital Information
A truly unique musician with a fabulous artistic path, the great drummer Steve Smith began playing in big bands in the 1970s as he studied with legendary teachers Alan Dawson and Freddie Gruber. His all-star group Vital Information has performed since the early 1970s, since before Smith joined the iconic rock band, Journey, with whom he rocketed to international fame, eventually entering both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and making the Modern Drummer Reader’s Poll 25 Greatest Drummers of All Time. Throughout, Vital Information performed to sold-out crowds, with new members joining over the years. The group now includes the incredible Manuel Valera (Guggenheim Fellow and Grammy nominated pianist) and world-class Janek Gwizdala (electric bassist for fusion jazz legends Mike Stern, Randy Brecker and Peter Erskine). Vital Information has, over the years, been a four-member ensemble. This new trio format allows for new possibilities in the group’s miraculous combination of bebop, funk, South Indian traditional, and contemporary influences. For Vital Information’s 40th Anniversary celebration in 2023, Wounded Bird Records released Steve Smith and Vital Information: The Complete Columbia Recordings, a four CD set of Vital Information’s first 4 albums. Then came the 2025 release, New Perspective, which rearranged music Smith had previously recorded (including three songs by Journey and two by Steps Ahead) to sound vastly different from the originals. Catch Vital Information as they perform a three-night run at the Theater!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 6 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Monica Ramey
Vocalist Monica Ramey sings with a subtle dynamism and a warm sound, delivering jazz standards and popular songs to the delight of audiences worldwide. Known for her collaboration with legendary pianist Beegie Adair, Ramey has released a number of recordings in recent years including Make Someone Happy, Monica Ramey and the Beegie Adair Trio, Some Enchanted Evening, and Some Enchanted Christmas. She developed her artistry alongside, or under the tutelage, of such greats as Adair, Michael Feinstein, Anthony Wilson, Jeff Coffin, Donna McElroy, and others. Regular performances at Birdland, Feinstein’s/54 Below, Nashville Jazz Workshop and other notable venues continue to keep her busy; for this Sunday night performance, she is supported by veteran compatriots Billy Stritch, Roger Spencer, and Eric Halvorson.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 7 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Joe Alterman Trio
Birdland favorite Joe Alterman brings his trademark warm sound to the upstairs stage on the first Monday in September for an early evening performance. A mentee of legends Ramsey Lewis (who called Alterman “a joy to behold”) and Les McCann (who called him “a giant”), Alterman has gone on to release 8 albums, host the impressive show The Upside of Jazz on Atlanta’s NPR radio interviewing legends of the genre, score documentaries, and pen liner notes for 3 albums by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis. Alterman’s warm, upbeat pianism calls forth the exuberant wit of Ahmad Jamal, the blues of Red Garland, and the reflections of Bill Evans. An Atlanta native who has been performing in New York City for over fifteen years, former releases included Brisket For Breakfast (featuring saxophone royalty Houston Person), Joe Alterman Plays Les McCann: Big Mo & Little Joe (2023), Solo Joe: Songs You Know (2023), and The Upside of Down (2021) (live at Birdland). He has appeared on Grammy-winning projects by American President Jimmy Carter and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Alterman’s expertise lies in his ability to bring the heat on keys, conjuring up the down-home good feelings we so badly need right now. Perhaps this is why famed jazz critic Nat Hentoff says that the young pianist “would have been able to hold his own jamming with…Lester Young, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, and Duke Ellington,” and wrote about Joe in his final article on jazz. On this one-night only engagement, he will be jamming with his working trio. They will no doubt swing you out of your seats.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 7 (Monday) 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
AN EVENING WITH FELIX HAGAN
Fresh from the extraordinary international success of Operation Mincemeat, Olivier Award-winning composer, lyricist and librettist Felix Hagan makes a special one-night-only appearance at Birdland. One of the most original and exhilarating musical voices working in theatre today, Hagan is the co-creator of the international phenomenon Operation Mincemeat, winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Musical and a two-time Tony Award nominee. Blurring the boundaries between musical theatre, jazz, rock and cabaret, Hagan brings the full range of his musical life to the Birdland stage. The evening will feature selections from his acclaimed theatrical work, personal favorites, unexpected reinterpretations, and songs from his years touring internationally with Felix Hagan & The Family. With his fearless musical imagination, razor-sharp wit and gift for storytelling, Hagan has built a body of work that is at once wildly theatrical and deeply personal. Beyond Operation Mincemeat, he is currently developing new works for the stage and composing music for an upcoming feature film. Part concert, part cabaret and part musical conversation, the evening promises beloved theatre songs alongside rock-and-roll energy, sophisticated songwriting, behind-the-scenes stories and the irreverent humor that helped make Operation Mincemeat a theatrical sensation. One night only.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 8-12 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (9/8-10); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (9/11-12) – Birdland Jazz Club
Emmet Cohen Trio
A leading figure in contemporary jazz, Emmet Cohen has made a movement out of his striking pianism. Once a young prodigy, he was 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 a young collaborator of masters Benny Golson, Ron Carter, George Coleman, The Heath Brothers, and Christian McBride. But with the success of his wildly popular livestream concert series, “Live From Emmet’s Place,” a “rent-party”-styled jam session born of the pandemic lockdown, Cohen took the entire jazz world by storm with a combination of Russell Hall and Kyle Poole’s edge-of-your-seat devotional swinging, his own encyclopedic comprehension of the tradition, and a weekly rotation of master musicians and jazz legends to round out the vibes. The Emmet’s Place Youtube channel now boasts nearly 1400 videos with an accumulated nearly 70 million views, and Emmet’s Place is a (literal) household name in jazz. While the homebound concerts are over, the series continues at the famed Open Studio; and Cohen performs across the world with his group. This second week of September, you can catch him at Birdland, where he presents the latest from his working trio with bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Joe Farnsworth.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 11-13 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Donny McCaslin, Ben Allison, Steve Smith: “WAY OUT WEST” A Birthday Tribute to Sonny Rollins
Celebrate American music legend Sonny Rollins! Sonny passed this year on May 25th. A hero to all who loved jazz, Rollins reached 95 years old and granted generations after him some of the greatest music ever recorded. In honor of his September 7th birthday, Birdland presents a weekend of performances at the Theater by the legendary drummer Steve Smith, brilliant bass leader Ben Allison, and modern saxophone icon Donny Mccaslin. To pay tribute to Rollins, the master of the tenor saxophone, this highly creative group presents “Way Out West,” named after Rollins’ 1957 album of the same name. The album, goes the story, was recorded starting at 3am and ended in the daylight. From Friday through Sunday, this group of three master musicians will explore the pianoless, guitarless trio configuration from that Rollins album. Of Donny, Ben, and Steve, each possesses a unique character on their instruments. These great artists will give their all to honor the legend that is Sonny, who lives at the heart of jazz.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 13 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Emily Braden
Emily Braden is the winner of New York City’s “Best of the Best” Jazzmobile Vocal Competition and a two-time cultural ambassador with the US Embassy’s Arts Envoy Program. Originally from Boise, Idaho, the Harlem-based Braden is beloved in NYC—NYC performances include Birdland Jazz Club, Blue Note Jazz Club (Groove Series), and The Jazz Club at Aman, with residencies at The 55 Bar and Minton’s Playhouse. Braden’s sophomore album, “Cannon & Sparrow, was released spring 2023 and is a “celebration of resilience,” further defining Braden’s powerhouse blend of jazz and soul, and featuring standards and her arresting original songwriting. Whether she’s engaging audiences with an intimate ballad or an upbeat, swinging number, Braden’s mastery of phrasing and improvisation sets her apart. One Sunday night in mid-September.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 14 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Bryce Edwards’ Frivolity Hour
On Monday, September 14th at 7pm, nouveau vaudevillian Bryce Edwards will once again storm the Birdland stage with his Frivolity Hour! Back by popular demand! Come see why BroadwayWorld named The Bryce Edwards Frivolity Hour as one of the Best Solo Cabaret Shows—alongside entertainment royalty such as Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, and Marilyn Maye (to name a few). Crooning troubadour Edwards will share his original brand of hot traditional jazz and early 20th century popular music, playing all the lush serenades and hot novelties you never knew you always wanted to hear. Edwards is a unique vocalist that takes equal cues from the crooners and soft singers of the late 1920s and early 30s and from the bombastic voices of the earlier acoustic phonograph era—as well as an instrumentalist who plays banjo, ukulele, tenor guitar, and mandolin in the “modernistic” jazz idiom. Leading a hot combination featuring extraordinary jazzmen Scott Ricketts (cornet), Ricky Alexander (clarinet, alto saxophone), Conal Fowkes (piano), and Jay Rattman (bass saxophone), Edwards channels his passion into reviving some of that long lost intangible quality of the Jazz Age and igniting interest in an all too often overlooked era of music that—despite being an entire century old—still bubbles with lively humor, beauty, and an oft-defiant youthful energy. He brings his singular verve and sensibility to songs made famous by great artists such as Cliff Edwards, Ted Lewis, Jack Teagarden, Rudy Vallée, and Bing Crosby. Steeped in jazz age novelty, Bryce Edwards takes frivolity very seriously, and vows to entertain his audience or die trying.
$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 15-19 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (9/15-17); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (9/18-19) – Birdland Jazz Club
Eliane Elias
With over 2.5 million albums sold to date, Grammy-winning and Latin Grammy-winning Eliane Elias’ singular sound is one of the most unique and immediately recognizable in jazz. Elias blends her Brazilian roots and alluring voice with her unique genius as both pianist and composer across jazz and classical idioms. The New York Times has described Elias’ live concert as “a celebration of the vitality of a culture overflowing with life and natural beauty” and JAZZIZ has called her “a citizen of the world” and “an artist beyond category.” Elias has toured in 78 countries, released 33 albums, earned four Gold Disc Awards, and received the 2018 Edison Lifetime Achievement Award in Holland. Her recording MIRROR MIRROR (Candid, 2021)—a set of duets with Eliane and the late Chick Corea, as well as Eliane and Chucho Valdez—won the 2022 GRAMMY® Award for Best Latin Jazz Album; her last recording, 2024’s Time and Again (Candid), featured all original compositions with lyrics in both English and Portuguese, hitting #1 on the iTunes jazz charts and becoming an Amazon Best Seller in the United States. This past May, Elias released her newest work to the world: Ao Vivo (2026), a live portrait with her quartet at SFJAZZ in San Francisco. In this working group of heavy-hitters are bass master Marc Johnson (Bill Evans Trio), drummer Rafael Barata (Ivan Lins), and guitarist Leandro Pellegrino—the same group which she brings for this week of performances at Birdland. Elias is sure to deliver her trademark brilliance for Birdland audiences.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 18-19 (Friday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Emma Smith Quartet
London-born Emma Smith brings her brilliant, heartfelt, and self-assuredly contemporary (and swinging!) presence to the Birdland Theater for a three-night engagement. Hot off a streak of wins—Parliamentary Jazz Vocalist of the Year (2024), Jazz Act of the Year at the 2024 Jools Holland Boisdale Music Awards, winner of the Worshipful Company of Musicians Medal, finalist at the Montreux Jazz Voice Competition, and a finalist in the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition (the only non-U.S. singer selected)—Smith has emerged as a fresh voice whose willingness to bring diverse repertoire (Songbook, Sondheim, modern pop) into emotional relevance, swinging authenticity, and intelligent artistic statement sets her distinctly apart. Her breakout album Meshuga Baby garnered millions of streams and received wide radio play; her 2025 recording Bitter Orange was released on New York label La Reserve. Smith has collaborated with Michael Bublé, The Quincy Jones Orchestra, Jeff Goldblum, Jeremy Pelt, Wayne Escoffery, and Post-Modern Jukebox. A star in the making—and a weekend to witness!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 20 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Jon De Lucia’s Dave Brubeck Octet Project
Saxophonist and arranger Jon De Lucia made his recording debut as a leader with 2006’s Face No Face, a sextet session with a cast of young all-stars that JazzTimes called an “astonishing debut.” Ten years of captivating projects later, his Octet emerged as a five-saxophone-plus-rhythm band, releasing a live debut in 2018 with legendary nonagenarian saxophonist Ted Brown (of Lennie Tristano fame). Now in 2026, the Jon De Lucia Octet includes trumpet, trombone, three saxophones and a rhythm section—and they’ve set their sights on Dave Brubeck’s octet repertoire from the late 1940s. In partnership with the Brubeck Living Legacy and the Brubeck Archive, the Octet recorded 11 tunes in December of 2023 with a band of heavy-hitters, including Scott Robinson, Brandon Lee, Glenn Zaleski, and Becca Patterson. These songs by Brubeck early in his career (1946-50) represent a west coast counterpart to Miles Davis’s Birth of the Cool sessions, a series of rarely heard treasures. Watch this contemporary ensemble explore this little-known, trailblazing material on this Sunday evening at Birdland.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 20 (Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Bill Mays Trio
Bill Mays has lived a beautiful life in modern music, performing in the piano chair for a long list of its greatest practitioners: singers Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow, Al Jarreau, and Anita O’Day; soloists Harold Land, Art Pepper, Sonny Stitt, Toots Theilmans, Clark Terry, Gerry Mulligan and Benny Golson; drummers Jimmy Cobb, Mel Lewis, and Shelly Manne; and in large ensembles such as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Maria Schneider’s group. Mays is a prolific composer and arranger who has written for the New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Turtle Creek Chorale, WDR Big Band, and the U.S. Air Force Airmen Of Note; his songs have been used in movies and television: Anamorph, Burn After Reading, Hamlet, Looker, Succession, The Fifth Estate and Tribeca. His keyboard work has been heard on hundreds of film soundtracks, among them Fargo, Godfather 2, Hail, Caesar!, Jaws 2, Julie & Julia, Rocky 2, Rosaline, Superman, The Big Lebowski, The Good Liar, and White Noise. He released Woods and Mays, also known as Phil and Bill, in 2010, a duo recording with longtime friend and saxophone legend Phil Woods. Mays published Stories of the Road, the Studios, Sidemen & Singers: 55 Years in the Music Business to critical regared in 2015. A pianist of imagination, restraint, and exuberant power, he leads a creative and dynamic trio this Sunday evening on the Theater stage.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 21 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
A Night With Nicole Henry
Singer Nicole Henry and her band return to Birdland! Stephen Holden of The New York Times has compared witnessing Henry to “being in the presence of a pop-soul superwoman.” Jazz Times Magazine and Miami Herald have compared the powerhouse jazz vocalist to Sarah Vaughan, Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston for her dynamic range, impeccable phrasing, and ability to connect to a lyric. Whether burning up a swing tune or gently caressing a ballad, Henry—honored as Vocalist of the Decade by BroadwayWorld Miami—makes each song uniquely her own, “aim[ing] right for the emotional center” (Billboard). Henry celebrates a 20-year recording career with 8 critically acclaimed chart-topping CDs, a Soul Train Award for “Best Traditional Jazz Performance,” and four Top Ten Billboard placements, and even a Nicole Henry Day in Miami for her ongoing legacy. Hot House Jazz said, “few voices can set a listening room on fire, then let it burn into a cinder like Nicole Henry’s.” With an all-star cast to back her up, expect both beloved standards and uncommon gems from across American genres—as well as her latest single, “Everything Is Fine,” which has reached the Top 10 and Top 40 radio charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
$65 VIP / $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 22-26 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (9/22-24); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (9/25-26) – Birdland Jazz Club
COLTRANE REVISITED CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION with Jimmy Greene, Troy Roberts, Helen Sung, Steve Smith, Lonnie Plaxico
The 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth coincides with the 25th anniversary of Coltrane Revisited at Birdland. A very special all-star tribute to the saxophonist who many have called the greatest musician in American history, “Coltrane Revisited”—happening annually at Birdland for now one full quarter-century—has brought sold out audiences to Birdland Jazz Club each year. Guest artists have included Joe Lovano, (briefly Coltrane) pianist Steve Kuhn, trumpeter Tom Harrell, drummer Andrew Cyrille, saxophonist Vincent Herring, and many others. This year, the great Jimmy Greene and Troy Roberts share the front line on saxophones, with pianist Helen Sung, bassist Lonnie Plaxico, and drummer Steve Smith forming the rhythm section. A hard-hitting, spiritually-inclined event, this week of performances is not to be missed.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 25-27 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Matt Wilson’s Good Trouble
New recording: Love Is The Whole Thing by Good Trouble out this year! In 2024, beloved jazz drummer Matt Wilson celebrated the 60th anniversary of his birth with a vibrant new album, Good Trouble. The outing marked his 14th as a leader for Palmetto Records, a label he has been associated with for 28 years. Now he returns to celebrate the sequel with the same group: Love Is The Whole Thing, his 15th album for Palmetto. Good Trouble’s first recording included compositions by Wilson, Ornette Coleman, Gary Bartz and John Denver as well as a three movement suite co-composed by Wilson and Jeff Lederer, “Good Trouble,” which is dedicated to the legacy of the late United States congressman, Representative John Lewis, the heralded activist for civil rights in America. The team of stellar sonic purveyors he assembled for the album made its Birdland debut that same year, with Tia Fuller (alto saxophone), Dawn Clement (piano & vocals), Jeff Lederer (tenor saxophone & clarinet), Ben Allison (bass) and the exuberant, clever, and absolutely profound Wilson presiding on drums. Don’t miss this group as they deliver their second message to the people, downstairs at the Theater in late September! Wilson, known for his collaborations with bass legend Charlie Haden and his Liberation Music Orchestra, legends Denny Zeitlin, Lee Konitz, Larry Goldings, Hank Jones, Myra Melford, Dewey Redman, Dave Leibman, and others, reliably still provides some of the best jazz drumming out there.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 27 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Ed Neumeister’s NeuNeuNonet
A master trombonist and composer, Ed Neumeister came of age with an adventurous crop of writer-improvisers such as Jim McNeely and Joe Lovano, working with legendary bandleaders such as Duke Ellington, Mel Lewis, Lionel Hampton, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, and Buddy Rich. Time in these bands allowed the trombonist to blossom into a mature player whose fresh ideas, expressive sound, and playful approach astound audiences. Saxophonist Joe Lovano has called him “an inspired arranger, composer and conductor, as well as a soloist of deep expressive passion.” Neumeister’s 9-piece group, the NeuNeuNonet, makes its world premier at Birdland in September, featuring a cast of greats: Scott Wendholt, trumpet; Ben Kono, soprano and alto sax; Adam Kolker, tenor sax and clarinet; Neumeister on trombone; Carl Maraghi, bari sax and bass clarinet; Neal Kirkwood, piano; Bruce Arnold, guitar; John Hébert, bass; and Rob Garcia on drums.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 28 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Karen Mason: Birthday Bash at Birdland
Broadway, concert and recording artist Karen Mason celebrates the release of her 10th album, Karen Mason: Birthday Bash at Birdland. Recorded live during Mason’s sold-out Birdland performance on her birthday last year, Birthday Bash at Birdland captures the powerhouse vocalist in an evening of music, stories and celebration. Following sold-out engagements in London, San Francisco and Puerto Vallarta, Mason returns to one of her favorite New York stages to celebrate the new recording with a special album release performance. Sassy, brassy and deeply personal, the show features songs spanning the decades of Mason’s life and career, along with longtime audience favorites including “Something’s Coming,” “But the World Goes ’Round,” “Hurry! It’s Lovely Up Here” and “South of the Coconut Line.” The evening is directed by Barry Kleinbort, with Christopher Denny as music director and pianist and Tom Hubbard on bass. Mason’s Broadway credits include originating Tanya in Mamma Mia!, for which she received a Drama Desk Award nomination; Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard; Velma von Tussle in Hairspray; Mazeppa in Jerome Robbins’ Broadway; and The Queen of Hearts in Wonderland. Off-Broadway, Mason received the Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance in And the World Goes ’Round. She is a 14-time MAC Award winner, recipient of the 2019 MAC Lifetime Achievement Award, and a three-time Bistro Award winner.
$50 VIP / $40 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 29-October 3 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (9/29-10/1); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (10/2-3) – Birdland Jazz Club
The Hot Sardines
The Hot Sardines celebrate their latest recording—just out in May of this year—the very swinging Good News! Stars of the trad-jazz world, The Hot Sardines bring early jazz into the modern day. With their love of classic jazz—jazz that feeds the heart and soul—bandleader Evan Palazzo, lead singer Elizabeth Bougerol, and a New York-based ensemble have brought their music across the globe for years. Their brassy horn arrangements, rollicking piano melodies, smooth vocals and love for audience engagement earned them the respect of Downbeat Magazine, who called the group “one of the most delightfully energetic bands on New York’s ‘hot’ music scene.” The Hot Sardines have released seven records since 2011 to critical acclaim. “Everything in our DNA is about connecting with the audience,” says Bougerol. Make sure not to miss this exciting week of shows!
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
Monthly Engagements:
September 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, 28-29 (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
September 14, 21, 28 (Mondays except 9/7) 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
September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (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
September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (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. This month, catch talented friends Jimmy Bruno (9/2, 9/9, 9/16), Ulf Wakenius (9/9), Ed Cherry (9/16), Lucy Wijnands (vocals, 9/23), Hirofumi Asaba (9/30). **Guitar night streams live every week at: YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 3, 10, 17, 24 (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
September 4, 11, 18, 25 (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
September 5, 12, 19, 26 (Saturdays) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Gabrielle Stravelli Trio
This September, award-winning vocalist Gabrielle Stravelli brings her trademark vocal style and sparkling trio to the Jazz Club every Saturday for the early evening set. Praised by The New York Times for an “emotional intelligence” and “phenomenal voice,” an “easygoing confidence and impeccable taste,” Stravelli’s clear tone, gutsy rhythm, flawless scat-singing and contagious joy have delighted audiences the world over. Honors include the Bistro Award for Outstanding Recording (2020); the Broadway World Cabaret Award for Best Jazz Vocalist (2019); the MAC Award for Best Female Vocalist (2015); and the Bistro Award as a Jazz Vocalist (2015). She regularly leads her quartet in performances at the country’s finest jazz clubs and performing arts centers and has headlined domestic and international jazz festivals including the 2024 & 2023 Delaware Water Gap COTA Festival; 2023 Cape Cod Jazz Festival; 2023 Cayman Arts Festival; ’24, ’21 & ’18 WBGO Jazz on the Mountain Festivals; 2019 Providencia Jazz Festival in Chile; 2016 Eleuthera Jazz Festival, Bahamas; and the 2014 Maree Sonore Festival in Venice, Italy. Stravelli has debuted song cycles by world-renowned jazz pianist Fred Hersch and toured the U.S. premiering “Abyssinian” with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. She made her Carnegie Hall debut last year—and Beautiful Moons Ago, her latest release, was the first to feature her trio with pianist Michael Kanan and bassist Pat O’Leary. The momentum keeps building—catch her four times this month delighting upstairs audiences.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
September 6, 13, 20, 27 (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