Birdland Concerts Announced Including Jenkins, Green & Kitt, Marzullo, Lavin and More

The season of Monday night, 7pm concerts at Birdland (315 West 44th Street) will include Jamie DeRoy & Friends in Strings Attached (September 12), The Johnny Rodgers Band (September 19), Capathia Jenkins & Louis Rosen (September 26), Avenue Q Swings! (October 3), Randi Driscoll & Friends in A Night of Music Celebrating The Matthew Shepard Foundation (October 10), Amanda Green & Tom Kitt Play With Themselves (October 17), And Then I Wrote…The Songs of Steve Marzullo (October 24) and Christine Lavin in FolkZinger (October 31). The cover charge for each concert is $25 plus a $10 food/drink minimum. (The October 10 concert is a benefit, with $50 and $100 VIP tickets also available.) Tickets may be purchased through the Birdland box office (212-581-3080) or online at www.instantseats.com/birdland. Jim Caruso's Cast Party, the Broadway open-mic extravaganza, will follow each concert. A full dinner menu is available at Birdland until 1AM.

September 12 - Jamie DeRoy & Friends Present Strings Attached - a benefit for the New York City Police Foundation. Performers scheduled to appear at this stringed extravaganza include Broadway's Ann Crumb and Leenya Rideout (violin, guitar, mandolin), comedian/ guitarist Demetri Martin, violinist Todd Sullivan, singer/ songwriter Randi Driscoll and Margaret Dorn of The Accidentals. The evening will also include a rare performance by David Buskin and Robin Batteau (guitar, mandolin, violin, piano). Strings Attached features direction by Barry Kleinbort and musical direction by Lanny Meyers.

September 19 - The Johnny Rodgers Band -Johnny celebrates the release of his new CD "Box of Photographs," along with a band that features Joe Ravo on guitar, Danny Mallon on drums and Brian Glassman on bass. "Box of Photographs," released by PS Classics and produced by Richard Barone, features piano-driven pop tunes, irresistible harmonies, and, above all, Rodgers' powerful vocals. David Hurst of Show Business Weekly declared that the songs "have 'top-10 hit' written all over them, and Rodgers performs them like a combination of Elton John, Billy Joel and James Taylor all rolled into one." Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune praised Rodgers as "a first-rate singer songwriter" with "robust vocals and exuberant pianism."

September 26 - Capathia Jenkins & Louis Rosen - Broadway's Capathia Jenkins (Caroline Or Change, The Civil War) and award-winning composer Louis Rosen come to Birdland in an evening of jazz and blues, and reprising "12 Songs on Poems by Maya Angelou," which enjoyed sold-out performances when it premiered this past March. The concert will also include songs from Dream Suite, set to the words of Langston Hughes; and new songs from Mr. Rosen's cycle-in-progress, South Side Stories. Pianist David Loud will join Capathia and Louis in the performance.

October 13 - Avenue Q Swings! will feature very special guest stars singing songs from Avenue Q in jazz, classical and other surprising arrangements. At press time, the cast includes Broadway performers Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Karen Mason, Sally Mayes, and Christine Pedi. The musical director for the show will be composer/arranger Mary Ann McSweeney, who plays bass each night in the Avenue Q orchestra on Broadway.

October 10 - A Night Of Music Celebrating The Matthew Shepard Foundation Starring Randi Driscoll, Jason & DeMarco, and many special guests.

October 17 - Amanda Green & Tom Kitt Play With Themselves - It's a premature retrospective from the writing duo that's bringing High Fidelity to Broadway next season! They will amuse and amaze with hits from Feeling Electric and For The Love Of Tiffany. As always, surprise guests will abound.

October 24 - And Then I Wrote…The Songs Of Steve Marzullo - Conductor/composer Steve Marzullo brings us a dazzling cast of Broadway babies, including Michael Arden, Judy Blazer, Liz Callaway, Darius DeHaas, Michael Gruber, Terry Klausner, Alix Korey, Rebecca Luker, Ric Ryder, and Michael Winther to sing his original pop-tinged tunes.

October 31 - Christine Lavin in FolkZinger - The "21st Century's singing Mark Twain" celebrates the release of her brand new album with The Accidentals, Ervin Drake, Julie Gold, Brian Bauers, Julie Garnye and other surprise guests.