Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater Announce March 2022 Schedule

Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater are open this March with a full slate of nightly performances!

At Birdland Jazz Club, catch The Cookers, Celebrating the Slide Hampton Octet, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Grace Fox Big Band, Maqueque, Sean Harkness Quartet, Monty Alexander, and Emmet's Place Live.

Birdland Theater will present Gene Pritsker, Samara Joy, Michele Lordi Quartet, Sara Gazarek, Ariana Neikrug Quartet, Ben Paterson Trio, Dave Liebman Marc Copland Duo, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown Quartet, Marissa Licata Quartet, Dave Bennett Band, and Harry Allen Quartet.

Repeat engagements include Jim Caruso's Cast Party with Billy Stritch at the piano, The Lineup with Susie Mosher, David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, Frank Vignola's Guitar Night, Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano, and Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.

*In compliance with New York City rules for indoor activities, Birdland requires proof of vaccination from all customers, staff, and performers.

See below for the full schedule! More information can be found at www.birdlandjazz.com

March 1-5 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/1-3); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (3/4-5) - Birdland Jazz Club
The Cookers
One of the longest-working supergroups in jazz history, the Cookers have for fourteen strong years brought together seven of the biggest names in jazz. Drummer Billy Hart, bassist Cecil McBee, pianist George Cables, saxophonists Billy Pierce and Donald Harrison, and trumpeters Eddie Henderson and David Weiss have each made powerful contributions to the history of the music and can be heard on no less than a collective 1,000 recordings. Together, they make robust, high-octane statements, bringing back to life the harmonic and melodic sensibilities of the 1960s explorations that made jazz music what it is today. With six full-length recordings to their name-including iTunes 2014 Jazz CD of the Year Time and Time Again-this group of jazz legends has headlined more than twenty major international festivals, including the Newport Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Playboy Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Jazz a Vienne, London Jazz Festival, San Sebastian Jazz Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, and Jazz in Marciac. Anyone looking to hear jazz masters hold the flame in fiery form should make a point to witness the Cookers, who hold court at Birdland for five nights.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 3 (Thursday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Composers Concordance "Eclectic Bands": The Michael Wolff Trio, Dan Cooper Quartet & Gene Pritsker's Sound Liberation
Staying in rotation for over 30 years in NYC is a rare feat. In the case of a new music presenting organization, it requires not only diligence and cognizance of achievements of the past, but also an ethic of keeping one's ear to the ground for emerging stylistic and technological developments, as well as talented new composers on the scene. Composers Concordance strives to present contemporary music in innovative ways, with an emphasis on thematic programming. On March 3, the institution comes to Birdland Theater to present The Michael Wolff Trio, Dan Cooper Quartet & Gene Pritsker's Sound Liberation. Each band will play a 20 minute set of vibrant original music.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 4-6 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Samara Joy
At only 22 years old, Samara Joy has already been thrust into the limelight, hailed as one of jazz's most promising new voices. From a musical family, she was steeped early in gospel and R&B, ultimately leading worship services at her church during high school. But it was when she encountered recordings of luminaries Sarah Vaughan and Tadd Dameron that she felt the pull of jazz-and, since putting her heart into that tradition, Samara has found ample support from some of the music's greatest lights, including Christian McBride, Cyrus Chestnut, Kirk Lightsey and the late NEA Jazz Master Dr. Barry Harris. She has performed at top New York venues such as Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, The Blue Note, and Mezzrow, as well as internationally at Paris's Le Duc Des Lombards. A TikTok sensation, Samara was recently featured on the TODAY Show. Her working band, which features guitar master Pasquale Grasso, creates the swinging atmosphere to support Joy's mellifluous tone. She performs a weekend of standards at Birdland Theater.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 6 (Sunday) 5:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Celebrating the Slide Hampton Octet
The late master trombonist Slide Hampton passed away in November of this past year. In homage to his artistry, veteran drummer Charles Ruggierio and top-call saxophonist Frank Basile bring together an octet to play Hampton's famous 8-piece orchestrations of the 1950s and 60s. The band recorded together in 2019, bringing these great arrangements to life for an album entitled Slide's Blues (SmallsLive) which featured the great Hampton himself on two tracks. Slide no longer being with us, the musicians join forces again to honor his life, his legacy, and his amazing music.
$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 7 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Sam Gravitte - "Songs That Raised Me"
Currently starring as "Fiyero" in Wicked on Broadway, Sam Gravitte will make his solo concert debut. He will team up with a quartet of some of New York City's most dynamic young musicians to reinvent some old and new favorites. Led by pianist and composer Jake Landau, with guitarist Ravi Campbell, bassist Kanoa Mendenhall, and drummer Zach Mullings, Sam takes you on a journey with standards like Cy Coleman's "Why Try to Change Me Now," Stephen Sondheim's "Finishing the Hat," and more. Gravitte is an actor, musician, and writer. Raised by actors Debbie and Beau Gravitte, Sam graduated with a BA in Anthropology from Princeton before formally entering the family business. His other credits include Almost Famous (Original Cast, Old Globe), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (ACT), and the Wicked national tour.
$30 tables + $20 food/drink minimum

March 7 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Michelle Lordi Quartet
Called "flawless" by DownBeat and "mesmerizing" by JazzTimes, vocalist Michelle Lordi has dazzled audiences across the United States with her captivating voice and contemporary vision. On 2019's Break Up With the Sound, 2017's Dream a Little Dream, and 2015's Drive, Lordi creates moving sonic portraits that blend traditional songbook classics, pastoral folk soundscapes, and modern jazz sensibilities. For years she has performed this music at some of the nation's top venues, including The Kimmel Center, Mann Music Center, The Deer Head Inn, Chris' Jazz Cafe, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Cornelia Street Cafe, Jazz Forum, Maureen's, Mezzrow, Minton's, Smoke Jazz & Supper Club, Dazzle, BluJazz, Bop Stop, Cliff Bell's, Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe, Pinelands Jazz Festival and Birdland. Hot House nominated her for three categories of their 2019 Readers Jazz Awards: Best Band, Rising Star and Female Jazz Vocalist. She performs for one night at the Birdland Theater.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 8-12 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/8-10); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (3/11-12) - Birdland Jazz Club

Maria Schneider Orchestra
Widely recognized and revered as one of her generation's greatest composers, the great Maria Schneider brings her orchestra to Birdland in March. In 2020-after 25 years of groundbreaking contributions in the form of Schneider's eight profoundly lush recordings (nearly all receiving GRAMMY wins and nominations)-she presented Data Lords. Hailed as her greatest work to date and a Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, this sweeping two-albums-worth of music sets the digital world against the natural in two vast, contrasting portraits. Through its moving sonic narrative, Data Lords intently warns listeners of the dangers that contemporary tech industry rulers pose for human freedom. Schneider's orchestra performs for five nights at Birdland.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 10-12 (Thursday-Saturday) 8:30 PM (3/10); 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/11-12) - Birdland Theater

Sara Gazarek

A contemporary vocalist who continues the tradition of the great jazz singers in a fresh sonic context, Sara Gazarek has received two GRAMMY nominations for her striking work, including the 2019 nomination for Best Jazz Album for her latest recording, Thirsty Ghost. Gazarek's clear, refined tone and artful melodic sensibility shine in selections like her reimagination of Dolly Parton's classic, "Jolene"; the Nancy Wilson theme "Never Will I Marry"; or her version of Brad Mehldau's contemporary classic, "When It Rains," sung with original lyrics as Gazarek's "Distant Storm." And while collaborations with Kurt Elling, Billy Childs, Ambrose Akinmusire, Fred Hersch, and Larry Goldings have been highlights of her star-studded career, it is her future-evinced by her groundbreaking work on Thirsty Ghost-which Gazarek finds most exciting.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 13 (Sunday) 5:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Grace Fox Big Band
Celebrating the release of her debut album, Grace Fox-a precocious talent at only 19 years old-premiers at Birdland with her 17-piece all-female jazz ensemble. On her new recording, Eleven O' Seven (Next Level), Fox assembles a brilliant cast of jazzwomen, a multiethnic and intergenerational group that deftly represent Fox's originals and arrangements-like "Sterile," which Fox penned to illustrate the deadening effects of early pandemic quarantine, or "Strasbourg St. Denis," the Roy Hargrove anthem which Fox orchestrated for large ensemble. "I had the opportunity to get this band together and I couldn't say no," the trumpeter stated in a recent interview with Jazz Philadelphia. "It's my dream, as corny as that may sound." Fox currently attends the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, deepening her study of trumpet and composition.
$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 13 (Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Ariana Neikrug Quartet
The pure-toned vocalist Ariana Neikrug is no stranger to success. The daughter of musical parents, she began singing at age 3 and went on to win major honors in the world of jazz voice: in 2015, she received an Outstanding Soloist Award at the Next Generation Monterey Jazz Festival and won the 2015 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. With her 2018 debut of Changes, Neikrug became a Concord Music Group recording artist. Changes, produced by Kurt Elling's pianist, Laurence Hobgood, includes standards and originals, freshly performed for modern ears. And modern ears delighted in Changes when Neikrug brought the music on her first international tour in 2018. Indeed, the Chicago Tribune named it one of the "Best Jazz Vocal Recordings of 2018," calling it "the vocal debut of the year," and JAZZIZ and PASTE magazines named the singer one of their "Artists to Watch in 2019." Ariana's new sound, captivating performances, and electric band are not to be missed for this Sunday evening performance.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 14 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Mark Mackillop - "Duets"
MacKillop, star of West Side Story, Anastasia and Dirty Dancing, is making his Birdland debut. He will storm the stage with an evening of duets with Broadway performers Jelani Remy, Joy Franz, Telly Leung, BrittMack, Ed Staudenmayer, Alex Newell and Ari Groover, singing songs from musical theatre, pop, country, and more. Originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, Mark grew up performing in musical theatre. At 17 he started studying ballet and after summers training with Boston Ballet and ABT in NYC he was hired by the nation's oldest continually running company, the Atlanta Ballet. After performing in On Your Toes as part of New York City Center's Encores series he spent a year playing Riff on the International tour of West Side Story. Mark also toured the US performing in the National Tour of Dirty Dancing and most recently playing Prince Siegfried on the First NationalTour of Anastasia.
$45/$75 VIP + $20 food/drink minimum

March 14 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Susan Mack - "Music in the Air"
Susan Mack's "Music in the Air" celebrates the profound power and magic of music in our lives. Through jazz standards of composers including Cole Porter, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Irving Berlin and Chick Corea, the show rejoices in their "forever music" - bringing a contemporary spin to the dancing, romancing and loving that music inspires in all of us. Mack's 2018 debut show "Nobody Else But Me," directed by the legendary Marilyn Maye, was nominated for a MAC Award for Best Female Debut. "Music in the Air" features musical director Tedd Firth on piano, David Finck on bass, Eric Halvorson on drums, and is directed by Lina Koutrakos.
$30 + $20 food/drink minimum

March 15-19 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/15-17); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (3/18-19) - Birdland Jazz Club

Maqueque
Maqueque is the brainchild of Canadian saxophone legend Jane Bunnett: an all-star, all-female group of Cuban musicians, propelled by virtuosic drumming, joyful vocals in harmony, and brilliant melodic improvisations. Bunnett grew her international fame over the course of many decades on recordings with legends Dewey Redman, Don Pullen, Jeanne Lee, Sheila Jordan, Paul Bley, and other masters, receiving the title of Officer of the Order of Canada in 2004 for her artistic and social contributions. Her love affair with Cuba and Cuban music began in 1982. Since then, Maqueque, which Bunnett founded in 2014, has won two GRAMMY nominations and a Juno Award. Their beautiful, intricate arrangements are unique in their ability to showcase unbridled technical brilliance while naturally connecting to, enlivening, and inspiring audiences.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 17-19 (Thursday-Saturday) 8:30 PM (3/17); 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/18-19) - Birdland Theater

Dave Liebman-Marc Copland Duo
Saxophonist Dave Liebman is a legend of jazz music, appearing on over 500 recordings, including 200 as a leader. His membership in the bands of trumpeter Miles Davis and drummer Elvin Jones in the 1970s continues to guide him toward artistic heights which inspire countless young musicians the world over. His co-leader on this weekend at Birdland is longtime musical compatriot Marc Copland, the extraordinary pianist for John Abercrombie, Gary Peacock, Randy Brecker, Eddie Harris, and so many others. Copland and Liebman create moving sonic worlds together, reaching peaks of freedom in conversation, as on their recording Impressions, where great swathes of silence, crying melodic lines, and rich harmonic painting create a sonic journey over breathtaking terrain.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 20 (Sunday) 5:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Sean Harkness Quartet
Sean Harkness is a guitar virtuoso, one of those warm musicians whose soul and energy shine through every note. His music has earned him the Outstanding Instrumentalist of 2011 Backstage Bistro Award, 2014 Broadwayworld Cabaret Award for Best CD Release, six MAC Awards for ensemble instrumentalist, and performances across the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, and other prestigious stages around the world. Always telling a story with his instrument, Harkness's music is deeply engaging, full of life and technically masterful. His eight recordings have been met with critical acclaim and he is a frequent performer at top New York City clubs, including the Blue Note, Smalls, Smoke, and the Iridium.
$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 20 (Sunday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Theater

Edmund Bagnell - "Americana"
Bagnell's new show, "Americana," is a loving tribute to the musical diversity of American music including the American Songbook, traditional Appalachian music, Broadway, Country music, American pop, and original songs told through storytelling, violin, and song. Yasuhiko Fukuoka serves as music director. Edmund Bagnell is a diverse artist, having performed as an actor, violinist, and singer in the internationally touring string quartet WellStrung, which released three chart-topping albums in the classical crossover genre and performed live three times on NBC's "Today." As an actor, Edmund was cast as Tobias in the 1st National Tour of John Doyle's staging of Sweeney Todd, which lead to a wide variety of acting roles in NYC and across the country. In 2019, he premiered and toured internationally with his one-man show, "He Plays the Violin." In 2020, he released his first solo album, Christmas at Home, which was included on several best of lists including USA Today. This past summer, Edmund debuted his second solo show, "Happy Days Are Here Again," and in the fall he released a new EP The Road.

March 20 (Sunday) 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Jacob Khalil - "Most Requested"
Khalil is a Palestinian-American songwriter, pianist, and singer based in New York City. He is becoming a staple of New York night life after only one year in the city. With roots ranging from jazz to classical music, Jacob is known for putting his original spin on everything from Gershwin to Ariana Grande. Currently 28 years old, this Houston native has entertained audiences throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States, including a residency in Las Vegas. Jacob's debut at Birdland brings with it a night filled with energetic entertainment, beautiful melodies, and artistic expression. Jacob and his trio will present a mosaic of most requested tunes from Jacob's repertoire including jazz standards, reimagined pop hits, and the premiere of brand new compositions from his catalog.
$30 + $20 food/drink minimum

March 21 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Coco Peru - "Bitter, Bothered & Beyond"
Miss Coco Peru is ready to unleash her thoughts about the past, present and future! Yes, this exhausted dinosaur of drag is not holding back anything in her new show. Peru has been a household name in the LGBT community for nearly 30 years. She got her start in the early 90's as a downtown favorite in the cabaret world of New York, and has since enjoyed an expansive career, ranging from intimate cabaret stages, to television sets in millions of living rooms. She's toured around the world, has over ten million views on YouTube, and has been in multiple cherished films. A veteran of numerous feature films including Trick, To Wong Foo...,and the cult classic Girls Will Be Girls and television shows "Will & Grace" (in a recurring role), "How I Met Your Mother," and "Arrested Development," Coco's voice will soon be heard in the animated Netflix Series "DeadEndia." Coco has also become a viral sensation on social media platforms: Instagram and YouTube. Her series of tributes to great performers, "Conversations with Coco," features live career-retrospective interviews with such luminaries as Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Liza Minnelli, Allison Janney, and the late Bea Arthur.
$40 + $20 food/drink minimum

March 21 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Artemisia LeFay - "Ghosts of Weimar Past"
"Ghosts of Weimar Past" is a program of musical time travel, honoring the spirit of cabaret and vaudeville from the birth to the death of Weimar Berlin. It features an all-female cast of musical characters, including Mary Spencer Knapp on accordion, Hannah Mount on piano, and Tiffany Weiss on violin. Join us as we resurrect the songs of Michael Jary, Mischa Spoliansky, Kurt Weill, and more, channeled through the music of the Orchestra of the Depraved and chanteuse Artemisia LeFay. From the gritty 20s, tumultuous 30s, and uncertain 40s, cabaret existed as a way to criticize and defy the faults of society. "Ghosts of Weimar Past" is full of Marlene Dietrich standards, snippets from Anita Berber's "Dances of Depravity," and the LGBTQ+ anthems and anti-nazi songs that were sung under the very nose of fascism.
$30 Table/$20 Bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 18-26 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/18-20); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (3/21-22) - Birdland Jazz Club

Monty Alexander
A master pianist with 70 years in music, Monty Alexander is a jazz legend. Named the 5th greatest jazz pianist in history in Hal Leonard's Fifty Greatest Jazz Piano Players of All Time, Alexander's achievements have earned him the highest honors: native Jamaica granted the title of Commander in the Order of Distinction; Institute of Jamaica awarded him the Musgrave Medal; and the University of the West Indies bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate. What makes this 23-time guest of the Montreux Jazz Festival such a beloved figure? According to him, it is his insatiable capacity "to build up the heat and kick up a storm"-a joyful skill that has been recorded on over 70 discs as a leader. He is sure to uplift his listeners this week at Birdland.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 24-26 (Thursday-Saturday) 8:30 PM (3/24); 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/25-6) - Birdland Theater

Chad Lefkowitz-Brown Quartet
Celebrated as a saxophone prodigy from a young age, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown is now an internationally-recognized musician, seen on world stages with Taylor Swift, Chris Botti, the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, and his own groups. Performances at Carnegie Hall, the Super Bowl, and Madison Square Garden have been highlights in his star-studded career, and his albums have met great critical acclaim: critic Doug Ramsey named Lefkowitz-Brown's debut album, Image Manifesto, "Debut Album of the Year," and DownBeat named Onward, his May 2017 release, an Editor's Pick for 2017. His latest release, Open World, features greats Lionel Loueke, Randy Brecker, and other stars.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 27 (Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Marissa Licata Quartet
Honduran-American violinist Marissa Licata has toured internationally with Alicia Keys, Jethro Tull, Wyclef Jean, H.E.R., Ringo Starr, Gloria Estefan, and many others. Active in pop, classical, theater and jazz circuits, she has appeared everywhere from Scullers Jazz Club to Good Morning America to the Latin Grammys. Licata's prodigious musicianship has allowed her to work in a wide variety of contexts: from American Repertory Theater's Alanis Morrisette musical (where she served as concertmistress) to the Radio City Music Hall "Christmas Spectacular" to performances at the BET Awards and on Jimmy Kimmel. And, in uniquely fusing world musical cultures-mixing Eastern European, Latin American, and Middle Eastern spheres-she has created a personal style quite unlike other violinists. Catch her with her own quartet performing her genre-defying compositions at the Birdland Theater for one night only.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 28 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Karen Mason - "Kander & Ebb & All That Jazz!"
Mason returns to Birdland for one night only to share her love of songwriters John Kander and Fred Ebb in her new show, "Kander & Ebb...And All That Jazz." As one of the original stars of the off-Broadway production of And the World Goes 'Round, Mason has a personal connection to these legends and their music. A night of unforgettable stories, laughter, and music, including "Ring Them Bells," "My Coloring Book," and "Go Back Home," this show highlights Mason's vocal prowess, charisma, and overall versatility. Mason is the star of Broadway's Mamma Mia!, Wonderland, Hairspray, and Sunset Boulevard, as well as the first US tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Love Never Dies. She is the also the recipient of the 2019 MAC Lifetime Achievement Award. She has graced the stages of Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and The Drury Lane Oakbrook, as well as Royal Albert Hall in London. She has eight albums, including her latest release Let the Music Play, featuring the title song from Paul Rolnick and David Friedman.
$40 + $20 food/drink minimum

March 28 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Dave Bennett Band
A clarinet virtuoso, Dave Bennett is steeped in early swing-but he finds genuine expression simply in music itself. Surely, his world tours with Benny Goodman alum Bucky Pizarrelli and his albums dedicated to classic stylings-Clarinet Is King (2010) and Don't Be That Way (2013)-showcase his love for the jazz clarinet tradition. But his most recent venture, 2017's Blood Moon, sees him authentically delivering a more contemporary approach. With selections such as The Beatles' "In My Life" or Glenn Campbell's "Wichita Lineman" pushing him and his band into modern stylings, what remains consistent is Bennett's pure tone, song-like delivery of melodic line, and uncompromising sincerity, evident in every note. A featured artist on NPR Radio's Jazz at Riverwalk, a guest artist at the Bern Jazz Festival, and a prestigious Mack Avenue recording artist, Bennet released Blood Moon to great success, with the album rising to No. 24 on the Billboard Jazz Chart in 2018. His music is sure to delight Birdland audiences.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 29-April 2 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (3/29-31); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (4/1-2) - Birdland Jazz Club

Emmet's Place Live
Virtuoso pianist Emmet Cohen has taken the jazz world by storm. The Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association, Cohen made a name for himself as the 1st place winner in a number of the United States' most prestigious piano competitions, including the 2019 American Pianists Awards, the 2014 American Jazz Pianists Competition, and the 2011 Phillips Piano Competition at the University of West Florida-as well as placing as a finalist in the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition. More recently, however, Cohen became a pioneer of a new kind. When the pandemic caused a lockdown in March 2020, he began filming concerts from his Harlem apartment, calling them "Live From Emmet's Place" and featuring his trio of bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole with special guest friends. The series became an instant hit; now, with over 1,000,000 views across more than 300 high-production videos, Emmet's Place is a (literal) household name in jazz. For this week in March, Cohen will bring Emmet's Place to Birdland.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 31-April 2 (Thursday-Saturday) 8:30 PM (3/D1); 7:00 & 9:30 PM (4/1-2) - Birdland Theater

Harry Allen Quartet
The saxophonist that John Pizzarelli has called "Nothing less than perfect," Harry Allen is the consummate swinger. A veteran of jazz music, he has recorded over 70 discs as a leader, three of which won Gold Disc Awards from Japan's Swing Journal, with his album Tenors Anyone? winning both the Gold Disc and the New Star Award. Allen's work with Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Ray Brown, Hank Jones, Frank Wess, Flip Phillips, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Kenny Burrell, Herb Ellis, John Pizzarelli, Bucky Pizzarelli, Gus Johnson, Jeff Hamilton, Johnny Mandel, James Taylor, and Sheryl Crow-to name a few-places him in an elite class, but he is no snob: in fact, what makes Harry Allen so great is his down-to-earth playing, his love of the music. His off-the-cuff style needs no set-lists. For these three nights at Birdland, he is sure to start and end swinging. What happens along the way will undoubtedly be pure magic.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Monthly Engagements:

March 7, 14, 21, 28 (Mondays) 9:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Jim Caruso's Cast Party
"Jim Caruso's Cast Party," a New York institution for almost two decades, is a wildly popular weekly open mic night/variety show that has brought a sprinkling of Broadway glitz and urbane wit to Birdland since 2004. Called "show-business heaven" by The New York Times and "the gold-standard of open mic nights" by The Wall Street Journal, "Cast Party" will take advantage of the city's post-pandemic nightlife renaissance to keep presenting a potent mix of Broadway stars, jazz swingers and cabaret legends, in addition to new faces and rising talent from every genre. The buoyant, sharp and charming Caruso guides the entire affair, while musical genius Billy Stritch (Liza Minnelli, Tony Bennett) holds court at the ivories and leads the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra (Steve Doyle on bass and Daniel Glass on drums).
$30 + $20 food/drink minimum

March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 (Tuesdays) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

The Lineup with Susie Mosher
"The Lineup with Susie Mosher" is a wild, anything-goes variety show featuring entertainers from the Broadway, cabaret and comedy scenes, ranging from today's hottest headliners to the best up-and-coming stars of tomorrow. Mosher - the noted actress and singer from Broadway and beyond, called "one of those talents you need to see to believe" by Time Out New York - hosts the spontaneous extravaganza every Tuesday, and each Lineup is unique and promises to deliver an unforgettable night of quintessential New York City entertainment.
$20 + $20 food/drink minimum

March 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 18th 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!
$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (Wednesdays) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Frank Vignola's Guitar Night
One of the world's most exciting jazz guitarists for the last 25 years, Frank Vignola's virtuosity and pan-stylistic expertise has led to work with such stars as Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Tommy Emmanuel, and the Boston and New York Pops. Every Wednesday Frank takes the Birdland Theater stage with the guitar band featuring Jimmy Bruno and Ken Smith (guitars), Harvie S (bass), and Vince Cherico (drums).
$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

March 4, 11, 18, 25 (Fridays) 5:00 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 yelp.com proclaims, "if you hear one band in NYC make sure this is it... and prepare to be blown away!"
$30 + $20 food/drink minimum

March 5, 12, 19, 26 (Saturdays) 5:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano
Hailed as "the truest heir to Bobby Short" in The New York Times, pianist/singer Eric Comstock returns to Birdland with star bassist/composer Sean Smith with songs by everyone from George Gershwin to George Harrison. These two masters met on the Off-Broadway hit Our Sinatra (which Eric co-wrote) and have since worked separately and together around the world. Vocalist Barbara Fasano joins them at Birdland for a swinging Saturday supper where the music and stories are equally great. Sean Smith has been an integral part of the international jazz scene for over 25 years, and has performed with Gerry Mulligan, Phil Woods, Benny Carter, Art Farmer, Flip Phillips, Clark Terry and many others. Barbara Fasano has been praised as "a gorgeous, soulful singer who has an actor's intensity in whatever she sings" by The New York Post and "a lyrically sensitive interpreter" by The New York Times. Her latest album Busy Being Free is the recipient of the MAC Award for "Major Recording of the Year."
$30 + $20 food/drink minimum

March 6, 13, 20, 27 (Sundays) 8:30 & 10:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Pianist, composer and educator Arturo O'Farrill-leader of the "first family of Afro-Cuban Jazz" (New York Times)-leads the GRAMMY® award winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO), who bring together the drama of big band jazz, the culture of Latin music, and the virtuosity of eighteen of the world's most accomplished solo musicians. Twelve years of critically-acclaimed performances internationally have firmly established the ALJO as the standard-bearer for creative interpretation of Latin jazz greats such as Tito Puente, Frank "Machito" Grillo, and Chico O'Farrill, as well as the driving force behind new commissions from Latin music's most talented composers and arrangers.
$30 + $20 food/drink minimum

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