What's Coming Up At Birdland, December 30th - January 12th

Check out what's coming up at Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater, December 30th - January 12th.

Performers appearing at Birdland Jazz Club include David Marino, Birdland Big Band, Greg Ruvolo Big Band Collective, Julie Halston, Tedd Firth Trio, Kurt Elling With The Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band, Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, Isaiah J Thompson Quartet and New Jazz Underground. 

Downstairs at Birdland Theater catch Marilyn Maye, Harry Allen Quartet, Tierney Sutton and Tamir Hendelman, Caity Gyorgy and Ekep Nkwelle. 

Repeat engagements for the rest of the period include Jim Caruso's Cast Party, Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks, David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, Frank Vignola's Guitar Night, The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band, Birdland Big Band and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.

December 30 (Monday) 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks

Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks every Monday evening in January 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 

December 30 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
David Marino

A finalist from Canada's “The Voice,” David Marino is a singer making headway internationally, performing at prestigious venues and jazz clubs across North America. Marino performs regularly at Place des Arts in Montreal, and at Birdland with Billy Stritch. David just completed his West Coast US debut tour starting in San Francisco, and was just in Rome making his European debut in September. Marino is an actor as well, and a graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse. He recently played the lead role of Melchior in Contact Theatre's production of the musical Spring Awakening. Marino is a proud advocate for mental health causes, and has helped raise $50,000 for the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. Next up, Marino will be releasing his first live EP in 2025 and is currently working on his debut studio album. Vocal legend Marilyn Maye said: “One word: phenomenal! He's just brilliant and his singing is just wonderful.” Jane Monheit, the Grammy Award-nominated Jazz singer: “Truly one of the most gorgeous voices I've ever heard. Please go see him."
$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

December 30 (Monday) 9:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club
Jim Caruso's Cast Party

“Jim Caruso's Cast Party,” a New York institution for 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 2003. Called “show-business heaven” by The New York Times and “the gold-standard of open mic nights” by The Wall Street Journal, “Cast Party” presents 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). Eric Adams, the Mayor of the City of New York, recently proclaimed, “Whereas, I am enormously proud to lead a city renowned as a global capital of the arts, ‘Jim Caruso's Cast Party' has enriched our dynamic cultural landscape since 2003, and on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, I am pleased to recognize the weekly show's tremendous contributions to our performing arts and nightlife sectors.”
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

December 31 (Tuesday) 7:30 & 11:00 PM (12/31) – Birdland Theater
Marilyn Maye's New Year's Eve Extravaganza

What do these three scenes have in common? 1) Steve Allen discovers a young singer at The Colony in Kansas City and presents her to a national audience. 2) Johnny Carson tells America on live TV, “And that, young singers, is the way it's done.” 3) Standing room only audiences gather for a recent 8-day engagement of: “Her Way: A Salute To Sinatra.” The answer? They all depend on the talent of the legend of American music, Marilyn Maye. A treasure of American song with 76 appearances on The Tonight Show, a 1966 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, and lifetime achievement awards from both the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame and the American Jazz Museum, Maye Maye will give audiences one final weekend of inspiration right before the New Year, leaving Monday free before she finishes her run on Tuesday night with her special New Year's Eve Extravaganza. Throughout this string of shows, expect the grace that she has brought to her jaw-dropping performances for the past eighty—yes, eighty—years on stage. Without question, these will be nights to remember.
12/31: Tiered Seating $100-150 tables / $75 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

December 31 (Tuesday) 11 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Birdland Big Band New Year's Eve Celebration

Few can lead you into the new year better than the Birdland Big Band. An exhilarating ensemble praised for its ability to switch between multiple musical universes at the drop of a hat, Birdland's very own comes out roaring to end this year with a bang. Comprised of New York's premier jazz talent, the band that Time Out New York called “a completely unique experience” seamlessly transitions between classic jazz, Brazilian, and funk styles, all with saxophonist and director David DeJesus—a New York jazz veteran and who also serves as the director of the Latin Jazz Orchestra at prestigious the SUNY Purchase Conservatory—effortlessly leading the way. Audiences will delight as this stellar cast rings in the dawn of a great 2025.
$150 tables / $75 bar

January 1-4 (Wednesday-Saturday) 5:30 & 8:30 & 10:30 PM (1/1-4) – Birdland Jazz Club
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!”
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 1 (Wednesday) 6:00 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!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 1 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater
Frank Vignola's Guitar Night with special guest Pasquale Grasso 

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 pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Alex Raderman, perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guests weekly. This week its Pasquale Grasso.
*Guitar night streams live every week at: YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 2 (Thursday) 6:00 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), Brian Nalepka (bass/vocals), and Kevin Dorn (drums). Catch them each Thursday at Birdland Theater.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 2-5 (Thursday-Sunday) 8:30 PM (1/2); 7:00 & 9:30 PM (1/3-5) – 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 winning Gold Disc Awards from Japan's Swing Journal, and 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.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 5 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Greg Ruvolo Big Band Collective

The brilliant trumpeter and arranger Greg Ruvolo leads his sterling large ensemble to ring in the new year. Ruvolo's work with legendary acts such as Gil Evans, Airto Moreira, Louis Bellson, New York Voices, and the WDR Big Band inform both his writing, playing, and bandleading. In this warm-hearted ensemble, Ruvolo throws both jazz veterans and young stars into the mix, arranging Songbook classics, jazz standards, and original work for the exciting ensemble. The band's members have worked with Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, Ray Charles, Buddy Rich, Gerry Mulligan, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and Count Basie. They perform swinging, dramatic music with brilliant improvisational flourishes and hard-driving interaction.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 5 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club
The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra

The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO) brings 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. Thirteen 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. 
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 6-7 (Monday-Tuesday) 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks

Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks every Monday evening in January 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 

January 6 (Monday) 7:00 - Birdland Jazz Club
Julie Halston Takes The Q Train

Julie Halston is currently appearing in the Broadway revival of Thornton Wilder's Our Town. Her previous Broadway credits are numerous but include Tootsie, Hairspray, Gypsy and Anything Goes. She received the prestigious Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award in 2021 for her advocacy on behalf of The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, a disease that her husband, anchorman Ralph Howard ultimately succumbed to in 2018. Miss Halston received the Richard Seff Award for her acclaimed performance in You Can't Take It With You along with 4 Drama Desk Nominations for her Broadway and Off-Broadway work along with 2 Outer Critics Nominations. She was a founding member of Charles Busch's legendary theatre company and co-starred with Mr. Busch in many productions, including The Divine Sister, The Lady in Question and Red Scare on Sunset. She and Mr. Busch were among the first recipients of Lifetime Achievement Awards by The Off – Broadway Theatre Alliance. She also co-starred with Mr. Busch in the independent film The Sixth Reel. In 2015, she was awarded a Special Guest Star Award from NYCWEBFEST for her work on The Mentors, a web series episode she co-wrote with Lewis Black. In addition, she can be seen in the independent films, Simchas and Sorrows, Intermedium and the recently released, Chosen Family by Heather Graham. Television credits include guest roles on The Good Fight, Divorce and Almost Family along with a recurring role as Sharon on Gossip Girl. She is most known on television, however as the lovable socialite, Bitsy Von Muffling on Sex and The City and And Just Like That. Miss Halston's web series, Virtual Halston along with Jim Caruso and Ruby Locknar, became a pandemic hit with 41 episodes. It can be viewed on YouTube. Her one-woman performances at the legendary club Birdland are SRO engagements for which she has received a number of comedy awards.
Livestream: https://veeps.com/birdland/4e364e8f-4918-44b9-8847-a94a2e2dc143
$45 tables / $35 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 7 (Tuesday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club
Tedd Firth Trio

Tedd Firth is a renowned pianist, musical director, arranger and orchestrator. The consummate accompanist, Firth has worked with superstars Barbara Cook, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Maureen McGovern, Marilyn Maye, Joshua Bell, and many others. He has performed and/or recorded with jazz luminaries John Pizzarelli, Houston Person, Frank Wess, Mark Whitfield, Red Holloway, Benny Golson and Joe Morello. Firth recently served as the musical director for the original Broadway cast of Into The Woods and for Michael Feinstein's “Jazz and Popular Song” concert series at Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is both a leader in his field and a truly humble music-maker. Appearances include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Blue Note, Birdland, the Iridium, and the White House. Firth brings a sensitive, swinging trio to serenade the Birdland Theater.
$45 tables / $35 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 7 (Wednesday) 6:00 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!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 8-11 (Wednesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (1/8-9); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (1/10-11) – Birdland Jazz Club
Kurt Elling With The Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band

Kurt Elling returns to Birdland! Elling, the winner of 3 Prix du Jazz Vocal (France), 2 German Echo Awards, 2 Dutch Edison Awards, and 2 GRAMMY wins (with 15 GRAMMY nominations), is one of contemporary jazz's most prolific, celebrated voices. The Guardian has called him “a kind of Sinatra with superpowers” and “one of jazz's all-time great vocalists.” Elling's originality is intertwined with his devotion to the masters that came before him, and he regularly writes lyrics to classic melodies and improvisations by iconic artists, such as John Coltrane, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, and Jaco Pastorius. The formidable singer joins modern drummer extraordinaire Ulysses Owens, Jr. and his Big Band for an inspiring four-night run. Owens rose to fame in the trio of bass legend Christian McBride and providing fire in the bands of Nicholas Payton, Mulgrew Miller, and Joey Alexander. His Big Band, filled with central figures of the New York jazz scene, plays heavy-swinging and contemporary arrangements that build on the tradition of Buddy Rich Big Band, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and Count Basie's band. Don't miss Elling and Owens as they join forces for this post-New Year's run!
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 8 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Frank Vignola's Guitar Night with special guests Pasquale Grasso and John Pizzarelli
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 pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Alex Raderman, perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guests weekly. This week its Pasquale Grasso and John Pizzarelli. 
*Guitar night streams live every week at: YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 9 (Thursday) 6:00 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), Brian Nalepka (bass/vocals), and Kevin Dorn (drums). Catch them each Thursday at Birdland Theater.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 9 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Tierney Sutton and Tamir Hendelman

Hailed by The New York Times as “a serious jazz artist who takes the whole enterprise to another level,” Tierney Sutton is an 8-time Grammy nominee, receiving 7 consecutive “Best Jazz Vocal Album” nominations for each project she has released in the last decade. With a recording and touring history spanning over 20 years and 9 CDs, The Tierney Sutton Band is a true collaborative unit with a rich thematic discography that has addressed Americana (American Road, 2011); materialism (Desire, 2009); the pursuit of happiness (On The Other Side, 2007); the musical legacies of Frank Sinatra (Dancing in The Dark, 2003) and Bill Evans (Blue in Green, 2001); as well as scoring Clint Eastwood's Sully. Virtuosic and swinging pianist Tamir Hendelman has performed with the Jeff Hamilton Trio, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Harry Allen, Teddy Edwards, Warren Vache, Houston Person, Jeff Clayton, Nick Brignola, Phil Upchurch, Rickey Woodard, John Clayton and Barbara Morrison. Don't miss the chemistry of this amazing duo!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 10 (Friday) 5:30 – Birdland Jazz Club
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!”
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 10 (Friday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater
Caity Gyorgy

The rising star Canadian vocalist Caity Gyorgy (pronounced George) delivers bebop and swing stylings around the world. A 2-time JUNO award winner, Gyorgy has performed and recorded with Christine Jensen, Pat LaBarbera, Jocelyn Gould, Ira Coleman, Bryn Roberts, Joe LaBarbera and others at jazz clubs and festivals across Canada, Mexico, Japan and the USA. Where many vocalists are content to explore the Songbook for its timeless depth, Gyorgy's skill as a writer brings her personal voice even further to the front: like Downbeat's Scott Yanow has noted, fans will love her “originals [that] sound as if they are from the 1950s with more modern lyrics.” In fact, these lyrics were awarded the Grand Prize in the jazz category of the 2021 John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Currently signed to Brooklyn label La Reserve Records, Gyorgy albums “Now Pronouncing” and “Featuring” both received JUNO awards, with “You're Alike, You Two” receiving a JUNO Nomination; her latest outing, “Hello! How Are You?” was released in August of 2024.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 11 (Saturday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band

An ensemble that represents the underappreciated tradition of Indigenous bandleaders in jazz music, the powerful Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band (JKIBB) is an ensemble of Native and Indigenous jazz musicians from across Indian Country. Works by Indigenous figures Mildred Bailey (Coeur d'Alene) and Jim Pepper (Kaw/Mvskoke) stand alongside works by contemporary Indigenous composers. Performances at The Kennedy Center, The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Joe's Pub in New York City, and a tour with the South Arts grant through the Doris Duke Foundation have helped establish this progressive and moving new band. Featuring a “Who's Who” of Indigenous bandleaders today—including Mali Obomsawin (Odanak Abenaki), Delbert Anderson (Diné), Chantil Dukart (Tsimshian), and Ed Littlefield (Tlingit), as well as the celebrated vocalist and group leader herself, Julia Keefe (Nez Perce)—this ensemble uses songs as the vessels of stories and lessons for the Indigenous people of the Americas. They deepen and challenge our understanding of the “uniquely American” art form known as jazz.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 11 (Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater
Ekep Nkwelle

Ekep Nkwelle brings her quartet to the Birdland Theater! The 25-year-old Cameroonian-American jazz vocalist represents the great tradition carved by powerful female artists Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Abbey Lincoln, and Nina Simone, combining soulful phrasing, a rich tone, and an unguarded emotionality. From the esteemed Duke Ellington School of the Arts, through Howard University and The Juilliard School, and onto the bandstand with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Russell Malone, Cyrus Chestnut, Peter Washington, Emmet Cohen and Endea Owens, Nkwelle has the attention of the jazz listening public. She is the recipient of the Juilliard Career Advancement Grant, nominated by none other than Marsalis himself; she has performed on NPR's “Tiny Desk” series; and collaborated with the 3x GRAMMY and Tony award-winner, the legendary Dee Dee Bridgewater during the fourth year of Bridgewater's exclusive, all-women artistic residency, The Woodshed Network. Nkwelle's quartet features young talents Anwar Marshall (drums), Julius Rodriguez (piano), and Jeremiah Edwards (bass).
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 12 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Isaiah J Thompson Quartet

One of the brightest young lights in piano today, Isaiah Thompson is the winner of the 2023 American Pianists Awards and the Cole Porter Fellowship in Jazz of the American Pianists Association. Since graduating only a few years ago from the Juilliard School (with both a Bachelors and a Masters—and where he now serves as a member of the Faculty), the pianist has been working nonstop, nurturing a fully-fledged resume that includes master musicians Ron Carter, John Pizzarelli, Christian McBride, Wynton Marsalis, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Steve Turre, Buster Williams, and others. For this Sunday night performance, he brings a quartet; and as always, he will offer to audiences his authentic gifts of joy, humility, passion, and spirit.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 12 (Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater
New Jazz Underground

In a world of solo artists, one of the most promising new BANDS in jazz today is 2023 DCJazzPrix Winner, New Jazz Underground. Early viral success online—due to hip-styled videos that showcase the trio's authentic, youthful artistic brilliance—has set the group on an exciting trajectory to jazz festivals across the country and the world. Since their days at Juilliard, these friends have cultivated a unique chemistry and a robust, dark sound that sings full from just saxophone, bass, and drums. Sebastian Rios (bass), Abdias Armenteros (sax) and TJ Reddick (drums) each have unique musical personalities which blend powerfully as they move through contemporary repertoire, hard-swinging stretches and funky pathways. Rios is a 2024 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award Winner; both Reddick (BM' 20) and Armenteros (MM' 22) are Juillard School Graduates, Armenteros the youngest member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Reddick and Rios have played as sidemen for the likes of Jon Batiste,  Sullivan Fortner, Emmet Cohen, and ELEW (who frequently guests with the trio in concert) among many more. Don't miss a new sound!
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 12 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club
The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO) brings 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. Thirteen 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.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

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