Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Courtney Wright Big Band, and More to Play Birdland

Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater have announced jazz programming running July 24 through August 6.

Performers appearing at Birdland Jazz Club include Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Courtney Wright Big Band and Jumaane Smith Quartet.

Downstairs at Birdland Theater, catch Ashley Pezzotti, Michael Wolff Trio, Harry Allen Quartet, Nicole Zuraitis, The McKrells and Wycliffe Gordon Quartet.

Repeat engagements include Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks, David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, Frank Vignola's Guitar Night, Birdland Big Band and Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. 

 

Jazz Programming at Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater July 24 through August 6

July 24 (Monday) 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks
Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks every Monday evening in July 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!
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

July 25 (Tuesday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Ashley Pezzotti
Called a “performer to watch” by DownBeat Magazine, Queens-born Ashley Pezzotti takes an early set on the Birdland Theater stage four consecutive Tuesdays in August to deliver her trademark renditions of American standards. This 25-year-old rising star has performed with jazz icon Wynton Marsalis (on his 2020 recording The Ever Fonky Lowdown), country legend Keith Urban, and piano prodigy Joey Alexander. On her debut recording, We've Only Just Begun, she was backed by the Emmet Cohen Trio and other young lions. A vocalist indebted to the great jazz singers like Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Carmen McRae, Pezzotti offers listeners a chance to relax into the music they know and love, while bringing a freshness of presence that enchants her audiences.
$20 + $20 food/drink minimum

July 25-29 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (7/25-7); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (7/28-29) – Birdland Jazz Club
Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra
The great New Orleans trombonist, producer, composer, and educator Delfeayo Marsalis is a powerful force in the music world. With over 120 recording credits as a producer (including one GRAMMY Award and several nominations) and nearly 50 recordings as a trombonist, Delfeayo could be said to have made his mark. But in 2000, this committed educator created the Uptown Music Theatre, a non-profit that leads musical theater training for youth. The UMT's sister organization is the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, which Marsalis formed in 2008 as the jazz arm of the endeavor. This 18-piece band upholds the traditions of New Orleans swing, ensemble riff-playing, and infectious, soulful dance music that form the foundations of American jazz. With a star-studded cast, they never fail to amaze.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

July 26 (Wednesday) 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

July 26 (Wednesdays) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Frank Vignola's Guitar Night with special guest Bill Mays
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 bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, drummer Vince Cherico, and pianist Ted Rosenthal, will perform tunes from the standard repertoire, with special guests. This week, it's pianist Bill Mays.  *Guitar night streams live every week at YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland
$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

July 27 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Michael Wolff Trio
The Birdland Theater is pleased to welcome back the Michael Wolff Trio! The award-winning pianist—known for an impressive and eclectic career that has spanned five decades and included stints with Cannonball Adderly, Nancy Wilson, Sonny Rollins, Cal Tjader, and Tom Harrell, as well as recordings with Tony Williams, Christian McBride, Freddie Hubbard, and Sheila E—released his latest recording Live at Vitellos on March 19th, 2021 with Sunnyside Records. Surfacing a decade after its recording at the iconic Los Angeles jazz club in 2011, Live at Vitellos captures a stirring snapshot of a stunning live performance that instantly transports listeners to a night of musical magic and intrigue over the course of seven spellbinding tracks.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

July 28 (Friday) 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!”
$30 + $20 food/drink minimum

July 28-30 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – 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.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

July 30 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Courtney Wright Big Band
Courtney Wright is an inspiring young baritone saxophonist—one whose dedication to the legacy of her swinging bebop-style predecessors (among them bari sax great Pepper Adams and trumpeter/arranger legend Thad Jones) is clear. A quietly prolific composer, Wright leads her own large ensemble (which she will bring to Birdland for this Sunday engagement) as well as small groups, both chiefly performing her original material. The Virginia-born Wright was a child of the D.C. jazz scene before attending University of North Texas's famed jazz program and later moving to New York City to attend Manhattan School of Music for her graduate studies. Her music has been performed and recorded by the WDR Big Band, Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, and the One and Two O'Clock Lab Bands at the University of North Texas. She is a current member of the BMI Jazz Composer's Workshop and was a recipient of the 2021 ISJAC/USF Prize for Emerging Black Composers, as well as the 2021 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award. Courtney was one of fifteen young musicians invited to participate in the Ravinia Steans Music Institute's 2022 program for jazz. Catch her Big Band for one thrilling set!
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

July 30 (Sunday) 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” (The 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

July 31 (Monday) 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks
Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks every Monday evening in July 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!
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

August 1 (Tuesday) 5:30 PM— Birdland Theater
Nicole Zuraitis
A Grammy-nominated musician, powerhouse vocalist, and New York-based bandleader, Nicole Zuraitis continues to establish herself as an undeniable force in the modern jazz landscape of both NYC and beyond. Nicole is the premier vocalist for both the Birdland Big Band and the Dan Pugach Nonet; her co-produced collaboration “Oil on Water: How Love Begins” with bassist Christian McBride is set to release in 2023. Nicole's touring ensemble, Generations Of Her: Women Songwriters and Lyricists of the Last 100 Years, has played to sold-out houses in NYC and around the country. As a recording artist, Nicole has released four albums as leader, including 2020's All Wandering Hearts on Dot Time Records. In 2019, Nicole was nominated for a Grammy alongside her husband, renowned drummer and bandleader Dan Pugach, for their arrangement and performance of Dolly Parton's “Jolene.” Nicole has won awards including the New York City Songwriting Competition Coffee Music Project (2016), the Herb Alpert ASCAP Young Composer Award (2014), and the Gold Medal, Ben Tucker Jazz Award, People's Choice, and Johnny Mercer Award. In 2015, Nicole was the second runner-up in the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition.
$20 + $20 food/drink minimum

August 1-5 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (8/1-3); 5:30, 8:30 & 10:30 PM (8/4); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (8/5) – 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. This week, they headline. Expect some featured guest artists who drop in weekly from iconic television bands (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live) and touring pop 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

August 2 (Wednesday) 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

August 2 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater
Frank Vignola's Guitar Night with special guest Dave Stryker
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 bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, drummer Vince Cherico, and pianist Ted Rosenthal, will perform tunes from the standard repertoire, with special guests. This week it's guitar guru Dave Stryker. 
$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

August 3 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
The McKrells
Celtic bluegrass band The McKrells is internationally renowned as a seminal group of the genre. Rising to fame in the 1980s, the group spins brilliant four-part harmony across its members, each of whom belongs on a “who's who” of North Country roots music. Besides the top bluegrass festivals around the world, the band has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln center; its members include guitarist Peter Pashoukos, percussionist Brian Melick, fiddler Frank Orsini, banjoist Scott Hopkins and bassist Arlin Greene, as well as the legendary Kevin McKrell (who founded the groundbreaking and highly influential American Celtic outfit, Donnybrook Fair before The McKrells). Fun, soulful, and virtuosic, this band is as engaging as it is iconic. A special treat in the Theater, not to be missed. 
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

August 4-6 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater
Wycliffe Gordon Quartet
Widely regarded as one of the foremost voices on trombone in the world today, the great Wycliffe Gordon brings his Quartet to Birdland for a weekend of good old New Orleans fun. The trombonist-composer has been presented with some of the jazz's highest distinctions: the 2019 Sonny Award from Suncoast Jazz; the 2018 “Louie Award” by the Louis Armstrong House Museum; the 2017 International Trombone Association Award; the 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014 ASCAP Plus Awards for his composing; Downbeat Magazine's “Best Trombone” Award in 2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2013 and 2012; and the Jazz Journalists Association “Trombonist of the Year” Award a whopping 14 times. His signature artistry is a combination of impossible technique, jubilant swagger, and soul-drenched expression.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

August 6 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Jumaane Smith Quartet
Seventeen years the trumpeter of choice for crooner icon Michael Buble, Jumaane Smith has debonair presence, authentic spirit, and a whole lot of experience to boot. Smith's combination of elegant trumpet playing and charming vocals makes his performances engaging and fun, with an emphasis on singability, the beauty of a note, and the joy of jazz rhythm. Smith has performed on 5 GRAMMY Award-winning records (selling more than 60 million copies), two Emmy Award-nominated TV performances, the GRAMMY Awards with Stevie Wonder, in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story (as a trumpet solo actor), at the White House, on the Today Show, Tonight Show, Oprah, Good Morning America, and American Idol—as well as his 17 years with Buble—but in his own work, he never strays far from this tradition of classic showmanship.
$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

August 6 (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" (The 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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