Photo Coverage: Celia Berk Makes Birdland Theater Debut

Bistro, BroadwayWorld, MAC and Margaret Whiting Award winner Celia Berk made her Birdland Theater debut to an overflow audience of fans last night. COMES LOVE introduced her new collaboration with pianist Sean Gough. Meeting at an intersection between jazz and cabaret, they created a program of songs about love, including the kinds of hidden gems by great songwriters that have become Celia's trademark. They were joined by Birdland favorite, bassist Steve Doyle .

Celia and Sean said, "This is a different type of collaboration for both of us, offering new musical challenges. Sean approaches popular songs mainly as an improviser, Celia through the lens of storytelling. Over time, the lyrics of the songs we chose began to guide both of us to unexpected musical places. We hope the audience will enjoy the discoveries we have made as much as we have."

Sean Gough is best known for his more than decade-long collaboration with veteran bass player Gene Perla, with whom he has appeared across the United States and in Europe, including clubs Smalls, Zinc and Knickerbocker in New York. From a young age, Sean has accompanied his grandfather, Metropolitan

Opera tenor Ronald Naldi, in recitals. Sean's writings have appeared in JazzTimes and on Ethan Iverson's "Do the Math" and "Do the Gig" blogs.

Celia's second album, MANHATTAN SERENADE, received the 2017 LaMott Friedman Award and is arranged and conducted by Alex Rybeck and co-produced by Tony Award winning sound designer Scott Lehrer, the team behind her debut album YOU CAN'T RUSH SPRING. Lyricist David Zippel (whose "The Broadway Song" written with Cy Coleman receives its first commercial recording) wrote in the album notes, "A tribute to her hometown, this collection is anything but renditions of the obvious New York songs. MANHATTAN SERENADE is curated: a connoisseur's compilation of one exquisite, undiscovered musical gem after another." YOU CAN'T RUSH SPRING and Celia's solo cabaret debut, directed by Jeff Harnar, earned Celia a 2015 Bistro Award: Vocalist, 2015 MAC Award: New York Debut - Female, 2015 BroadwayWorld Award for Best New York Cabaret Debut, and The 2015 Margaret Whiting Award. It appeared on a number of Best of 2014 lists. She has made memorable appearances at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center and The Town Hall.

Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff

Celia Berk

Celia Berk

Celia Berk

Celia Berk

Sean Gough

Sean Gough

Celia Berk

Birdland Theater

Celia Berk