Photos: Jason Yeager, Jason Anick & Julie Benko Celebrate 'Sanctuary' At Birdland

On Monday, October 14, pianist and composer Jason Yeager returned to Birdland, this time co-leading a stellar quintet with jazz violin virtuoso and composer Jason Anick, in celebration of their new album, Sanctuary, which came out October 11th on Sunnyside Records.

Friends since high school, the two Jasons joined forces to create a "jazz beyond borders" that integrates the spontaneity of jazz improvisation with the melodic lyricism of pop and the dynamic group interplay of chamber music.

Their new recording features jointly-composed original compositions exploring various manifestations of "sanctuary" in the modern world, as well as fresh arrangements of music by Wayne Shorter and Frederic Chopin.

This evening at Birdland, they were joined by instrumentalists Billy Buss on trumpet, Greg Loughman on bass, Mike Connors on drums, and the Broadway star and Birdland regular (as well as Yeager's wife) Julie Benko.

Photo Credit: Kevin Alvey