Steve Ross to Present AUTUMN SERENADES at Birdland in October

BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB will present vocalist and pianist Steve Ross in a special new show "Autumn Serenades" on Monday, October 24 at 7:00 PM. Ross will sing a few mellow seasonal ballads, including "September in the Rain," "Autumn Leaves," "September Song," and "When October Goes." He will also perform his usual assortment of sparkling up-tempo numbers from the international songbook by Irving Berlin ("Let Yourself Go"), the Gershwins ("How Long Has This Been Going On?") and a selection by his favorite composer, Cole Porter ("From This Moment On," Kiss Me, Kate Medley). Also heard will be Noël Coward ("That Is the End of the News"), Flanders & Swann ("Have Some Madeira, M'Dear") and Michel Legrand (Umbrellas of Cherbourg medley). There is a $40 music charge. Birdland is located at 315 West 44th Street in New York.

Steve Ross was raised in Washington, DC, and heard a lot of music at home, some from his mother who played piano. In due course, he studied piano himself and by the time he had attended Georgetown University, spent a little time in a seminary, and served in the US Army, he had become an accomplished pianist, drawing his repertoire not from contemporary pop but from the Great American Songbook. In the early '70s he settled in New York City where he soon became well known on the city's cabaret scene. At first a background pianist, he was urged by club owners to sing and gradually began to do this, eventually training as a singer. As his personal style developed, so his reputation spread. Ted Hook, owner of Backstage, a piano bar in the midtown theatre district, hired him.

In 1981, Ross was booked into the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel where he played a considerable part in establishing the room as a perennial favorite of artists and customers. At some venues he would find himself accompanying leading entertainers who happened to be in the audience, among them Liza Minnelli and Ginger Rogers. He has played many festivals, including Perth in Australia, Spoleto in Italy, and Hong Kong. Other international venues include seasons at London's Ritz Hotel and Pizza on the Park. He hosted a live cabaret series for BBC Television, and in America he hosted "New York Cabaret Nights," a series for National Public Radio.

He appeared in a Broadway revival of Noël Coward's Present Laughter, starring Frank Langella. He has appeared with stride pianist Judy Carmichael, performing the show "Style Meets Stride," featuring the music of Porter and Fats Waller.

BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB will present Steve Ross in "Autumn Serenades" on Monday, October 24 at 7:00 PM. There is a $40 music charge and a $20 food and beverage minimum. Birdland is located at 315 West 44th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues) in Manhattan. For reservations, please call (212) 581-3080 or visit www.BirdlandJazz.com. In compliance with New York City rules for indoor activities, Birdland requires proof of vaccination or a verified medical exemption from all customers, staff, and performers.

UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS AT

BIRDLAND THEATER AND BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB

Every Monday at 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

Every Tuesday at 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

Every Saturday at 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

September 19 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Billy Stritch & Gabrielle Stravelli - "Mel and Ella Swing!"

Renowned pianist and singer Billy Stritch and award-winning jazz vocalist Gabrielle Stravelli combine their considerable talents for an evening of great music celebrating the legendary Mel Tormé and Ella Fitzgerald. "Mel and Ella Swing!" includes favorites from the Great American Songbook ("The Man I Love," "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square," "Cheek To Cheek") and swinging jazz standards ("Too Close For Comfort," "Oh! Lady Be Good").These two performers have brought their magic to stages all over the world and together bring an incredible knowledge and feel for this great music that's not often seen these days. It's an incredible and joyful evening featuring Patrick O'Leary on bass and Mark McLean on drums. Stritch is one of the premier singer-pianists on the New York and national jazz and cabaret scenes.. In addition to his 25-year collaboration with Liza Minnelli, Billy recently toured with the legendary Tony Bennett as Tony's pianist and musical director. A solo entertainer in his own right, he has performed his own shows (including tributes to Mel Tormé and Cy Coleman) in concert halls and nightclubs across the country. Billy also serves as music director for such leading vocalists as Linda Lavin, Christine Ebersole, Paulo Szot and Marilyn Maye. He has recorded five solo CDs and his latest CD release "Billy's Place" (Club44 Records). Stravelli's pairing of a jazz artist's musicianship with an ability to interpret lyrics and connect with an audience has led to a richly varied career. She regularly leads her quartet in performances at the country's finest jazz clubs and performing arts centers and has headlined domestic and international jazz festivals including the 2021 & 2018 WBGO Jazz on the Mountain Festival in New Paltz, NY, the 2019 Providencia Jazz Festival in Santiago, Chile, the 2016 All That Jazz Festival in Eleuthera, Bahamas and the 2014 Maree Sonore Festival in Venice, Italy.

$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

September 19 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf

with special guest Kate Shindle

With her long-time friend Charlie Alterman on piano, cellist Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf will perform selections from her debut album, Music of Broadway for Cello and Piano, and welcome her husband, saxophonist Marc Phaneuf, as they celebrate their eighteenth wedding anniversary that night. Special guest star to be announced. Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf has established a busy career in New York City as a solo, chamber, Broadway, and recording artist. Since 2003 she has played in 18 Broadway shows including The Bridges of Madison County, Evita, and Sunday in the Park with George. Off-Broadway credits include the premiere productions of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years (Chicago 2001, NYC 2002). Her debut solo album, Music of Broadway for Cello and Piano, was released in 2021 on Craft Recordings/Concord Theatricals. Following her sold-out debut at Birdland Jazz Club in 2018 she continues to present headlining shows featuring Broadway's greatest stars.

$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

September 26 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Phillip Officer - "Let Me Sing And I'm Happy"

It's been a decade since Phillip Officer, one of NYC's favorite singers, stepped into the spotlight. Officer returns to make his Birdland Theater debut with "Let Me Sing And I'm Happy." The Chicago Tribune wrote, "Officer joins the rank of great singers as he elevates his material with a natural effervescence you wish you could bottle." Phillip built a commanding reputation for his commitment to lyrics. The New York Times complimented him as "a master of lyric interpretation - a textbook example of pop understatement." "Let Me Sing And I'm Happy" will celebrate a coterie of great writers and artists who have influenced his musical journey, including Peggy Lee, Carole King, Stephen Sondheim, The Beatles, Irving Berlin, Cher, and Johnny Mercer. The talented trio of musicians includes Mark Hartman on piano, Kevin Kuhn on guitar, and Erik Friedlander on cello. Officer made his Broadway debut in the Tony-nominated musical Side Show. He is the recipient of multiple New York Nightlife, Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs, and Backstage Bistro Awards. The show is directed by Bill Russell.

$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

October 17 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Julie Halston -"Declassified!"

The brilliant Tony Award-winning comedic actress returns to Birdland after two-and-a-half years of global pandemic Zoom meetings and green screens. With her new show, Ms. Halston will assess the state of the world, the state of her life and the state of her hair. Julie Halston was awarded the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award in 2021 for her advocacy on behalf of The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Her extensive Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include Tootsie, You Can't Take It with You, Hairspray, Anything Goes, Gypsy, Twentieth Century, Fairycakes, and many more. She is a co-founding member of Charles Busch's legendary theatre company, Theatre-in-Limbo, and has garnered several Drama Desk nominations for her performances with the company including The Divine Sister, Red Scare on Sunset, and The Lady in Question. TV credits include the recurring role of Sharon on HBO's "Gossip Girl," "The Good Fight," "Almost Family," and "Divorce." She also reprised her popular character of Bitsy Von Muffling on HBO's "And Just Like That." She can be seen in the upcoming independent features The Sixth Reel, Intermedium, Simchas and Sorrows, and Dirty Rhetoric.

$40 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

October 31 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Carole J. Bufford - "Bad Moon Rising Halloween Special"

Carole J. Bufford returns to Birdland with a brand-new show celebrating all things All Hallow's Eve. Expect deliciously unsavory characters, ne-er-do-wells lurking behind every corner, evil and witchy women, and all manner of creepy things that go bump in the night! With songs like "Every Breath You Take," "Bad Moon Rising," "I Want To Be Evil," "Witchy Woman," "Cruella de Ville," "St. James Infirmary," "Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair," and more, Carole will take your favorite tunes and give enticing twists so you lean in and hear them as if it's the first time. Bufford has become one of the most sought-after performers on the American vintage pop and cabaret scene. Her shows, including "Speak Easy" (featuring the Grammy Award-winning Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks), "Come Together," and "You Don't Own Me." She currently tours with her solo shows as well as with symphonies across the country. Carole is also the recipient of BroadwayWorld's Vocalist of the Year and the recent Gold Medal winner of the American Traditions Vocal Competition.

$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

October 31 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Stacy Sullivan and Todd Murray

"I'm Glad There Is You: The Musical Romance of Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee"

Join award-winning and acclaimed singers Stacy Sullivan and Todd Murray for a thrilling new show packed full of Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee hits. Over 40 hit songs from The Great American Songbook are represented in "I'm Glad There Is You-The Musical Romance of Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee," all woven around anecdotes and insider history from their remarkable music careers and devoted friendship that spanned almost 60 years. Todd Murray has performed his solo shows across the nation to rave reviews with numerous awards and nominations. Known for his mellifluous and honest interpretations of lyrics and melody, The Los Angeles Times called him "a prepossessing performer with a beautiful baritone." Murray's recordings Croon, Stardust and Swing, and When I Sing Low, feature the spectrum from jazz to standards to pop. Stacy Sullivan is an award-winning recording artist, film, television and stage actress. Her work has been described by The New York Times as "thrilling," "audacious," and "compelling." Sullivan captures that rare combination of vulnerability and worldliness." Sullivan has costarred onstage with Tony Award winners George Rose and Robert Morse, and onscreen alongside Tyne Daly, Kellie Martin, and Kelly McGillis.

$40 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

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

Jeff Harnar -"A Collective Cy: Jeff Harnar Sings Cy Coleman"

Jeff Harnar salutes Emmy, Grammy, Tony winning songwriter Cy Coleman in his award-winning, critically acclaimed show "A Collective Cy." Expect to hear familiar standards like "The Best is Yet To Come," "Witchcraft," "Hey Look Me Over," "When in Rome," as well as surprises from Coleman's six decade career that included Broadway hits like "Sweet Charity." Alex Rybeck conducts The Rhythm of Life Quartet and the show is directed by Sara Louise Lazarus. Harnar is an award-winning cabaret, concert and recording artist. His Carnegie Hall appearances include both the Cole Porter and Noel Coward Centennial Galas. Jeff's televised PBS concerts include "The 1959 Broadway Songbook" with Music Director Alex Rybeck and "American Songbook: Stephen Sondheim" co-starring KT Sullivan. Most recently Jeff has toured his own critically acclaimed Sondheim show "I Know Things Now" with Music Director Jon Weber and Directed by Sondra Lee. The studio album featuring 20 musicians was released by PS Classics in June. Jeff has won multiple MAC, Bistro and BroadwayWorld Cabaret Awards and The Noel Coward Foundation Cabaret Award.

$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

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