Cheyenne Jackson, LANCE HORNE & FRIENDS with Alan Cumming & More Set for Birdland in March

Birdland Jazz Club's March 2014 schedule will feature Quest: with Dave Liebman, Richie Beirach, Ron McClure & Billy Hart, Billy Hart Quartet, Kevin Mahogany, Cheyenne Jackson; Now This: with Gary Peacock, Marc Copland & Joey Baron, Bill Charlap Trio, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, Billy Stritch; and more! Check out full details below!

March 1 (Saturday) at 8:30 & 11:30PM
Quest with Dave Liebman (sax), Richie Beirach (piano), Ron McClure (bass) & Billy Hart (drums)

The 1974 release entitled "Lookout Farm" helped establish pianist Richie Beirach and saxophonist and 2011 NEA "Jazz Master" Dave Liebman as a collaborative force. In 1981 the duo joined drummer Billy Hart and bassist Ron McClure to form the group called "Quest." Spurred by the deep improvisational rapport between Liebman and Beirach, the group managed to become one of the premier outfits in the jazz world by combining detailed compositions with incredible group interplay. After seven acclaimed recordings and several world tours, they disbanded in 1991 to pursue different directions. In 2005, the group reunited to record and release the CD "Redemption: Live in Europe." "Quest" has performed annually at Birdland ever since.
All seats $40, $10 food/drink minimum

March 3 & 10 (Monday) at 7:00pm
Billy Stritch
"I've Got Your Number: The Jazz of Cy Coleman"

In this brand new show, Billy Stritch explores the pop/jazz side of the legendary songwriter Cy Coleman. Although Coleman is mainly known as the composer of a dozen legendary Broadway shows, he was quite prolific writing "stand alone" songs in the 50's and 60's, including such well-known titles as "The Best Is Yet To Come," "Witchcraft" and "It Amazes Me,"as well as more obscure gems co-written with Carolyn Leigh and Peggy Lee. This show was recently presented in London to rave reviews, receiving 4 Stars in the London Times. In this outing, Stritch will be accompanied by Tom Hubbard on bass and Ray Marchica on drums.
Side seats $30, Center Seats $40, $10 food/drink minimum

March 4 - March 8 (Tuesday-Saturday) at 8:30pm & 11:00pm
Billy Hart Quartet "One is the Other" CD Release
With Ethan Iverson, Mark Turner, Ben Street

Legendary drummer Billy Hart has been a fixture on the jazz scene for over fifty years, performing and recording along the way with jazz legends Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz and Miles Davis. At Birdland -- along with iconoclastic pianist Ethan Iverson (The Bad Plus), saxophonist Mark Turner and bassist Ben Street (both members of Kurt Rosenwinkel's Quartet among other acclaimed groups) -- Hart celebrates the release of the first ECM recording of the quartet formed in 2003. Since the group's 2005 CD for hard-bop label High Note landed on many critics' best-of-the year lists, the ensemble's music has gotten more free and spacious. All of the members contribute material including a modern blues, a Coltrane tribute and an Iverson-penned homage to Paul Bley, the wonderfully-titled "Nostalgia for the Impossible."
All seats $40, $10 food/drink minimum

March 6 (Thursday) at 6:00pm
Trio Shalva CD Release

Born and raised in Israel, each of the musicians eventually found themselves in the heart of New York, where they spent years developing their individual style and technique. In 2009, Assaf Gleizner (Piano, Melodica), Koby Hayon ( Bass, Acoustic Guitar , Oud), and Nadav Snir-Zelniker (Drums, Percussion) came together for their first gig, in which they performed original compositions and arrangements of traditional Israeli repertoire. It only took one show for them to understand the serendipitous connection that was underway. In result, the three musicians moved forward as Trio Shalva, choosing the name for its representation of the Hebrew word for "serenity". The trio is set to explore both new and arranged compositions, combining elements of Jazz with Middle-Eastern, Israeli & Jewish influences.
All seats $25, $10 food/drink minimum

March 11 - 15 (Tuesday-Saturday) at 8:30pm & 11:00pm
Kevin Mahogany

With eleven CD's as a leader, and quite a few as a sideman, Kevin has proved to be the quintessential jazz vocalist. Newsweek describes him as "the standout jazz vocalist of his generation." New Yorker magazine writer Whitney Balliet writes, "There is little Mahogany cannot do." Says the LA TIMES, "Mahogany is one of the first truly gifted male vocalists to emerge in years."
All seats are $40 with a $10 food/drink minimum

March 17 (Monday) at 7:00PM
Broadway at Birdland
Steve Ross In "Ridin' High: Cole Porter on Broadway"
With Klea Blackhurst

Steve Ross will take his listeners on a magical journey into the world of one of the most literate and sophisticated of all the popular theatrical composers. List songs like "You're The Top" and "Can-Can," saucy numbers like "Let's Do It" and "Give Him The Ooh-La-La," and passionate ballads such as "Night And Day," "Begin The Beguine," and "Every Time We Say Goodbye" are among the many that Steve will include in his program. Add some delightful bits of Porter bio-data to the mix and a delightful and heartfelt musical portrait emerges. Steve's very special guest will be theater and cabaret favorite Klea Blackhurst.
All seats are $30-40 with a $10 food/drink minimum

March 18 - 22 (Tuesday-Saturday) at 8:30pm & 11:00pm
"Now This"
With Gary Peacock, Marc Copland, Joey Baron

Over the span of five decades, Gary Peacock has established himself as one of the most versatile and talented bass players in jazz. One of his earliest influences was avant-garde saxophonist Albert Ayler, with whom Peacock performed and recorded in the 1960s. His music has also been greatly affected by his studies of Eastern music and philosophy. Since the 1980s, Peacock has been adding contemporary twists to old standards with pianist Keith Jarrett's trio including drummer Jack DeJohnette. Peacock's current group is a leaderless, cooperative and exploratory trio that The Boston Globe describes as, "transcendent... jazz the way it was meant to be - improvised." Pianist Marc Copland, who The New York Times calls, "a pianist drawn to dark harmonic shading," was early considered an heir to Bill Evans but has gone on to, "quietly redefine jazz piano and the art of the trio on the cutting edge." (Allaboutjazz.com). Rounding out the trio, drummer Joey Baron combines technical acuity with a deep sense of groove. Best known for his work with Bill Frisell, Stan Getz, John Zorn and guitarists John Scofield, John Abercrombie and Jim Hall, Joey has also performed with musicians outside of jazz including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, David Bowie, Tony Bennett, Laurie Anderson and Al Jarreau.
All seats are $40 with a $10 food/drink minimum

March 20 (Thursday) at 6:00PM
The Puppeteers CD Release

The Puppeteers, as author Howard Mandel aptly states in his liner notes, deal in "fresh-jazz," music that: "sounds like it just happened - not as "look-at-the-past" but as "here's what-we-play-now." It's a group sound that assimilates the diverse influences that each of the band members willingly brings to the table; if the heady fragrance of hard bop, Latin, Afro-Caribbean and funk idioms can be detected, then the Puppeteers have done their job. The formative music that made each of these players who they are is honored before it is transformed into the new. Make no mistake; although the instrumentation of the two ensembles may be similar, this is not your father's Modern Jazz Quartet. Drawing nourishment from the roots, yet grounding their sound firmly in the present, is the credo of The Puppeteers.
All seats $30 with a $10 food/drink minimum

March 24 (Monday) at 7:00PM
Broadway at Birdland
Donna McKechnie "In Good Company"

"Donna McKechnie In Good Company" will bring the Tony winner's conversational skills to the forefront, and provide a stage for unique, one-time-only musical moments with Broadway's most celebrated and iconic artists along with a surprise musical guest. These events will be produced for Birdland by Wayne Gmitter. Donna McKechnie, the Tony Award winning star of A Chorus Line, is regarded internationally as one of Broadway's foremost dancing and singing leading ladies. She has just completed filming a feature role in 36SAINTS, which will be released next year, and recently appeared in John Doyle's Ten Cents A Dance at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey and the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
All seats $30 with a $10 food/drink minimum

March 25 - 29 (Tuesday-Saturday) at 8:30PM & 11:00PM
Bill Charlap Trio

One of the world's premier jazz pianists, BILL CHARLAP has performed and recorded with many leading artists of our time, ranging from jazz masters Phil Woods and Wynton Marsalis to singers Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand. Since 1997, he has led the Bill Charlap Trio with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, now recognized as one of the leading groups in jazz. Charlap is the artistic director of New York City's Jazz in July Festival at the 92nd Street Y, and he has produced concerts for Jazz at Lincoln Center, the JVC Jazz Festival and the Hollywood Bowl. A two-time Grammy nominee, Charlap is married to renowned jazz pianist Renee Rosnes, and the two often collaborate in a duo piano setting. In the spring of 2010, Charlap and Rosnes released "Double Portrait", their acclaimed duo piano recording on the Blue Note label.
All seats are $40 with a $10 food/drink minimum

March 27 & 29 (Thursday & Saturday) at 6:15PM
Cheyenne Jackson

Cheyenne is thrilled to be performing this concert at Birdland again, along with long-time musical director Ben Toth. The show will include original songs from his new album, "I'm Blue, Skies," as well as classics from his acclaimed one-man show "Music of the Mad Men Era," which sold out Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. The shows will have very special guest singers, who will be announced within the next few weeks. Cheyenne Jackson is a multi-talented actor, singer and songwriter, and has just released an album of original music called "I'm Blue, Skies." In 2012 he released his first three singles "Drive," the Top 40 hit "Before You," and "Don't Wanna Know," all produced by Thomas "Tawgs" Salter. Combining stage, film, television, and concerts, Cheyenne continues to have one of the most diverse careers in entertainment. He was recently seen in Steven Soderbergh's "Behind The Candelabra" with Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, and will next be seen starring opposite Gena Rowlands in the feature film "Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks" in early 2014.
All seats are $45 with a $10 food/drink minimum

March 31 (Monday) at 7:00PM
Broadway at Birdland
"Lance Horne & Friends"
With Alan Cumming, Rachel Dratch and Alice Ripley

On the heels of his premier with the SF Gay Men's Chorus and appearance at Sydney's Mardi Gras, Lance Horne makes his Broadway at Birdland debut with guests including long-time collaborators Alan Cumming, Alice Ripley and Rachel Dratch. The evening will include original works including highlights from his debut album "First Things Last," and several world premiers including a sneak peek into The Night Before My Wedding, Mr. Horne's collaboration with Neil Gaiman.
All seats are $25 with a $10 food/drink minimum

Birdland will also feature the following recurring monthly engagements:

March 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 (Saturdays) at 6:00PM
Barbara Carroll Duo

Her "jazz pianism is the subtlest and most intricate New York has to offer." (New Yorker) Barbara Carroll's inventive piano playing and unique vocal sound transforms any composition into something hip and urbane. In a sixty-year career she has gone from being dubbed "the first girl ever to play bebop piano" by Leonard Feather in 1947, to today being dubbed a "singer who turns song lyrics into personal dramatic monologues." (Stephen Holden, New York Times)
All seats $30, $10 food/drink minimum

March 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 (Sundays) at 6:00PM
The Birdland Jazz Party
Featuring Carolyn Leonhart

A soulful singer of "stunning intelligence" with a voice that is "absolute magic" (Jazz Times), award winning vocalist Carolyn Leonhart has released four critically acclaimed solo albums which have been on Jazz Radio charts worldwide. She has performed at clubs and festivals throughout the world, including The Blue Note and The Jazz Standard in NYC as well as The Detroit Jazz festival and The New Haven Jazz Festival, to name a few. In addition to having tenure as the lead back-up vocalist with the legendary jazz/rock band Steely Dan, Carolyn has performed and/or recorded with Al Jarreau, Hank Jones, Christian McBride, Jimmy Cobb, Eric Reed, Michael McDonald, Helen Sung, The Mingus Big Band, Boz Scaggs as well as many others. Carolyn is currently preparing to record her next solo album as well as an album of music with her father (famed bassist/composer Jay Leonhart).
All seats $25, $10 food/drink minimum

March 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 (Sundays) at 9:00PM & 11PM
Arturo O'Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Grammy Award winning pianist, composer and educator Arturo O'Farrill -- leader of the "first family of Afro-Cuban Jazz" (NY Times) -- was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. Son of the late, great composer Chico O'Farrill, Arturo was Educated at Manhattan School of Music, Brooklyn College Conservatory and the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. He played piano in Carla Bley's Big Band from 1979 through 1983 and earned a reputation as a soloist in groups led by Dizzy Gillespie, Steve Turre, Freddy Cole, Lester Bowie, Wynton Marsalis and Harry Belafonte.
All seats $30, $10 food/drink minimum

March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 (Mondays) at 9:30PM
Jim Caruso's Cast Party

Jim Caruso's Cast Party is a wildly popular weekly soiree that brings a sprinkling of Broadway glitz and urbane wit to the legendary Birdland in New York City every Monday night. It's a cool cabaret night-out enlivened by a hilariously impromptu variety show. Showbiz superstars, backed by Steve Doyle on bass, Tedd Firth on piano and Daniel Glass on drums, hit the stage alongside up-and-comers, serving up jaw-dropping music and general razzle-dazzle.
All tickets $25, $10 food/drink minimum

March 5, 12, 19 and 26 (Wednesdays) at 5:30PM
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 14th 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!
All seats $25, $10 food/drink minimum

March 7, 14, 21 and 28 (Fridays) at 5:00PM
The Birdland Big Band

Founded by drummer and musical director Tommy Igoe, the Birdland Big Band features the finest musicians in New York! The BBB roars into action every Friday, playing the finest Jazz, Latin and Brazilian music from the world's best arrangers. After work or before a show, drinks or a great dinner, come hear one of the world's best drummers driving the hardest swinging band in New York. Experience why the BBB is the must-see weekly jazz event in New York and kick off your weekend with what critics are calling "the best live music bargain in all of NYC!"
All seats $30, $10 food/drink minimum

Purchase tickets at: www.BirdlandJazz.com.