Birdland Big Band, Jenna Esposito, Jim Van Slyke and More to Play Birdland, 12/30-1/5

Birdland Jazz Club has announced their thrilling line-up of impressive talent for December 30-January 5, including Jenna Esposito & Jim Van Slyke, Jay Leonhart Duo, The Birdland Big Band, Mentor Monday at Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more.

Birdland will kick-off their fabulous week of programming with the following acts:

December 30 (Monday) at 7:00PM

Jenna Esposito & Jim Van Slyke:

"Where The Hits Are: A Tribute to the Songs of Connie Francis & Neil Sedaka"
Singer Jenna Esposito made her New York nightclub debut in 2004, and has been delighting audiences across the country ever since. She is best known for her tribute to Connie Francis, which has been a smash hit among critics and audiences, alike. Connie herself has praised Jenna's work, raving, "I've known and loved Jenna for years and love the way she sings. I'm ever so grateful for the love and respect she shows to the catalog of songs that has been so good to me through the years." Award winning singer, songwriter and recording artist, Jim Van Slyke has headlined on concert stages around the globe. The critically acclaimed success of Jim's latest showcase, The Sedaka Show, has taken him to a new plateau. Neil Sedaka himself has not only joined Jim on stage for a duet in Hollywood, San Francisco and New York but has also highly endorsed the tribute.

All seats $25, $10 minimum

December 30 (Monday) at 9:30PM

Mentor Monday at Jim Caruso's Cast Party

With Award Winning Composer John Bucchino

Featuring recent Elon University Grads Kennedy Caughell & Adam Kaplan

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. The upcoming "Mentor Mondays" segment will take place at 10pm, during the first hour of Cast Party on Monday, December 30. John Bucchino, the award-winning composer of Broadway's A Catered Affair will be paired with Kennedy Caughell and Adam Kaplan, both of whom recently graduated from Elon University.

All seats $25, $10 minimum

December 31 (Tuesday) at 8:00PM & 11:00PM

January 1-4 (Wednesday-Saturday) at 8:30 & 11:00PM

January 5 (Sunday) at 9:00PM & 11:00PM

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 fast becoming 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!" Celebrate New Years Eve with The Birdland Big Band and Special Guest Darmon Meader.

New Years Eve Event Pricing $40-$100, All seats for remaining shows $40, $10 minimum

January 1 (Wednesday) 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 minimum

January 3 (Friday) 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 is a world-class music event and it's personnel is the comprised of the country's finest top-shelf talent, including musicians from every jazz/pop tour and Broadway show imaginable. The bands newest recording, Eleven, has been glowingly received with numerous 5-star reviews and is currently in the Grammy conversation for three separate awards. The band is dedicated to performing unique music from all over the world with jaw-dropping musicianship. Catch a late night show and hear one of the world's best drummers driving the hardest swinging band in New York.

All seats $30, $10 minimum

January 4 (Saturday) at 6:00PM

Jay Leonhart Duo

Combining the skills of an old school entertainer and virtuoso jazz man, bassist, vocalist and composer Jay Leonhart has been a fixture of the New York scene for over forty years. When Jay was fourteen he started playing the bass in The Pier Five Dixieland Jazz Band in Baltimore and never looked back. After studying at The Peabody Institute, Jay attended The Berklee School of Music and The Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto, before leaving school to start touring with the traveling big bands of the late 50's and early 60's.

All seats $30, $10 minimum

January 5 (Sunday) at 6:00PM

The Birdland Jazz Party

With special guest vocalists
Birdland's very own jazz quartet hits the stage every Sunday to wrap up the weekend with jazz classics! This quartet features John Hart (Guitar), Paul Gil (bass), Carmen Intorre (Drums) & Jon Davis (Piano) with a special guest vocalist!

All seats $25, $10 minimum

Purchase tickets at: www.BirdlandJazz.com. For more information and reservations call 212-581-3080. Ticket prices will vary by performer. At the tables, there is a $10 food/drink minimum per person in addition to the music charge. At the bar, the music charge will include one complimentary drink with no additional minimum.

ABOUT BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB: Named for alto saxophonist and jazz pioneer Charlie "Bird" Parker who dubbed it "The Jazz Corner of the World," Birdland opened on December 15th 1949. For 60 years it has been home to jazz legends, from Parker, John Coltrane Duke Ellington and Count Basie to Oscar Peterson, Hank Jones, Diana Krall and everyone in between. The original 52nd street location was a cultural barometer and meeting place, inspiring the songs "Birdland" and "Lullaby of Birdland," and serving as a regular haunt for celebrities and cultural figures. The modern incarnation is a state of the art nightclub featuring award winning Southern and Cajun cuisine, first rate sound and lighting and a who's who of contemporary musical artists, 7 nights a week.

Birdland is located at 315 West 44th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues), New York, NY 10036. Discounts: Students (with current ID) & Broadway Theatre-Goers (with Broadway ticket stub from same day of performance): 50% off music charge at 11PM shows only. Birdland serves American Fare with a Cajun Flair nightly from 5PM until Midnight and until 1AM on Friday and Saturdays. Parking is available across the street at 332 West 44th Street. For more information, visit www.BirdlandJazz.com, or follow BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB on Twitter: @birdlandjazz, Facebook, Instagram, and on Pinterest.