Jazz Programming Coming Up At Birdland, January 17 - January 30

Get full details for jazz programming coming up at at Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater. January 17 - January 30.

January 17 (Monday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Mingus Big Band

Celebrating the music of its founder Sue Mingus's late husband, this Grammy-winning and 4-time Grammy-nominated ensemble plays with fire and imagination. The Mingus Big Band and its two sister ensembles, Mingus Dynasty and Mingus Orchestra, held a famed weekly residency in New York City for decades until the COVID-19 pandemic put them on pause. But they are still swinging as hard as ever, and with this two set showcase for APAP Week at Birdland, they are bound to knock the socks off of their audience. Charles Mingus was known for powerful bass playing, his groundbreaking compositions of visionary genius, and his openness to the individual personalities of the members of his groups. The Mingus Big Band continues this legacy with a cast of New York's most inventive, accomplished jazz musicians.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 17 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

"Lil' Maceo" MLK Day Music to Celebrate the King!

Ft. Regina Martin

International Saxophonist "Lil' Maceo" Kareem Walkes, is one of contemporary jazz's most thrilling and emotive performers. One of the most sought-after saxophonists, three-time IMA nominee Lil' MACEO has been electrifying audiences with his dynamic live performances and his mastery of the saxophone since 2001. Lil' MACEO has been bringing his form of, good-time funky dance music to audiences in New York and beyond since the age of 18. Hailed as "Mr. Funky Sax," Lil' MACEO's music has its roots in the Funk, Pop, Dance, and Smooth Jazz traditions of American music. The band's captivating, high-energy performances transport audiences to a feel-good block party atmosphere as Lil' MACEO blends musicianship, creativity, and tradition. Featuring upcoming, soulful, singer Regina Martin. Regina has headlined at Birdland in "A Tribute to Janis Joplin". She has also performed for Brenda Lee, Richie Cannata (Billy Joel) and Frank Thomas (James Brown & the Famous Flames).
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 18-22 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (1/18-20); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (1/21-22)

Birdland Jazz Club

Joe Alterman Trio

with special guest Houston Person

Enjoy a week with Birdland favorite Joe Alterman, the pianist who Ramsey Lewis calls "a joy to behold"; who Les McCann calls "a giant"; and whose warm, upbeat pianism calls forth the exuberant wit of Ahmad Jamal, the blues of Red Garland, and the reflections of Bill Evans. The Atlanta native has been performing in New York City for over ten years; his new release, The Upside of Down, captures the power of two sets he played at Birdland in 2019 and 2020 in the months just preceding the pandemic. With close compatriots Nathaniel Schroeder and Marlon Patton on bass and drums, Alterman brings the heat on keys, and conjures up the down-home good feelings which we so badly need right about now. Perhaps this is why famed jazz critic Nat Hentoff says that the young pianist "would have been able to hold his own jamming with...Lester Young, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, and Duke Ellington." Let Alterman and company swing you out of your seats. Really-don't be surprised if you start dancing! Alterman will be joined for these engagements with the virtuosic Houston Person.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 19 (Wednesday) 5:30 PM

Birdland Theater

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 18th 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!
$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 19 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM

Birdland Theater

Frank Vignola's Guitar Night

One of the world's most exciting jazz guitarists for the last 25 years, Frank Vignola's virtuosity and pan-stylistic expertise has led to work with such stars as Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Tommy Emmanuel, and the Boston and New York Pops. This December, Vignola will take charge at Birdland every Wednesday (with two exceptions) for a night of brilliant guitar playing. Accompanied by his versatile and masterful quartet featuring Jimmy Bruno (guitar), Peter Washington or Harvie S (bass), and Vince Cherico (drums), + Special guests: Paul Bollenback (Jan 5), Howard Paul (Jan 12), Bill Wurtzel (Jan 19), Dave Stryker (Jan 26). Guitar and music lovers will delight!
$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 20-22 (Thursday-Saturday) 8:30 PM (1/20); 7:00 & 9:30 PM (1/21-2)

Birdland Theater

Vanessa Rubin

A singer with a robust sound, a storyteller's smile, and an ear for classic jazz, Rubin treats audiences to real deal, swinging music. Indeed, her latest release, 2019's The Dream Is You: Vanessa Rubin Sings Tadd Dameron, received a nomination for Outstanding Jazz Album at the 2020 NAACP Image Awards, and so this vocalist-who has released 8 studio albums-continues to swing audiences into the night with her easygoing presentation and her clear tone. Rubin's earliest recordings reached #1 spots on radio and featured Frank Foster, Cecil Bridgewater, Kenny Burrell, and Grover Washington, among other jazz greats. In 2011 she received a nomination for the Kevin Klein Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical for her work in the one-woman show Yesterdays: An Evening with Billie Holiday. Enjoy Ms. Rubin's stylings for three nights-sultry, swinging, and full of life-at Birdland Theater.
$30 table / $20 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum

January 21 (Friday) 5:30 PM

Birdland Jazz Club

The Birdland Big Band

Every Friday, and for two headlining weeks a year, the "BBB" roars into action playing a thrilling and original mix of jazz, funk, Brazilian, Latin and world music for sold-out audiences. Featured weekly guest artists drop-in from television bands (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live) and pop music touring bands (Rob Thomas, Rod Stewart). Come see for yourself why Time Out New York called the BBB, "a completely unique experience... there isn't another band like this anywhere," and yelp.com proclaims, "if you hear one band in NYC make sure this is it... and prepare to be blown away!"
$30 + $20 food/drink minimum

January 23 (Sunday) 7:00 PM

Birdland Theater

Adam Birnbaum Trio

Pianist Adam Birnbaum has been a major player in jazz for over a decade, with dates at the Village Vanguard, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, the Blue Note, and Birdland. Juilliard-trained and a Steinway artist, Birnbaum leads a refined-yet passionately moving-trio, staffed with such heavyweights as Miles Davis drummer Al Foster and veteran bassist Doug Weiss, or with his swinging peers David Wong and Rodney Green. The 2004 winner of the American Piano Competition, the prodigious pianist is also the recipient of a Gold Disk Award from Swing Journal and commissions by Chamber Music America. He remains a highly in-demand composer and performer-a sideman on over 25 recordings and leader of 4 discs. Expect this young star to dazzle at Birdland on this Sunday evening performance.
$30 tables / $20 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum

January 23 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM

Birdland Jazz Club

Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble

Pianist, composer and educator Arturo O'Farrill-leader of the "first family of Afro-Cuban Jazz" (New York Times)-leads the GRAMMY award winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO) and the pared down, 10-piece Ensemble, who bring together the drama of big band jazz, the culture of Latin music, and the virtuosity of eighteen of the world's most accomplished solo musicians. Twelve years of critically-acclaimed performances internationally have firmly established the ALJO as the standard-bearer for creative interpretation of Latin jazz greats such as Tito Puente, Frank "Machito" Grillo, and Chico O'Farrill, as well as the driving force behind new commissions from Latin music's most talented composers and arrangers.
$30 + $20 food/drink minimum

January 24 (Monday) 8:30

Birdland Jazz Club

Mariel Bildsten Quintet

Mariel Bildsten is a trombonist, based in New York City. Mariel currently works as a bandleader and side-woman, playing in jazz big bands and small groups, as well as Afro-Latin music, rock, funk, and R&B bands. She is the lead trombonist in Arturo O'Farrill's Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra and tours internationally with the rock band Brass Against. She has performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, London's O2 Arena, the Apollo Theater, Birdland Jazz Club, Smalls Jazz Club, and Smoke Jazz Club, among other venues and festivals. Mariel has also performed alongside Jennifer Hudson, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roy Hargrove, Wycliffe Gordon, Brian Lynch, Cyrus Chestnut, and Frank Lacy. Her own groups, ranging from duo to septet, have headlined jazz festivals, played around the country, and perform regularly in New York City. Her debut record "Backbone" (2020) received rave reviews.
$30 + $20 food/drink minimum

January 25-29 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (1/25-27); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (1/28-29)

Birdland Jazz Club

Silver Lining: Karrin Allyson Sings Songs of Bonnie Raitt

Nominated for a whopping 5 Grammy awards, Karrin Allyson has lived a tremendous career in music. Her stylistic palette is broad: she has put out records addressing the music of Chopin, Jobim, Coltrane, Parker, Blakey, Ellington, and many others; and she shows no sign of losing the edge on her artistic daring. 2019's Shoulder to Shoulder: Centennial Tribute to Women's Suffrage features an all-star cast reflecting on the early 20th century suffrage movement with contemporary grooves and moving recitations of historical documents. Now, she visits the music of blues, folk, and country legend Bonnie Raitt for five nights at Birdland. Joined by Chris Caswell (keys), Jay Young (bass), Jerome Jennings (drums), and Rod Fleeman (guitar), Allyson will dive into Raitt's discography-but who knows exactly how she'll treat it? You'll have to see her to find out.
$40 table / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 26 (Wednesday) 5:30 PM

Birdland Theater

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 18th 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!
$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 26 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM

Birdland Theater

Frank Vignola's Guitar Night

One of the world's most exciting jazz guitarists for the last 25 years, Frank Vignola's virtuosity and pan-stylistic expertise has led to work with such stars as Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Tommy Emmanuel, and the Boston and New York Pops. This December, Vignola will take charge at Birdland every Wednesday (with two exceptions) for a night of brilliant guitar playing. Accompanied by his versatile and masterful quartet featuring Jimmy Bruno (guitar), Peter Washington or Harvie S (bass), and Vince Cherico (drums), + Special guests: Paul Bollenback (Jan 5), Howard Paul (Jan 12), Bill Wurtzel (Jan 19), Dave Stryker (Jan 26). Guitar and music lovers will delight!
$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 27-29 (Thursday-Saturday) 8:30 PM (1/27); 7:00 & 9:30 PM (1/28-9)

Birdland Theater

Ben Wolfe: Music for Nonet

Bassist Ben Wolfe has provided the low end for jazz greats such as Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., Junior Cook, Dakota Staton, and Duke Jordan-to name only a few on his resume. But he is also an accomplished bandleader, having released 9 records under his own name. Wolfe's music is evocative and heartfelt. On his most recent release, 2019's Fatherhood, the veteran bassist reflects on the passing of his father and what it means to be a father himself. This three-night run at Birdland is sure to be swinging, sincere, and masterful. Don't miss this opportunity to catch this master of the double bass as he performs with a band of some of jazz's most exciting veteran-as well as emerging-talent.
$30 table / $20 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum

January 28 (Friday) 5:30 PM

Birdland Jazz Club

The Birdland Big Band

Every Friday, and for two headlining weeks a year, the "BBB" roars into action playing a thrilling and original mix of jazz, funk, Brazilian, Latin and world music for sold-out audiences. Featured weekly guest artists drop-in from television bands (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live) and pop music touring bands (Rob Thomas, Rod Stewart). Come see for yourself why Time Out New York called the BBB, "a completely unique experience... there isn't another band like this anywhere," and yelp.com proclaims, "if you hear one band in NYC make sure this is it... and prepare to be blown away!"
$30 + $20 food/drink minimum

January 30 (Sunday) 5:30 PM

Birdland Jazz Club

Mike Holober

For the last 25 years, pianist, composer and arranger Mike Holober has been considered one of the world's premier writers for large ensemble. Downbeat called his latest release, 2019's Grammy-nominated Hiding Out (ZOHO Music), "a long-anticipated, epic work." Holober writes sprawling, innovative and evocative pieces that challenge the conventions of jazz big band music and captivate listeners from beginning to end. His resume is long in the States and overseas: Holober served as Guest Conductor of two German National Radio Big Bands, the hr-Big Band Big Band in Frankfurt, and the WDR Big Band in Cologne, between 2009 and 2016. There, he arranged and conducted shows that featured a long list of jazz legends, including Billy Cobham, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Terje Rypdal. In 2017, he was named Stuart Z. Katz Professor in the Humanities and the Arts at CCNY. Holober performs at Birdland for one night only: don't miss his inspiring work!
$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 30 (Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM

Birdland Theater

Margot Sergent: The PIAF Experience, A Parisian Cabaret Revival

Transport yourself back to the 1920 and 30s with Margot Sergent. In her native French, the exquisite vocalist and harpist brings you right into the world of romance, despair, and Bohemian grandeur which characterize the favorite songs of Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, and Charles Trenet. Sergent's trio, So French Cabaret, features double bass and guitar, and together they invite you on a storyteller's journey, performing classics like "La Vie en Rose," "Non, je ne regrette rien," and "l'Hymne à l'Amour." Sergent has performed across Paris and at France's legendary l'Olympia. As saxophone legend Archie Shepp describes: "What she does is pure poetry. No doubt she is one of the most captivating artists of her generation." She makes her Birdland debut this January to close out the month.
$30 tables / $20 bar seating + $20 food/drink minimum

January 30 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM

Birdland Jazz Club

Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble

Pianist, composer and educator Arturo O'Farrill-leader of the "first family of Afro-Cuban Jazz" (New York Times)-leads the GRAMMY award winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO) and the pared down, 10-piece Ensemble, who bring together the drama of big band jazz, the culture of Latin music, and the virtuosity of eighteen of the world's most accomplished solo musicians. Twelve years of critically-acclaimed performances internationally have firmly established the ALJO as the standard-bearer for creative interpretation of Latin jazz greats such as Tito Puente, Frank "Machito" Grillo, and Chico O'Farrill, as well as the driving force behind new commissions from Latin music's most talented composers and arrangers.