Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch to Return to Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle

On Sunday, September 6, Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch will begin their fourteenth consecutive year at Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle, continuing one of New York's enduring entertainment traditions. The duo will perform every Sunday evening through the end of December in the legendary boîte, where music has long been as much a part of the room's identity as Ludwig Bemelmans' celebrated murals and the martinis served beneath them.

Since first taking up residence more than a dozen years ago, Caruso and Stritch, with Steve Doyle on bass, have transformed Sunday evenings into something that feels distinctly New York: equal parts cabaret, piano party, jazz club, and supper gathering. The repertoire moves effortlessly through the Great American Songbook, Broadway, jazz, and American popular music, all delivered with wit, elegance, and the relaxed confidence that comes only from musicians who have shared the stage for decades.

Like the room itself, the evenings resist predictability. Over the years, guests have included Sir Paul McCartney, Jennifer Aniston, and the late Elaine Stritch, while spontaneous performances have come from artists including Liza Minnelli, Bono, Michael Feinstein, Jane Monheit, the late Mary Wilson, and countless Broadway, jazz, and recording artists who simply found themselves unable to resist joining the music.

Few New York venues preserve the city's tradition of intimate nightlife quite like Bemelmans Bar. Here, conversation still gives way to live music. The piano remains at the center of the room. Familiar faces return season after season, while first-time visitors often leave feeling they've stumbled upon one of New York's best-kept secrets.