Monty Alexander, Charles Mingus Orchestra, Jocelyn Gould & More Set for Birdland in August

Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater have announced programming for August 10–23, 2026, with Monty Alexander, Charles Mingus Orchestra, Jocelyn Gould Quartet, David Marino, the Yardbird Big Band directed by David DeJesus, Eliane Amherd Band and Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra among the featured artists.

Repeat engagements during the two-week period include Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks, Jim Caruso's Cast Party with Billy Stritch at the piano, David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, Frank Vignola's Guitar Night, The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band, The Birdland Big Band, Jon-Erik Kellso and The Birdland Latin Jazz Orchestra.

Check out the full schedule below.

Vince Giordano & THE NIGHTHAWKS

August 10–11 (Monday–Tuesday), 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater

Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks every Monday and Tuesday at Birdland Theater! Giordano, the recipient of a GRAMMY Award for his work scoring the HBO show Boardwalk Empire, is a master composer and arranger whose 11-piece band, The Nighthawks, recreate the jubilant 1920s jazz sound with amazing definition, using violins, tubas, banjos, and collector's item drum sets. The band has provided soundtracks for film and television productions including The Cotton Club, The Aviator, Finding Forrester, Revolutionary Road, Cafe Society, Boardwalk Empire, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and many more. Not to be missed!

$40 tables / $30 bar / $20 partial view table seating + $20 food/drink minimum

DAVID MARINO SINGS Michel Legrand

August 10 (Monday), 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Vocal legend Marilyn Maye said of the young David Marino: “One word: phenomenal! He's just brilliant and his singing is just wonderful.” A finalist on Canada's The Voice, David Marino is a singer making headway internationally, performing at prestigious venues and jazz clubs across North America. Marino performs regularly at Place des Arts in Montreal, and at Birdland with Billy Stritch. He toured the West Coast and Europe in 2025. An actor, Marino is a graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse, and recently played the lead role of Melchior in Contact Theatre's production of the musical Spring Awakening. Additionally, he is a proud advocate for mental health causes, helping raise $50,000 for the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. Marino released his first live EP, The Debut Sessions, in 2025, and is currently working on his debut studio album. Jane Monheit, the Grammy Award-nominated jazz singer says: “Truly one of the most gorgeous voices I've ever heard. Please go see him.” For this special one-night-only event, Marino will work from the songbook of the great composer Michel Legrand.

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

Jim Caruso'S CAST PARTY

August 10 (Monday), 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Step into the glittering world of Jim Caruso's Cast Party, the legendary weekly open mic night that turns Birdland into the ultimate showbiz playground! Every Monday, the iconic venue transforms into a raucous, star-studded celebration of music, comedy, and jaw-dropping talent, where seasoned pros and up-and-coming performers share the stage in an unforgettable, high-energy variety show.

Leading the charge is the ever-dapper Jim Caruso. With his signature charm and boundless enthusiasm, Caruso keeps the night moving at a thrilling pace, welcoming Broadway belters, jazz virtuosos, master tappers, and the occasional surprise megastar drop-in!

Fueling the musical magic is the incomparable trio of powerhouse musicians: the dazzling Billy Stritch at the piano, the rock-solid Steve Doyle on bass, and the dynamic Daniel Glass on drums. Together, they create a swinging, electrifying sound that transforms every performance into a showstopping moment.

From Tony and Oscar winners to hopeful newcomers, Cast Party is where talent shines, friendships are forged, and the spirit of live performance is alive and thriving. Whether you're gracing the stage or cheering from the audience, one thing's for sure—you never know who might take the mic next!

$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Monty Alexander

August 11–15 (Tuesday–Saturday), 7:00 & 9:30 PM (August 11–13); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (August 14–15) – Birdland Jazz Club

A master pianist with over 70 years in music, Monty Alexander is a jazz legend. Named the 5th greatest jazz pianist in history in Hal Leonard's Fifty Greatest Jazz Piano Players of All Time, Alexander's achievements have earned him the highest honors: native Jamaica granted him the title of Commander in the Order of Distinction; Institute of Jamaica awarded him the Musgrave Medal; and the University of the West Indies bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate.

What makes this 24-time guest of the Montreux Jazz Festival such a beloved figure? According to him, it is his insatiable capacity “to build up the heat and kick up a storm”—a joyful skill that has been recorded on over 75 discs as a leader and in an upcoming documentary, The Monty Alexander Movie, directed by Oscar-winner Jefferson Miller. Alexander uplifted his audiences at Birdland in 2024 for his 80th birthday celebration, and again the year after.

$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

DAVID OSTWALD'S Louis Armstrong ETERNITY BAND

August 12 (Wednesday), 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater

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 26th year of residency at Birdland, the weekly post-workday engagement features tuba player David Ostwald leading a rotating lineup that includes talents such as clarinetist Anat Cohen, trombonist/vocalist Wycliffe Gordon, pianist Ehud Asherie, drummer Marion Felder and more.

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

FRANK VIGNOLA'S GUITAR NIGHT WITH PON PON CHEN & James Chirillo

August 12 (Wednesday), 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater

Frank Vignola's virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world's top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Les Paul, the Boston and New York Pops, and more.

Every Wednesday at 8:30 PM in the Birdland Theater, Frank leads “Frank Vignola's Guitar Night at Birdland.” Inspired by journeyman jazz guitarist John Pisano's now famous Los Angeles Guitar Night, the Frank Vignola Quartet, featuring pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Alex Raderman, perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in special guests weekly. This week it's Pon Pon Chen and James Chirillo.

Guitar Night also streams live every week on Radio Free Birdland's YouTube channel.

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

THE HIGH SOCIETY NEW ORLEANS JAZZ BAND

August 13 (Thursday), 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater

Led by veteran trumpeter Simon Wettenhall and Grammy-winning pianist Conal Fowkes, The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band is a New Orleans-style group which for decades has served as Woody Allen's band of choice in his movies, concert tours and other performances, including Wild Man Blues, Sweet and Lowdown, Midnight in Paris, Blue Jasmine, Cafe Society, Magic In The Moonlight, and A Rainy Day In New York.

The group features Conal Fowkes (piano/vocals co-leader), Simon Wettenhall (trumpet/vocals co-leader), Tom Abbott (clarinet), Harvey Tibbs (trombone), Josh Dunn (banjo), Brian Nalepka (bass/vocals), and Kevin Dorn (drums).

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

THE BIRDLAND BIG BAND

August 14 (Friday), 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Every Friday, and for two headlining weeks a year, the “BBB” roars into action playing a mix of jazz, funk, Brazilian, Latin and world music. Featured weekly guest artists drop in from television bands and pop music touring bands.

$45 tables / $35 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

CHARLES MINGUS ORCHESTRA

August 14–16 (Friday–Sunday), 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater

Celebrating the music of its founder Sue Mingus's late, great husband, this 10-piece ensemble—the sister group to both the larger Mingus Big Band and smaller Mingus Dynasty—explores lesser known works by the legendary bassist/composer with unconventional orchestrations and fiery imagination.

For decades, the Orchestra, Big Band, and Dynasty held a famed weekly residency in New York City until the COVID-19 pandemic put them on pause. The Orchestra's Birdland performance in 2022 marked its public re-entrance.

Charles Mingus laid his legacy in powerful bass playing, groundbreaking compositions of visionary genius, and an openness to the individual personalities of his groups' members. The Mingus Orchestra continues this legacy with a cast of New York's most inventive, accomplished jazz musicians. Sue Mingus passed in September 2022; with each performance the group honors her legacy, too.

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

JON-ERIK KELLSO

August 15 (Saturday), 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

A Birdland favorite for his weekly work with Vince Giordano's Nighthawks, veteran trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso is one of the world's premier practitioners of early jazz stylings.

His work as a sideman has included performances with Milt Hinton, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Dick Hyman, Bob Haggart, Catherine Russell and Wycliffe Gordon, as well as Linda Ronstadt and Elvis Costello. Kellso also celebrated Louis Armstrong's Hot 5s and 7s in a week-long engagement with Wynton Marsalis at Dizzy's Club in Manhattan and has taken his group The EarRegulars to festivals around the world.

Kellso can be heard on over 100 recordings, as well as live every Monday and Tuesday with Vince Giordano's Nighthawks.

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

ELIANE AMHERD BAND

August 16 (Sunday), 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Eliane Amherd is a Swiss-born, New York-based triple threat who has performed around the world for the last two decades.

Amherd was a 2014 candidate on the first edition of The Voice of Switzerland, and in 2017 was named runner-up for Best Songwriter in Switzerland at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Her music lives in a world retro-pop aesthetic, where beats range from New Orleans street rhythms and rock grooves to bossa novas, samba funk and Afro-pop.

Collaborations with Randy Brecker, Bashiri Johnson, Marcus Strickland, Bill Ware, and other artists have been part of a career that includes the records La Dégustation (2021), Skylines (2016), and Now and From Now On (2011). She sings in both English and French.

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

THE BIRDLAND LATIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA

August 16 (Sunday), 8:30 & 10:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Birdland presents its Latin Jazz Orchestra, directed by master saxophonist David DeJesus. A fixture on the New York City music scene for three decades, DeJesus brings his expertise in both jazz and Latin music to the ensemble.

Composed of a rotating cast of New York talent, the orchestra performs classics of the Latin jazz big band repertoire, showcasing the rhythms and arrangements that define the style.

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

Vince Giordano & THE NIGHTHAWKS

August 17–18 (Monday–Tuesday), 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater

Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks return for their regular Monday and Tuesday performances, recreating the sound of 1920s jazz with an 11-piece ensemble using violins, tubas, banjos and vintage instruments.

The Grammy-winning ensemble's extensive screen credits include Boardwalk Empire, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Aviator, Cafe Society and more.

$40 tables / $30 bar / $20 partial view table seating + $20 food/drink minimum

Jim Caruso'S CAST PARTY

August 17 (Monday), 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Jim Caruso returns to lead Birdland's weekly open mic and variety show, welcoming established performers, rising artists and surprise guests.

Billy Stritch is at the piano, with Steve Doyle on bass and Daniel Glass on drums.

$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

YARDBIRD BIG BAND DIRECTED BY DAVID DEJESUS

August 18–22 (Tuesday–Saturday), 7:00 & 9:30 PM (August 18–20); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (August 21–22) – Birdland Jazz Club

Birdland celebrates Charlie “Yardbird” Parker's birthday. Born August 29, 1920, Parker would be 106 at the end of the month.

Birdland Jazz Club honors his life and legacy with a week of performances dedicated to Parker's trailblazing music. The Yardbird Big Band, directed by David DeJesus, plays its first full week at the jazz club in tribute to the great master.

The 11-piece ensemble brings together New York musicians to perform Parker's songs in new arrangements, with DeJesus—an expert on Parker's life—guiding audiences through the music.

$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

DAVID OSTWALD'S Louis Armstrong ETERNITY BAND

August 19 (Wednesday), 5:30 PM – Birdland Theater

Inspired by Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton and their contemporaries, David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band continues its 26th year of residency at Birdland.

Tuba player David Ostwald leads a rotating lineup that has featured Anat Cohen, Wycliffe Gordon, Ehud Asherie, Marion Felder and more.

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

FRANK VIGNOLA'S GUITAR NIGHT

August 19 (Wednesday), 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater

Frank Vignola leads his weekly Guitar Night with pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi and drummer Alex Raderman, performing standards and welcoming special guests.

Vignola's career has included work with Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Les Paul, the Boston Pops, New York Pops and others.

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

THE HIGH SOCIETY NEW ORLEANS JAZZ BAND

August 20 (Thursday), 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater

The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band returns for its weekly Thursday engagement. Led by Simon Wettenhall and Conal Fowkes, the group features Tom Abbott, Harvey Tibbs, Josh Dunn, Brian Nalepka and Kevin Dorn.

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

THE BIRDLAND BIG BAND

August 21 (Friday), 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

The Birdland Big Band returns for its regular Friday performance, bringing together jazz, funk, Brazilian, Latin and world music.

$45 tables / $35 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

JOCELYN GOULD QUARTET

August 21–23 (Friday–Sunday), 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater

JUNO Award-winning guitarist Jocelyn Gould is a straight-ahead swinging practitioner whose work with her own quartet, as well with artists like Freddy Cole, Etienne Charles and Michael Dease, has led to international acclaim.

Gould has spent the last several years touring extensively. In 2025, she toured full time across Europe, North America, and Asia, ultimately releasing her solo guitar album Solo. In 2024, she completed a 10-week, 45-city tour produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center and IMG Artists as part of Sing and Swing, where she performed as a leader at venues including Dizzy's Club, Birdland and London's Pizza Express.

Her debut release as a leader, Elegant Traveler, won a 2021 JUNO for Jazz Album of the Year, while Sonic Bouquet received another JUNO nomination. She released Portrait of Right Now in October 2024, and her next album, So Delighted, is set for October.

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

JON-ERIK KELLSO

August 22 (Saturday), 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso returns for another Saturday performance. A veteran of New York's early jazz scene, Kellso has performed with artists including Milt Hinton, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Dick Hyman, Catherine Russell, Wycliffe Gordon, Linda Ronstadt and Elvis Costello.

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

Scott Reeves JAZZ ORCHESTRA

August 23 (Sunday), 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Trombonist, composer, arranger and bandleader Scott Reeves is a veteran of the New York City music scene who has performed with a long list of jazz masters, including Ron Carter, Pete LaRoca, John Fedchock and Clark Terry.

Professor Emeritus at the City College of New York, Reeves also taught at the Juilliard School, Indiana University and other colleges. His large ensemble, the Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra, is a vehicle for his modern swinging writing.

The band's recordings Without a Trace and Portraits and Places, both on Origin Records, feature Reeves's original music. For its sixth engagement at Birdland, the group will perform arrangements of music by Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Reeves himself. The group will also debut a scoring of Wayne Shorter's classic album The All-Seeing Eye.

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

THE BIRDLAND LATIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA

August 23 (Sunday), 8:30 & 10:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

The Birdland Latin Jazz Orchestra, directed by saxophonist David DeJesus, closes out the two-week schedule with classics from the Latin jazz big band repertoire performed by a rotating cast of New York musicians.

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

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