December 2025 At Birdland Jazz Club And Birdland Theater To Feature Tom Kitt, Stacey Kent, New York Voices, Marilyn Maye & More

Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater will be open throughout December with nightly programming including jazz, cabaret, holiday concerts, and New Year’s Eve events. Headliners will include Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Kitt, pianist Emmet Cohen, vocalist Stacey Kent, vocal group New York Voices, Ashley Pezzotti, Marilyn Maye, and many others, along with Birdland’s regular residencies and big band presentations..

DECEMBER 2025 SCHEDULE – BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB

Tom Kitt in Concert

December 1 (Monday) – 7:00 PM
Composer, orchestrator, and performer Tom Kitt—winner of multiple Tony, Emmy, Grammy and Pulitzer honors—will appear with a company of Broadway and West End vocalists. His credits include Next to Normal, If/Then, Almost Famous, Flying Over Sunset, High Fidelity, and Bring It On: The Musical, with additional work in film and television including the Pitch Perfect franchise, Grease Live, Rise, Penny Dreadful, Sesame Street, and Freaky Friday. A Sony Masterworks artist, Kitt released his debut album Reflect in 2021. He will be joined by guest singers including Lauren Patten, Elizabeth Stanley, Adrienne Warren, Elizabeth Gillies, and Jack Wolfe.
$30 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Emmet Cohen Trio

December 2–6 (Tuesday–Saturday)
7:00 & 9:30 PM (Dec 2–4); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (Dec 5–6)
Pianist Emmet Cohen brings his working trio, featuring Russell Hall (bass) and Kyle Poole (drums), for a multi-night run. Cohen is the 2019 American Pianists Awards winner, a Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association, and a former finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition. His “Live From Emmet’s Place” livestream series has become a widely viewed jazz platform, with millions of views and collaborations with major artists.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Ehud Asherie Quartet

December 7 (Sunday) – 5:30 PM
Pianist Ehud Asherie leads a quartet featuring Zaid Nasser (saxophone), Joey Ranieri (bass), and Charles Goold (drums). Asherie’s style reflects classic jazz piano traditions, Brazilian influences, and his own modern approach. He has performed worldwide, appeared on numerous recordings, including the Grammy-winning soundtrack of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, and has worked with Cécile McLorin Salvant, Wycliffe Gordon, Catherine Russell, Harry Allen, and others.
$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

We Love the Winter Weather: Songs of the Season

December 8 (Monday) – 7:00 PM
KT Sullivan, Stacy Sullivan, Jeff Harnar, and Todd Murray, with music director Jon Weber, will present a holiday program drawing on work by Irving Berlin, Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne, Carol Hall, Danny Apolinar, David Friedman, Mel Tormé and more. The evening will feature seasonal material and standards, with Weber at the piano. Livestream available at veeps.com/birdland.
$50 VIP front row / $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum / $20 livestream

Jane Monheit

December 9–13 (Tuesday–Saturday)
7:00 & 9:30 PM (Dec 9–11); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (Dec 12–13)
Vocalist Jane Monheit returns with her longtime band, including drummer Rick Montalbano. Known for her work with the American Songbook and collaborations with artists such as Terence Blanchard, Tom Harrell, Harold Mabern, and David Benoit, Monheit has released 13 albums, including Come What May (2021). This engagement will feature a mix of seasonal material and catalog favorites.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Bryce Edwards Frivolity Hour

December 15 (Monday) – 7:00 PM
Bryce Edwards brings back his Frivolity Hour, presenting early 20th-century jazz and popular music with a band featuring Scott Ricketts (cornet), Ricky Alexander (clarinet/alto saxophone), Conal Fowkes (piano), and Jay Rattman (bass saxophone). The program focuses on traditional jazz and historic popular songs. Livestream available at veeps.com/birdland.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum / $20 livestream

Stacey Kent

December 16–20 (Tuesday–Saturday)
7:00 & 9:30 PM (Dec 16–18); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (Dec 19–20)
Vocalist Stacey Kent appears with her working group, including saxophonist/arranger Jim Tomlinson, performing material from her recent recordings The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain and Summer Me, Winter Me, as well as selections in multiple languages. Kent’s discography includes Platinum and Gold records and work across the Great American Songbook, French, and Brazilian repertoires.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

A Swinging Birdland Christmas

December 21–22 (Sunday–Monday)
5:30 PM (Dec 21); 5:30, 8:30 & 10:30 PM (Dec 22)
Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, and Billy Stritch return with A Swinging Birdland Christmas, performing seasonal repertoire including “The Christmas Waltz,” “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” “Snow,” and other holiday standards. They are joined by Steve Doyle (bass) and Eric Halvorson (drums).
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Christmas with Champian Fulton

December 23–27 (Tuesday–Saturday)
5:30, 8:30 & 10:30 PM
Pianist-vocalist Champian Fulton leads a run of holiday performances. A Birdland regular, Fulton has released multiple albums, including Meet Me At Birdland, Every Now and Then and At Home, and has been recognized by Hot House and the NYC Jazz Record.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Maude Maggart in “A Tiny Match”

December 29 (Monday) – 7:00 PM
Cabaret artist Maude Maggart appears in a new program, drawing on her experience at venues including Café Carlyle, The Oak Room at The Algonquin, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center, as well as recordings and media appearances.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Birdland Big Band (with special guest Hilary Kole in January)

December 30–January 3 (Tuesday–Saturday)
7:00 & 9:30 PM (Dec 30); 7:00 & 11:00 PM (Dec 31); 7:00 & 9:30 PM (Jan 1); 5:30, 8:30 & 10:30 PM (Jan 2–3)
The Birdland Big Band, directed by saxophonist David DeJesus, closes out the year and begins 2026. The ensemble performs jazz, Brazilian, funk, and Latin material. In early January, the band will feature vocalist Hilary Kole.
Dec 30: $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
Dec 31 (7:00 PM): $100 tables / $50 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
Dec 31 (11:00 PM): $150 tables / $75 premium bar / $50 GA bar
Jan 1: $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
Jan 2–3 (5:30 PM): $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
Jan 2–3 (8:30 & 10:30 PM): $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

DECEMBER 2025 SCHEDULE – BIRDLAND THEATER

Elan Mehler Sextet

December 5–6 (Friday–Saturday) – 7:00 & 9:30 PM
Pianist-composer Elan Mehler returns with his sextet, featuring Loren Stillman, Scott Robinson, George Garzone (saxophones), Tony Scherr (bass), and Dor Herskovits (drums). Mehler’s recordings include collaborations with Bill Frisell, Becca Stevens, and Dave Douglas.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Hilary Gardner and The Lonesome Pines

December 7 (Sunday) – 7:00 & 9:30 PM
Vocalist Hilary Gardner appears with The Lonesome Pines: Noah Garabedian (bass), Justin Poindexter (guitar/vocals), Sasha Papernik (accordion/vocals), and Aaron Thurston (drums). The ensemble’s repertoire sits at the intersection of jazz and vintage Western song. Gardner is also a member of vocal group DUCHESS.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Birdland Boptet Directed by David DeJesus

December 12–14 (Friday–Sunday) – 7:00 & 9:30 PM
Alto saxophonist David DeJesus leads the Birdland Boptet in a program dedicated to Charlie “Yardbird” Parker. DeJesus is director of the Birdland Big Band and a longtime New York performer with ensembles including the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Mingus Big Band.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

New York Voices: The Grand Finale

December 19–21 (Friday–Sunday) – 7:00 & 9:30 PM
Vocal group New York Voices—Peter Eldridge, Kim Nazarian, Darmon Meader, and Lauren Kinhan—brings its farewell tour, The Grand Finale, to Birdland Theater. The Grammy-winning group’s discography spans jazz, pop, and Brazilian repertoire over nearly four decades.
$45 tables / $35 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Ashley Pezzotti

December 24–28 (Wednesday–Sunday) – 7:00 & 9:30 PM
Vocalist Ashley Pezzotti will perform a week of shows, presenting standards and original material. Pezzotti has appeared with Wynton Marsalis, Keith Urban, and Joey Alexander, and released the album We’ve Only Just Begun with the Emmet Cohen Trio.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Marilyn Maye’s New Year’s Eve Extravaganza

December 31, January 2–4 (Wednesday, Friday–Sunday)
7:30 & 11:00 PM (Dec 31); 7:00 & 9:30 PM (Jan 2–4)
Marilyn Maye returns with her New Year’s Eve program and additional dates. Maye’s career includes 76 appearances on The Tonight Show, a 1966 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, and honors from the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame and American Jazz Museum.
Dec 31: $100 premium tables / $75 tables / $50 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
Jan 2–4: $40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

MONTHLY & RECURRING ENGAGEMENTS

Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks

December 1–2, 8–9, 15–16, 22–23, 29–30 (Mondays & Tuesdays)
5:30 & 8:30 PM; 7:00 & 9:30 PM (Dec 22–23)
Giordano and his 11-piece Nighthawks present 1920s and early jazz repertoire, drawing on work heard in Boardwalk Empire, The Cotton Club, The Aviator and other film/TV projects.
$40 tables / $30 bar / $20 partial view table + $20 food/drink minimum

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party

December 1, 8, 15, 29 (Mondays) – 9:30 PM
Jim Caruso hosts the weekly open mic, joined by Billy Stritch (piano), Steve Doyle (bass), and Daniel Glass (drums).
$35 tables / $25 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band

December 3, 10, 17 (Wednesdays) – 5:30 PM
David Ostwald leads an ensemble dedicated to classic jazz repertoire associated with Louis Armstrong and his contemporaries.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night

December 3, 10, 17 (Wednesdays) – 8:30 PM
Guitarist Frank Vignola hosts weekly guitar-centered sets with Ted Rosenthal (piano), Gary Mazzaroppi (bass), Alex Raderman (drums), and special guests. Guitar Night streams weekly at YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band

December 4, 11, 18 (Thursdays) – 5:30 & 8:30 PM
Led by Simon Wettenhall and Conal Fowkes, this ensemble focuses on New Orleans-style jazz.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

The Birdland Big Band

December 5, 12, 19 (Fridays) – 5:30 PM
The Birdland Big Band presents a mix of jazz, funk, Brazilian, Latin, and world music.
$45 tables / $35 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Gabrielle Stravelli Trio

December 6, 13, 20 (Saturdays) – 5:30 PM
Vocalist Gabrielle Stravelli leads her trio in an early Saturday set.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Yardbird Big Band Directed by David DeJesus

December 14, 28 (Sundays) – 5:30 PM
David DeJesus directs a big band program dedicated to Charlie Parker’s music.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

December 7, 14, 21, 28 (Sundays) – 8:30 & 10:30 PM
The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra returns with a program combining big band jazz and Afro-Latin traditions.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum