Catherine Russell, Sam Blakeslee Large Group & More to Perform at Birdland in February

Below, you'll find the details on all jazz programming at Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater running February 14 through February 26.

Performers appearing at Birdland Jazz Club include Catherine Russell, Sam Blakeslee Large Group, Jane Monheit and Earl McIntyre's Tribute!

Downstairs at Birdland Theater, catch Margot Sergent, Miki Yamanaka, Caelan Cardello, John di Martino Duo, Lauren Henderson Quartet and Dena DeRose Trio + Special Guests.

Repeat engagements include David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, Frank Vignola's Guitar Night, Birdland Big Band and Arturo O'Farrill & The Latin Jazz Orchestra.

Catherine Russell

February 14-18 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (2/14-16); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (2/17-18) - Birdland Jazz Club / Livestream Event Thursday, February 16th at 9:30

Internationally-renowned vocalist Catherine Russell is jazz royalty. Her grandfather, Elisha Ray, graduated from Juilliard in 1925 and performed with Harlem Renaissance legend James Reese Europe. Her mother, vocalist Carline Ray, toured with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm and attended The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music in the 1950s. And her father, Luis Russell, was Louis Armstrong's musical director. Born into the music, Ms. Russell possesses an easy feeling and genuine soulfulness, documented on seven acclaimed recordings under her own name and over 200 recordings for and with other major artists. Her two most recent albums as a leader-2019's Alone Together and 2016's Harlem on My Mind-received Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album. 2014's Bring It Back (Jazz Village) received a rare 5-star rating from Downbeat Magazine. Russell's style tastefully mixes early Harlem jazz stylings and American Songbook gems with New Orleans music and country blues stylings. Last year, for Valentine's week, Russell celebrated the release of her latest recording, Send For Me (Dot Time, 2022). This year, she's back, and the feeling of romance is still hanging in the air.
$40-$50 tables / $30-$40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band

February 15 (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 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

Frank Vignola's Guitar Night with special guests Tessa Lark & Ted Rosenthal

February 15 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

It's the best jazz guitar lover's show in the world. 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 8:30pm 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 Trio, featuring bassist Gary Mazzaroppi and drummer Vince Cherico, will perform tunes from the standard repertoire, inviting up a rotation of special guest guitarists: Rubens De La Corte (2/1), Rodney Jones (2/8), Tessa Lark & Ted Rosenthal (2/15), and Sheryl Bailey (2/22)
$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Margot Sergent

February 16 (Thursday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

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." Last year was her Birdland debut: welcome her back this Thursday night.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

The Birdland Big Band

February 17 (Friday) 5:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

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 why 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

Miki Yamanaka

February 17-19 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater

One of the best jazz piano players working in New York today, Miki Yamanaka is the favorite of Antonio Hart, Roxy Coss, Larry Goldings, Frank Lacy, Philip Harper and plenty of other revered musicians. Her powerful and elegant style is deeply rooted in the tradition of jazz piano while extending far beyond mere cliches. During the pandemic, Miki launched Miki's Mood, which became a popular livestream series from her apartment featuring husband and frequent collaborator Jimmy MacBride on drums with a host of New York's most amazing musicians joining in. She released Miki in 2018 (Cellar Live), Human Dust Suite in 2020 (Outside In), and Stairway to the Stars in 2021 (Outside In) featuring the great bassist Orlando Le Fleming and modern saxophone legend Mark Turner.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Sam Blakeslee Large Group

February 19 (Sunday) 5:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Born in Ohio and based in New York City, Sam Blakeslee is an original compositional voice penning modern jazz music with an exploratory, industrial intelligence and imaginative twists and turns. His excellent group, featuring some of New York's finest young players, released Live at Blu Jazz from the popular Akron, OH club. The trombonist composer performs and records regularly with Grammy-nominated large ensembles that define the face of modern jazz large ensembles like the Terraza Big Band, Dan Pugach Nonet, Emilio Solla's Tango Jazz Orchestra, Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly of Shadows, Manuel Valera's New Cuban Express Big Band, and the New York Afro-Bop Alliance Big Band. Sam has also performed with artists such as Joe Lovano, Sean Jones, Dan Wilson, Ingrid Jensen, and Aretha Franklin.
$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

February 19 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Pianist, composer and educator Arturo O'Farrill-leader of the "first family of Afro-Cuban Jazz" (The New York Times)-leads the GRAMMY® award winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO), 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

Caelan Cardello in the Theater

February 20 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Born into a musical household in Teaneck, NJ, Caelan Cardello practically had music infused in his DNA from the start. He started playing piano at the age of 5 and within two years had begun parallel arcs of formal training in both classical and jazz piano, starting with jazz pianist/arranger Allen Farnham and Juilliard classical alum Steve Masi. Caelan's consistent musical growth enabled him to secure mentorships with some of the most sought after luminaries in the jazz piano pantheon, most notably Fred Hersch, Frank Kimbrough and Dave Kikoski.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

John di Martino Duo

February 21 (Tuesday) 5:30 PM - Birdland Theater

John di Martino is a veteran pianist whose Grammy-nominated work with Freddy Cole, Bobby Sanabria, Issac Delgado, and Ray Baretto, as well as his work as a leader with star-studded groups, makes him a stunning pianist to witness. Described as a "shape-shifter" for his creativity across musical genres, di Martino recently gifted us with a new quartet release entitled Passion Flower. Featuring the music of the late, great American composer Billy Strayhorn, the deft pianist brings together some of our generation's most masterful musical minds. In February, join John for two Tuesdays as he performs in an intimate duo setting.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Jane Monheit

February 21-25 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (2/21-23); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (2/24-25) - Birdland Jazz Club

With a robust, sultry tone and an uplifting stage presence, Jane Monheit has become a household name among contemporary jazz fans over the last 15 years, who have come to identify her with the living tradition of swinging vocalists. Performing standards from the Great American Songbook in a way that is both all her own and yet deeply dedicated to the great achievements of the Master Singers, Monheit has been the vocalist of choice on recordings by the great Terence Blanchard (Let's Get Lost), Tom Harrell (Wise Children), Harold Mabern (Afro Blue), David Benoit (Two in Love and Believe) and others. As a leader, she has released 13 full-length albums; for her last engagement at Birdland Jazz Club, she celebrated the release of her latest album on Club44 records, Come What May (2021). As her first recording in five years, Come What May captures Monheit at her peak: sharpened by years on the road, and yet calm, since pandemic touring schedules have allowed her to stay more frequently inside, nourished by the closeness to her loved ones. Performing with her long-time group that features her husband, Rick Montalbano, on drums as well as Michael Kanan on piano and Miles Okazaki on guitar, Monheit will bring audiences into her world for this surely captivating week.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band

February 22 (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 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

Frank Vignola's Guitar Night with special guest Sheryl Bailey

February 22 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

It's the best jazz guitar lover's show in the world. 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 8:30pm 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 Trio, featuring bassist Gary Mazzaroppi and drummer Vince Cherico, will perform tunes from the standard repertoire, inviting up a rotation of special guest guitarists.
$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Lauren Henderson Quartet

February 23 (Thursday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

A jazz singer with a truly sultry sound, Lauren Henderson fulfills the mission of the jazz tradition with her love of traditional forms and her forward-thinking approach. Henderson's music runs the gamut-from the hip and highly swinging, to the funky 1970s, to contemporary pop soundscapes, and back again-within an album and sometimes within one song, and always retaining naturalness and ease. Praised by The New York Times and The Financial Times, and reaching the Top 5 of the Jazz Charts, the vocalist conjures late-night pictures with her stellar cast of jazz's young stars as she sings her way through the African Diaspora, diving into her Panamanian, Montserratian, and Caribbean roots and her North American upbringing in such selections as "Todo Tiene Su Final," "Alma Oscura," and her arrangement of Amy Winehouse's "Love Is a Losing Game."
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

The Birdland Big Band

February 24 (Friday) 5:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

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 why 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

February 24-26 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM - Birdland Theater
Dena DeRose Trio + Special Guests
An artist of the highest order, Dena DeRose has been called "the most creative and compelling singer-pianist since Shirley Horne." Performances at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Umbria Jazz Festival, Red Sea Jazz Festival, The North Sea and The Hague Jazz Festivals, The Jazz Cruise, and Jazz Baltica Festival-among many others-have brought DeRose worldwide fame. Her most recent recording, 2020's Ode to the Road (aptly titled for a tourless year of release), features her long-time compatriots, the rhythm team of bassist Martin Wind and drummer Matt Wilson, as well as collaborators trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and saxophone legend Houston Person. DeRose has long straddled the line between modernism and tradition, and with marvelous arrangements and technical grace, she hones a clear vision of contemporary music. With Special Guests: Steve Wilson (sax, 2/24), Scott Robinson (sax, 2/25), Ingrid Jensen (trumpet, 2/26).
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Earl McIntyre's Tribute!

February 26 (Sunday) 5:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Earl McIntyre is a brass artist who has performed with the world's greatest jazz brass masters: Howard Johnson's Gravity, Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy, and Slide Hampton's World of Trombones. His recording Brass Carnival & Tribute! is a celebration with two ensembles: Brass Carnival, which plays "the various kinds of carnival music, painted on a Jazz canvas"-whereas "Tribute! is a smaller group that pays tribute to my many influences." With McIntyre's hip compositional slant, this is sure to be a soulful, grooving evening.
$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

February 26 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Pianist, composer and educator Arturo O'Farrill-leader of the "first family of Afro-Cuban Jazz" (The New York Times)-leads the GRAMMY® award winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO), 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

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