Django Reinhardt Festival, Cyrille Aimee, Barbara Carroll and More Set for Birdland, 11/4-10

By: Oct. 25, 2013
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Birdland Jazz Club has announced its eclectic line-up of vivacious talent for November 4-10, including the Django Reinhardt NY Festival, Frank Wildhorn and Friends, Birdland Jazz Party with Cyrille Aimee, Barbara Carroll, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more.

Birdland will kick-off their exuberant week of programming with the following acts:

November 4 (Monday) at 7PM

Broadway at Birdland Presents

Multi-Grammy and Tony Nominated Composer

Frank Wildhorn

Returns to Birdland

"FRANK & FRIENDS", Benefitting The Actors Fund

Featuring Bob Cuccioli, Kate Shindle, Teal Wicks, Luba Mason, Anastasia Barzee and more!

The Broadway at Birdland partnership with multi-Grammy and Tony nominated composer Frank Wildhorn continues with another "Frank & Friends" concert on Monday, November 4 at 7pm. The series of very special one-night-only concerts celebrates the songs and favorite performers from the composer's wide range of work in popular, theatrical and classical music. All profits will go to The Actors Fund, a nationwide human services organization that helps all professionals in the performing arts and entertainment. Multi-Grammy and Tony Award nominated composer/producer Frank Wildhorn's works span the worlds of popular, theatrical, and classical music. In 1999, Frank became the first American composer in 22 years to have three shows running simultaneously on Broadway: Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War. Also for Broadway: Dracula, Victor/Victoria, Wonderland, and Bonnie & Clyde (Tony Award nominated for Best Score). Frank produced Harlem Song at the famed Apollo Theatre. International: Cyrano, The Count of Monte Cristo, Carmen, Rudolf, Mitsuko, Never Say Goodbye, Camille Claudel, and Tears of Heaven. Frank served as music director for the Goodwill Games in New York City (1998). He wrote the song "Gold", the opening number for the 2002 Winter Olympics. He received the prestigious Charles Dickens Award from USC, where there is a scholarship under his name. Among the artists who have recorded and performed Frank's works: Whitney Houston (#1 international hit "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?"), Natalie Cole, Kenny Rogers, Sammy Davis, Jr., Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews, Hootie & the Blowfish, The Moody Blues, Johnny Mathis, Linda Eder, FrEddie Jackson, Trisha Yearwood, Stacy Lattisaw, Molly Hatchet, Blues Traveler, Trace Adkins, Patti LaBelle, Jeffrey Osborne, BeBe Winans, Amy Grant, Anthony Warlow, to name a few.

$35 all seats, $10 minimum

November 4 (Monday) at 9:30PM

Jim Caruso's Cast Party

Jim Caruso's Cast Party is a wildly popular weekly soiree that brings a sprinkling of Broadway glitz and urbane wit to the legendary Birdland in New York City every Monday night. It's a cool cabaret night-out enlivened by a hilariously impromptu variety show. Showbiz superstars, backed by Steve Doyle on bass, Tedd Firth on piano and Daniel Glass on drums, hit the stage alongside up-and-comers, serving up jaw-dropping music and general razzle-dazzle.

$20 all seats, $10 minimum

November 5-10 (Tuesday-Sunday) at 8:30PM and 11PM

Air France Presents Django Reinhardt New York Festival

Featuring Dorado Schmitt, Amati Schmitt, Bronson Schmitt, Frank Mehrstein (guitars), Ludovic Beier (accordion), Pierre Blanchard (violin), Brian Torff (bass) plus special guests

The Django Reinhardt Festival carries on the legacy of legendary gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, but with some new songs and interpretations keeping it fresh, exciting and cutting-edge, true to the Hot Jazz Romantic-style which has exploded across the US. It all started at Birdland in 2000 with the launching of the Festival and tours at prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center, Disney Hall in LA and the San Francisco festival. Legendary Manouche gypsy guitarist Dorado Schmitt will be joined by virtuosos Ludovic Beier on accordion & accordina, Pierre Blanchard on violin with Francko Mehrstein on rhythm guitar from France and Brian Torff on bass, plus Dorado Schmitt's young sons Amati and Bronson Schmitt. Joining them will be special guests: French jazz vocalist Cyrille Aimee (Nov. 5-6), vocalist Freddie Cole (Nov. 7), Colombian jazz harpist Edmar Castaneda (Nov. 8-9) and saxophone player James Carter (Nov. 10).

$40 all seats, $10 minimum

November 6 (Wednesday) at 5:30PM

David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band

"Tubaist David Ostwald's fabulous early-swing band is about as good as it gets. Known for their energetic treatment of Louis Armstrong's repertoire, these cats like to entertain as much as they like to swing." (Time Out NY)

$25 all seats, $10 minimum

November 8 (Friday) at 5PM

The Birdland Big Band

Every Friday 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 all seats, $10 minimum

November 9 (Saturday) at 6PM

Barbara Carroll Duo with Jay Leonhart

Her "jazz pianism is the subtlest and most intricate New York has to offer." (New Yorker) Barbara Carroll's inventive piano playing and unique vocal sound transforms any composition into something hip and urbane. In a sixty-year career she has gone from being dubbed "the first girl ever to play bebop piano" by Leonard Feather in 1947, to today being dubbed a "singer who turns song lyrics into personal dramatic monologues." (Stephen Holden, New York Times)

$35 all seats, $10 minimum

November 10 (Sunday) at 6PM

The Birdland Jazz Party

Featuring Cyrille Aimee

With the Birdland Quartet

Birdland's very own jazz quartet hits the stage every Sunday to wrap up the weekend with jazz classics! This quartet features John Hart (Guitar), Paul Gil (bass), Carmen Intorre (Drums) & Jon Davis (Piano) with special guest, Cyrille Aimee! Jazz vocalist Cyrille Aimée has a culturally rich background - Dominican and French Gypsy -- and conservatory training (SUNY Purchase) that help to form the rhythmic and expressive foundation by which a jury of legendary vocalists including Al Jarreau, Kurt Elling, Dianne Reeves and Dee Dee Bridgewater judged her to be a finalist in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition in 2010. At the young age of twenty-six, Cyrille has since become one of the hottest young artists on the New York scene.

$25 all seats, $10 minimum

Purchase tickets at: www.BirdlandJazz.com. For more information and reservations call 212-581-3080. Ticket prices will vary by performer. At the tables, there is a $10 food/drink minimum per person in addition to the music charge. At the bar, the music charge will include one complimentary drink with no additional minimum.

Named for alto saxophonist and jazz pioneer Charlie "Bird" Parker who dubbed it "The Jazz Corner of the World," Birdland opened on December 15th 1949. For 60 years it has been home to jazz legends, from Parker, John Coltrane Duke Ellington and Count Basie to Oscar Peterson, Hank Jones, Diana Krall and everyone in between. The original 52nd street location was a cultural barometer and meeting place, inspiring the songs "Birdland" and "Lullabye of Birdland," and serving as a regular haunt for celebrities and cultural figures. The modern incarnation is a state of the art nightclub featuring award winning Southern and Cajun cuisine, first rate sound and lighting and a who's who of contemporary musical artists, 7 nights a week.

The club is located at 315 West 44th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues), New York, NY 10036. Students (with current ID) & Broadway Theatre-Goers (with Broadway ticket stub from same day of performance): 50% off music charge at 11PM shows only.

Birdland serves American Fare with a Cajun Flair nightly from 5PM until Midnight and until 1AM on Friday and Saturdays. Parking is available across the street at 332 West 44th Street. Concert Grand Piano By: Yamaha. For more information, visit www.BirdlandJazz.com. Follow BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB on Twitter: @birdlandjazz, Facebook, Instagram, and on Pinterest.



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