JIM CARUSO'S CAST PARTY and More Set for August Birdland Lineup

At Birdland Jazz Club, catch Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes, The Greg Ruvolo Big Band Collective, Luther Allison Quartet, John Pizzarelli Swing 7, Danny Tobias Quartet, The Uptown Jazz Tentet, David Marino Sings Michel Legrand, Monty Alexander, Eliane Amherd Band, Yardbird Big Band Directed by David DeJesus, Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra, Sam Chiba's Ouroboros feat. Joe Alterman, Makoto Ozone Trio “Remembering Kiyoshi Kitagawa” feat. Yasushi Nakamura & Clarence Penn, Glenn Crytzer Quartet: Vol. 5 of "The Songbook Sessions" Album Release, and Debbie Wileman – From London With Love – With Billy Stritch on Piano.

Birdland Theater will present Miki Yamanaka Trio, Hot Club of Cowtown, Bruce Forman Trio, Charles Mingus Orchestra, Jocelyn Gould Quartet, and David DeJesus and the Boptet – Celebrating Charlie Parker.

Repeat engagements 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 Quartet, and The Birdland Latin Jazz Orchestra.

Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes

July 28 - August 1 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (7/28-30); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (7/31-8/1); 5:30pm (8/1) – Birdland Jazz Club

In a rare two-piano performance, this is a husband-wife duet you simply will not want to miss! Both undeniable leaders in music for the past thirty years, Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes have collaborated for the last several decades with jazz's foremost artists. Charlap's working trio (with drum and bass stars Kenny Washington and Peter Washington) has earned him years of accolades; Rosnes's various groups (with 10 releases on Blue Note Records) have earned her the same. But they also shine as duet performers: Charlap in particular is known for duets with Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Ron Carter, and his mother, Sandy Stewart. He and Rosnes released Double Portrait (Blue Note) in 2010, 16 years ago, and they united on stage last summer for a week at Birdland to rave reception. Watch these two masterful musical minds join together again for a week of song and improvisation.

Miki Yamanaka Trio

July 31 - August 2 (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 a cast of other revered musicians. In possession of a powerful and elegant style, she maintains deep roots in the tradition of jazz piano while reaching far beyond mere cliche. 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. In 2023 she released Shades of Rainbow (Cellar Live) with Tyrone Allen and Jimmy Macbride, and Mark Turner, and continued with a trio release entitled Chance in 2024, also on the Cellar Live label; this summer, she will release Breathe with her trio and the addition of saxophonist Nicole Glover.

Greg Ruvolo Big Band Collective

August 2 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

The brilliant trumpeter and arranger Greg Ruvolo leads his sterling large ensemble to ring in the new year. Ruvolo's work with legendary acts such as Gil Evans, Airto Moreira, Louis Bellson, New York Voices, and the WDR Big Band inform both his writing, playing, and bandleading. In this warm-hearted ensemble, Ruvolo throws both jazz veterans and young stars into the mix, arranging Songbook classics, jazz standards, and original work for the exciting ensemble. The band's members have worked with Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, Ray Charles, Buddy Rich, Gerry Mulligan, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and Count Basie. They perform swinging, dramatic music with brilliant improvisational flourishes and hard-driving interaction.

Luther Allison Quartet

August 3 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Rising star Luther Allison is a pianist and percussionist hailing from North Carolina whose work fuses bebop, gospel, and blues languages in a contemporary landscape. Pianist of choice for many names in jazz—The Count Basie Orchestra, Jazzmeia Horn, Samara Joy, Ulysses Owens, Jr., Rodney Whitaker, Michael Dease, The Baylor Project, Ekep Nkwelle, and Joe Farnsworth among them—he has made a mark on the recent New York City scene as he simultaneously performed across North America, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, and Europe. The New York Times praised Allison for “reamplifying the tradition of jazz piano,” highlighting too his “intensity and charisma” and his recent recording, I Owe It All To You (Posi-Tone, 2024), which brings the funky, the contemporary, and the swinging together. The albm received 4.5 stars from Downbeat. Allison brings his quartet to the Birdland stage for this Monday early evening set—and as always, his a technical gifts, energies both interactive and supportive, and his swinging outlook. Allison serves as Director of Percussion and Adjunct Jazz Faculty at The Calhoun School, proudly plays YAMAHA pianos, has composed work for Wynton Marsalis's Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra by commission, and both acts and records for Maggie Gylenhaal's upcoming film The Bride. Catch this one-off set by a young artist with momentum and poise.

John Pizzarelli Swing 7

August 4-8 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (8/4-6); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (8/7-8) – Birdland Jazz Club

Internationally-acclaimed John Pizzarelli charms audiences with his warmth, sense of humor, and musical chops. Through his multifaceted career as a jazz guitarist, vocalist and bandleader, the son of the legendary New Jersey native guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli has become one of the most recognizable faces and voices in contemporary jazz for his interpretations of classic standards, romantic ballads and the cool jazz flavor he brings to his performances and recordings. The consummate guitarist has performed on the talk shows of Jimmy Fallon, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, David Letterman, and Regis Philbin, as well as at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In 2021, he served as co-producer on James Taylors American Standard, which won the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. And, while maintaining his active touring schedule, John founded the beloved “Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli,” a nationally syndicated radio program co-hosted with his wife, Broadway star Jessica Molaskey. This month, he continues his year-long celebration of Tony Bennett's centennial with the release of P.S. Mr. Bennett - a follow up to his full-length album Dear Mr. Bennett. You don't want to miss this!

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

Hot Club of Cowtown

August 7-8 (Friday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater

One of the most revered groups in Western Swing, the Hot Club of Cowtown is a virtuosic trio performing at the top of their game. Since forming in 1998, the group—an exuberant storm of vocals, fiddle, guitar, and bass—has won a wide range of awards, including both Western Swing Group of the Year and Western Swing Female of the Year (2015, Ameripolitan Music Awards); Best Music Group (2012, Village Voice Jazz and Pop Poll); and induction into the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame (2004). Over 25 years after vocalist and fiddler Elana James joined forces with guitarist and vocalist Whit Smith, the group—which has performed the Glastonbury Festival, the National Folk Festivals of the US and Australia, Midsummer Night's Swing at Lincoln Center, Japan's Fuji Rock Festival, the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, and tours with Bob Dylan, The Avett Brothers, and Willie Nelson—still leaves its audiences breathless.

Danny Tobias Quartet

August 8 (Saturday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Danny Tobias is a veteran trumpeter, long-established on the New York City jazz scene. Beloved for his collaborations with prolific swing artists such as Warren Vaché, Scott Robinson, Harry Allen, Rossano, Vince Giordano, David Ostwald, Gordon Webster, Terry Waldo, Dan Block, Jon-Erik Kellso, Kevin Dorn, the Midiri Brothers, Marty Grosz and Howard Alden, he is a top call on the horn—a frequent member of David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, and a regular performer at Birdland, Mezzrow, The Ear Inn, and Zinc Bar. Tobias has four high-swinging albums to his name—Silver Linings, No One Else But You, Complete Abandon!, and Cheerful Little Earful—where he delivers artful improvisations influenced by Louis Armstrong, Ruby Braff, Buck Clayton and Chet Baker. He brings his quartet to Birdland one Saturday in August for an early evening performance. Don't miss a chance to hear his pure tone.

The Uptown Jazz Tentet

August 9 (Sunday) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Founded in 2016 by the marvelous trombonist Willie Applewhite, the Uptown Jazz Tentet is a family—with friendships dating back to their Juilliard days, this fine ensemble swings crisp and meaningful arrangements with imagination and energy. The 10-person band features Aaron Kimmel on drums, Clovis Nicolas on bass, Adam Birnbaum on piano, Brandon Lee and Tatum Greenblatt on trumpets, Jon Irabagon, Carl Maraghi, and Andrew Gatauskas on saxophones and woodwinds, and James Burton III joining Applewhite on trombone. In the words of Brandon Lee, “We all have bonded playing in the bands of Christian McBride, Ron Carter, The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, etc... and we love our gigs! This is our opportunity to do our own thing.” The group released its debut recording There It Is in 2017 and followed it up with What's Next in 2020, both recordings showcasing a tight-knit family of swinging voices.

Bruce Forman Trio

August 9 (Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater

With his cowboy hat, prominent mustache, and rose red guitar, Bruce Forman looks like a character straight out of America's heartland. His brilliantly swinging melodic sense carries the simplicity and sincerity of a pastoral scene, and his tone carries both the great bebop guitarists and the soulful guitar legends of blues and country western worlds. Forman has served as a sideman for Bobby Hutcherson and Ray Brown, released 21 albums of his own, recorded trio with Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton, and performed on the soundtracks to three acclaimed Clint Eastwood movies. Forman brings his trio to the Theater for one Sunday evening performance. With Bruce Forman (guitar) Martin Wind (bass) Akira Tana (drums).

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.

Monty Alexander with Jason Brown and Lorin Cohen

August 11-15 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (8/11-13); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (8/14-15) – 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—he's sure to hit the target again this week. Don't miss a chance to see this genius! With Monty Alexander (piano) Jason Brown (drums) Lorin Cohen (bass).

$50 tables / $40 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, and it honored its namesake with a knockout performance. 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. With Jeremy Pelt (trumpet) Conrad Herwig (trombone) Brandon Wright (alto sax) Wayne Escoffery (tenor sax) Stefano Doglioni (bass clarinet) John Clark (french horn) Michael Rabinowitz (bassoon) Boris Kozlov (bass) David Gilmore (guitar) Donald Edwards (drums).

Eliane Amherd Band

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

Songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Elaine Amherd is a Swiss-born, New York-based triple threat who has wowed audiences the world over for the last two decades. Sultry, endlessly creative, and gifted in storytelling, 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 kind of world retro-pop aesthetic, where infectious beats may range from loose-limbed New Orleans street rhythms to hard hitting rock grooves to gritty bossa novas and samba funk to Afro-pop romps—all with her voice bobbing and weaving, alternatively gentle, joyous, indignant, dead serious, or playful. Collaborations with legends Randy Brecker, Bashiri Johnson, Marcus Strickland, Bill Ware, and other greats have lit up a career that already shined with originality and individual mastery. Eliane composed, arranged anind produced her records La Dégustation (2021), Skylines (2016), and Now and From Now On (2011). She sings in both English and French. Jazz Times has called this highly original artistic thinker an “exceptionally good singer” as well as “an accomplished songwriter and guitarist.”

Yardbird Big Band Directed by David DeJesus

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

Birdland celebrates Charlie “Yardbird” Parker's birthday! Born August 29th, 1920, the genius of music would be 106 at the end of this month. Birdland Jazz Club honors his life and legacy with a week of performances wholly dedicated to the Bird's trailblazing genius. Join the Yardbird Big Band, directed by David DeJesus, for its first time playing a full week at the jazz club, in a tribute to the great master Parker. This little big band—or maybe it's a large small band!—brings together 11 of the best musicians in New York City to play the great Bird's songs, and DeJesus—an expert on Bird's life—will guide audiences through this evening of iconic music. The songs may be classic, but the arrangements are fresh with this bebop big band!

$50 tables / $40 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, Joceylyn toured full time acros Europe, North America, and Asia, ultimately releasing her latest recording, a solo guitar album entitled, simply, Solo. In 2024, she completed a 10 week, 45 city tour produced by Jazz At Lincoln Center and IMG Artists as part of a show called “Sing and Swing,” where she performed as a leader at iconic venues Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, Birdland and London's Pizza Express; and in late 2023 she toured her release Sonic Bouquet (nominated for another JUNO award) across the US, Canada, and Europe. Gould endorses Benedetto Guitars, whose CEO Howard Paul has called Gould “a leader in the next generation of great mainstream jazz guitarists.” Her debut release as a leader, Elegant Traveler, won a 2021 JUNO for Jazz Album of the Year. She released her latest album, Portrait of Right Now, in October of 2024. Her next album, So Delighted, will come out in October of this year. Enjoy her quartet, where she delivers feel-good music with a fresh, bluesy sensibility.

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: Ron Carter, Pete LaRoca, John Fedchock, Clark Terry, and many others. Professor Emeritus at the City College of New York, he also taught at the Juilliard School, Indiana University, and at other colleges. Reeves's large ensemble, the Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra, is a vehicle for his modern swinging writing. The band has featured excellent peers Todd Coolman, Tim Armacost, Steve Wilson, Andy Watson, and Carylon Leonhart, and its two recordings—the heartracing Without a Trace and the beautiful Portraits and Places, both on Origin records—bring to life Reeves's moving original music. They play one cool Sunday evening in August, this time their 6th engagement at Birdland, performing arrangements of music by Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Reeves himself. The group will debut a scoring of Wayne Shorter's classic album The All-Seeing Eye.

Sam Chiba's Ouroboros feat. Joe Alterman

August 24 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Sam Chiba is a New York City -based vocalist who fluidly moves between multiple languages, delivering love songs across English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. His new project, Ouroboros, will feature Songbook classics and international gems that will pull you out of your seat. Chiba has been featured with the Birdland Big Band, so he is no stranger to the club; and his talents extend beyond jazz back into the world of opera, which he performed devotedly for a good part of his career. Ouroboros also features Chiba's friend, the Birdland favorite, Joe Alterman, in this one-night-only performance. Alterman has headlined at Birdland featuring jazz master Houston Person, released live recordings from the Birdland stage (The Upside of Down) and honors the tradition of his mentors, the legendary Ramsey Lewis and Les McCann, every time he sits at the piano. Don't miss this one!

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

Makoto Ozone Trio “Remembering Kiyoshi Kitagawa” feat. Yasushi Nakamura & Clarence Penn

August 25-29 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (8/25-27); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (8/28-29) – Birdland Jazz Club

Master pianist Makoto Ozone pays tribute to a dear friend, the brilliant bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa, who passed suddenly last this past April. Kitagawa performed with a host of jazz's most formidable bandleaders. Renowned for his swinging, generous mindset and his superb technical advancement, the bassist provided the backbone for bands led by such luminaries as Kenny Barron, Elvin Jones, Elvin Jones, Brian Blade, Makoto Ozone, Kenny Garrett, Terrell Stafford, and Winard and Philip Harper. Ozone will be accompanied by the beloved Yasushi Nakamura on bass and the great Clarence Penn on drums. Ozone has lived a shining life in music, earning a Grammy nomination for his work with Gary Burton, collaborating with legends such as Chick Corea, Branford Marsalis, and Michael Brecker, and performing with the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, and earning the prestigious “Chopin Passport.” This is sure to be a week of reverence, dignity, celebration, and family.

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

David DeJesus and the Boptet – Celebrating Charlie Parker

August 28-30 (Friday-Sunday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM – Birdland Theater

Celebrate Charlie “Yardbird” Parker, the giant of American music and namesake of Birdland Jazz Club, on his birthday weekend! To honor this legend, born August 29th, 1920, Birdland Theater presents David DeJesus and his ensemble, the Boptet. Alto saxophonist DeJesus is a master musician fluent across Latin, jazz and dozens of other styles, and he is an expert on the life of Charlie Parker. He serves, too, as the director of both the Birdland Big Band and Birdland Latin Jazz Orchestra, and has been a fixture on the New York City music scene for three decades, performing with the best of the best: the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band, the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars, Ron Carter's Great Big Band, and Jimmy Heath's Big Band; the Grammy-nominated Arturo O'Farrill Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Bobby Sanabria Big Band, Ruben Blades, Larry Harlow, and Gilberto Santa Rosa. DeJesus is also a passionate educator, serving as Professor of Jazz Studies at SUNY Purchase and directing the conservatory's Latin Jazz Orchestra. Gather to celebrate with David this weekend, since—after all this time—Bird lives!

Glenn Crytzer Quartet: Vol. 5 of "The Songbook Sessions" Album Release

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

It's a common story with a really unique twist. The pandemic hits: musicians are forced to rethink their methods of performance. Enter Glenn Crytzer: guitarist extraordinaire, trad-jazz expert. Forming a “pod” with fellow musicians Ricky Alexander (reeds), Mike Davis (trumpet), and Andrew Hall (bass), he begins livestreaming from their apartment, but with a mission—each week, the group will learn and present 10 songs from a specific year. Starting with 1920 and, 25 weeks later, ending in 1944, they covered pre-bebop jazz with historical precision, joyful camaraderie, and virtuosic passion. Years later, the group is releasing these recordings, entitled The Songbook Sessions. Split across several volumes, the recordings showcase “an ardent keeper of the flame,” says Grammy-winning pianist Loren Schoenberg, and “living, breathing, swinging music that folks will still be enjoying a hundred years from today,” says Ricky Riccardi, the GRAMMY-winning director of the Louis Armstrong House. Don't miss this special one-night-only release of Volume 5 of The Songbook Sessions, which Maggie Condon — daughter of guitar legend Eddie Condon — has deemed “timeless.”

Debbie Wileman – From London With Love – With Billy Stritch on Piano

August 31 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Birdland is pleased to welcome acclaimed vocalist Debbie Wileman back to its iconic stage for “From London With Love,” a special one-night-only engagement featuring acclaimed pianist and musical director Billy Stritch on Monday, August 31 at 7pm. Following a celebrated multi-city United States tour honoring Judy Garland during the holiday season, Wileman returns to New York after receiving rave reviews and standing ovations from sold-out audiences at venues including Carnegie Hall, the London Palladium, and the West End's Ambassadors Theatre, as well as performances in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Provincetown, and Los Angeles. Wileman recently released her acclaimed album Judy Garland—We Need A Little Christmas, conducted and produced by Grammy Award-winning arranger and producer Steve Orich. The recording celebrates Garland's legendary holiday repertoire and further established Wileman as one of today's most compelling interpreters of the classic American songbook. Now returning to Birdland, Wileman joins forces with Stritch for an evening of music celebrating Hollywood's golden age, favorites from the swinging '60s, and contemporary classics, all delivered with warmth, elegance, and unmistakable style.

Monthly Engagements:

Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks

August 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 31 (Mondays and Tuesdays) 5:30 & 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater

Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks every Monday and Tuesday evening 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

Jim Caruso's Cast Party

August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (Mondays) 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! Join the party every Monday night at Birdland and witness why Jim Caruso's Cast Party remains a can't-miss New York City tradition.

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

David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band

August 5, 12, 19, 26 (Wednesdays) 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 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!

Frank Vignola's Guitar Night

August 5, 12, 19, 26 (Wednesdays) 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 Quartet, featuring guitarist Pasquale Grasso, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Alex Raderman, perform tunes from the standard repertoire, bringing in an assortment of special guests. This month, catch talented friends Eleonora Strino, Bruce Forman, Jimmy Bruno and Ed Cherry (guitars, 8/5), Ponpon Chen and James Chirillo (guitars/vocals 8/12), and Jan Knutson (guitar, 8/26). **Guitar night streams live every week at: YouTube.com/RadioFreeBirdland

The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band

August 6, 13, 20, 27 (Thursdays) 5:30 PM & 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, on the silver screen, the celebrated Wild Man Blues, Sweet and Lowdown, Midnight in Paris, Blue Jasmine, Cafe Society, Magic In The Moonlight, and A Rainy Day In New York. Appearing on all the premiere concert stages of Europe and the United States, the group features Conal Fowkes (piano/vocals co-leader), Simon Wettenhall (trumpet/vocals co-leader), Tom Abbott (clarinet), Harvey Tibbs (trombone), Josh Dunn (banjo/guitar), Brian Nalepka (bass/vocals), and Kevin Dorn (drums). Catch them each Thursday at Birdland Theater.

The Birdland Big Band

August 7, 14, 21, 28 (Fridays) 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!”

Jon-Erik Kellso

August 15, 22, 29 (Saturdays except 8/1 & 8/8) 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

A Birdland favorite for his weekly work with Vince Giordano's Nighthawks, the 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 the legendary Milt Hinton, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Dick Hyman, Bob Haggart, Catherine Russell, and Wycliffe Gordon, as well as pop royalty 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 The EarRegulars to the Detroit Jazz Fest, Moab Music Fest, and the Bohém Ragtime and Jazz Fest in Hungary, among others. Kellso can be heard on over 100 recordings, as well as live every Monday and Tuesday with Vince Giordano's Nighthawks. This rare series of appearances as a leader at the Jazz Club will be exciting to anyone tuned into New York's thriving early jazz scene; Kellso's daring tone is full of grit, soul, and the shout of the blues.

The Birdland Latin Jazz Orchestra

August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (Sundays) 8:30 & 10:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Birdland presents the debut of 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 deep expertise in both jazz and Latin music to this exciting new ensemble. Composed of a rotating cast of New York's top talent, the orchestra will perform classics of the Latin jazz big band repertoire, showcasing the vibrant rhythms and sophisticated arrangements that define this legendary style—lifting spirits with their dancing beats, their buoyant harmonies, and the deep traditions they represent.

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