Loston Harris Quartet, Jane Monheit and More Come to Birdland, 7/7-13

By: Jun. 27, 2014
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Birdland Jazz Club has announced their amazing line-up of talent for July 7 - July 13, including the Loston Harris Quartet with Special Guest Monica Behan, Jane Monheit, Arturo O'Farrill, David DeJesus, and more!

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

July 7 (Monday) at 7:00PM

A Sophisticated Reunion:

Terri Klausner, Valarie Pettiford & Ty Stephens

The Broadway at Birdland concert series is excited to announce that there will be A Sophisticated Reunion on Monday, July 7 at 7pm. Broadway's 1981 Sophisticated Ladies co-stars Valarie Pettiford, Terri Klausner, and Ty Stephens will bring swinging tunes, unmatched style and elements of their individual acts to the evening of music celebrating Duke Ellington. Songs like "Take The A Train," "Hit Me With A Hot Note," and "I Love You Madly" will be included in the concert, which will be under the musical direction of Ron Abel.
All seats $40, $10 food/drink minimum

July 7 (Monday) at 9:30PM

Jim Caruso's Cast Party

"No one can call themselves a true New Yorker until they've been to the 'Cast Party,' which is to Broadway what the Conde Nast cafeteria is to publishing. Divas and dapper-dans insouciantly sip cocktails while watching each other sing and perform at the open-mic event during Broadway's dark night." (Next Magazine) Broadway impresario Jim Caruso hosts a combination open-mic, networking event and party in which the biggest stars on Broadway relax on their night off by performing their favorite songs in an informal setting.

All tickets $25, $10 food/drink minimum

July 8-12 (Tuesday-Saturday) at 8:30PM & 11PM

Loston Harris Quartet

With Special Guest Monica Behan

Loston Harris' piano playing has been described as percussive but incredibly fluid, his vocals, suave and contemporary. For more than a decade Loston has headlined the legendary Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle Hotel, a spot previously held by Bobby Short, Eartha Kitt, Elaine Stritch, John Pizzarelli and the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ). One of Loston's mentors, Michael Feinstein, calls him an "innate and dazzling talent... a beacon of quality," while John Pizzarelli calls Loston "a singular sensation of what music is in NY." Loston and his quartet, along with very special guest vocalist Monica Behan, perform swinging arrangements of timeless standards from the Great American Songbook, selections from his recent CD "Swingfully Yours" (Magenta Label Group).

$40 cover, $10 food/drink minimum

July 9 (Wednesday) at 5:30PM

David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band

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. Legendary record producer George Avakian describes the band in this way:

"There has never been a band quite like this one. Most groups, past and present, stick to one style. Some current groups attempt to recreate early recordings in their entirety. These guys do neither. Inspired by divergent bands of the 1920s and 30s, you'll hear them swing a variety of styles in music by a wide range of composers, always true to the joy and heart of the music."

All seats $25, $10 food/drink minimum

July 10 (Thursday) at 6:00PM

David DeJesus

Saxophonist David DeJesus is a versatile player who is very actively involved in the New York City Jazz scene. He is a regular member of the GRAMMY Award winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, directed by Arturo O'Farrill, and the GRAMMY nominated Bobby Sanabria Big Band and has performed with such legends as Jimmy Heath, Ray Barretto, Dave Valentin, Candido, Paquito D'Rivera, Larry Harlow, the Chico O'Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra, the Fort Apache Band, the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and the Mingus Big Band. In 2008 David was honored in being selected as a Semi-Finalist in the 2008 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in Los Angeles, CA and in 2009 was selected to participate in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program in Washington, D.C. David is currently on faculty at Purchase College as the Director of the Purchase Latin Jazz Orchestra.

All seats $25, $10 food/drink minimum

July 11 (Friday) at 5:00PM

The Birdland Big Band

Founded by drummer and musical director Tommy Igoe, the Birdland Big Band features the finest musicians in New York! The BBB roars into action every Friday, playing the finest Jazz, Latin and Brazilian music from the world's best arrangers. After work or before a show, drinks or a great dinner, come hear one of the world's best drummers driving the hardest swinging band in New York. Experience why the BBB is fast becoming the must-see weekly jazz event in New York and kick off your weekend with what critics are calling "the best live music bargain in all of NYC!"

All seats $30, $10 food/drink minimum

July 12 (Saturday) at 6:00PM

Barbara Carroll

Barbara is an elegant jazz pianist, composer and vocalist, long recognized as one of the premier players of swinging jazz piano and expressive vocals.

All seats $30, $10 food/drink minimum

July 13 (Sunday) at 6:00PM

Jane Monheit's Jazz Party

With Michael Kanan, Neal Miner, Rick Montalbano

Birdland Jazz Club is proud to announce the launch of a new summer series, Jane Monheit's Jazz Party, on Sundays at 6pm, beginning July 6. The series will provide Jane the opportunity to develop new material at Birdland and collaborate with invited musical guests, in a relaxed environment that is part concert, part jam session, part workshop and all fun. In just over fifteen years, critically acclaimed jazz vocalist Jane Monheit's honey-smooth vocals, silky phrasing and natural knack for storytelling have earned her two Grammy nominations and established her as one of her generation's most beloved and accomplished vocalists. Jane's sincere and romantic interpretations of exceptional songs has made her a favorite in both the jazz and cabaret worlds.

All seats $30, $10 food/drink minimum

July 13 (Sunday) at 9:00PM & 11:00PM

Arturo O'Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Grammy Award winning pianist, composer and educator Arturo O'Farrill -- leader of the "first family of Afro-Cuban Jazz" (NY Times) -- was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. Son of the late, great composer Chico O'Farrill, Arturo was Educated at Manhattan School of Music, Brooklyn College Conservatory and the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. He played piano in Carla Bley's Big Band from 1979 through 1983 and earned a reputation as a soloist in groups led by Dizzy Gillespie, Steve Turre, Freddy Cole, Lester Bowie, Wynton Marsalis and Harry Belafonte.

All seats $30, $10 food/drink 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 "Lullaby 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.

Birdland 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, or follow BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB on Twitter: @birdlandjazz, Facebook, Instagram, and on Pinterest.



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