Monty Alexander Trio, The Gary Smulyan Quintet and More Coming Up At Birdland, December 20- January 1

Get the full details on all jazz programming coming up at Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater running December 20 through January 1.

Performances appearing at Birdland Jazz Club include the Monty Alexander Trio, Birdland Big Band with special guest Nicole Zuraitis and Greg Ruvolo Big Band.

Downstairs at Birdland Theater, you'll find The Gary Smulyan Quintet and Champian Fulton.

Repeat engagements include David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks (Livestream on December 20), Frank Vignola's Guitar Night, Birdland Big Band, and Arturo O'Farrill & The Latin Jazz Orchestra.

December 20-24 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (12/20-22); 8:30 & 10:30 PM (12/23-24) - Birdland Jazz Club / December 24, 9:30 PM - Livestream Event

Monty Alexander Trio

A master pianist with 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 23-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 70 discs as a leader. He is sure to uplift his listeners this week at Birdland.
$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

December 20 (Tuesday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater / Livestream Event

Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks

Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks at their 7-week Tuesday night residency at the 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!
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

December 21 (Wednesday) 5:30 PM - Birdland Theater

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. 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

December 21 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Frank Vignola's Guitar Night with Pasquale Grasso and Rodney Jones

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 guests. This week it's Pasquale Grasso and Rodney Jones.
$30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

December 22-25 (Thursday-Sunday) 8:30 PM (12/22); 7:00 & 9:30 PM (12/23-25) - Birdland Theater

Christmas with Champian Fulton

This Christmas, celebrate with something special-and something special indeed is Champian Fulton, singer and pianist par excellence. Daughter of trumpeter Stephen Fulton, Champian grew up inside the world of jazz, and as she grew she developed a swinging sound on the piano and a voice beyond her years-a sound reminiscent of the old master vocalists. Named the Hot House Readers Poll 2019 Pianist and Vocalist of the Year, and with 14 albums to her name, she is understandably a Birdland fan favorite. Fulton returns to the jazz club for three nights culminating in a Christmas night celebration that will leave you grinning from ear to ear. Enjoy Champian's latest album, Live From Lockdown, with her father Stephen Fulton, for a taste of this great artist's style.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

December 25 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

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

December 26 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

The Gary Smulyan Quintet Presents 'Tadd Dameron: A Celebration of Songs'

Tadd's All, Folks! That's the name of the latest recording by a marvelous collective of musicians led by veteran bari saxophonist Gary Smulyan: Matt Wilson (drums), Ugonna Okegwo (bass), Pete Maliverni (piano), and featured guest Anais Reno (vocals). Honoring the colorful music of bebop genius Tadd Dameron, this group hits the Birdland Theater stage for one night to celebrate their new album which sets the music of Dameron to lyrics. Swinging is an understatement for these folks-and tadd's all she wrote!
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

December 27-31 (Tuesday-Saturday) 7:00 & 9:30 PM (12/27-29); 5:30 & 8:30 & 10:30 PM (12/30); 8:00 & 10:30 PM (12/31) -Birdland Jazz Club

Birdland Big Band with Special Guest Nicole Zuraitis

Few can lead you into the new year better than the Birdland Big Band. An exhilarating ensemble praised for its ability to switch between multiple musical universes at the drop of a hat, Birdland's very own comes out roaring to end this year with a bang. Comprised of New York's premier jazz talent, the band that Time Out New York called "a completely unique experience" seamlessly transitions between classic jazz, Brazilian, and funk styles, all with saxophonist and director David DeJesus-a New York jazz veteran and who also serves as the director of SUNY Purchase's Latin Jazz Orchestra-effortlessly leading the way. Audiences will delight as this stellar cast rings in the dawn of a great 2023.
12/27-30: $50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
12/31, 8:00 PM: $75 tables / $50 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
12/31, 10:30 PM: $150 tables / $50 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

December 27 (Tuesday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks

Catch Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks at their 7-week Tuesday night residency at the 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!
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

December 28 (Wednesday) 5:30 PM - Birdland Theater

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. 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

December 28 (Wednesday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Frank Vignola's Guitar Night with Karrin Allyson and Ken Peplowski

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 guests. This week it's Karrin Allyson and Ken Peplowski. $30 tables; $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

January 1 (Sunday) 5:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Greg Ruvolo Big Band

Trumpeter and arranger Greg Ruvolo has performed with Gil Evans, Airto Moreira, Louis Bellson, New York Voices, the WDR Big Band, and many others. As the leader of his big band, Ruvolo brings jazz veterans into the section with young stars, arranging both Songbook classics, jazz standards, and original work for the exciting ensemble. Its 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.

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

January 1 (Sunday) 8:30 & 10:30 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

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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