William Blake & More Set for Birdland Jazz Club, 7/22-28

Birdland Jazz Club has announced their exciting line-up of unmatched talent for July 22 - July 28, 2013.

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

July 22 (Monday) at 7PM
William Blake Returns to Birdland
In William's Birthday Bash
The Broadway at Birdland concert series is pleased to announce that 2012 Broadway World Best Male Vocalist winner William Blake will be performing on the historic stage on Monday, July 22nd at 7pm. Direct from a sold-out engagement at Joe's Pub with Echoes of Etta: A Tribute to Etta James, William returns to the Birdland stage for the sixth time. This special July evening, in celebration of Blake's birthday, will include songs by some of Blake's favorite musical artists, including Damien Rice, Dori Caymmi, Prince, Michael Jackson, Nikka Costa and more. Joining him on stage for the festivities will be musical director/arranger Michael Thomas Murray (Forever Dusty) on keys, Danny Young (American Idiot national tour, TV's "Smash") on percussion, Randy Napoleon (Michael Bublé, Freddy Cole) on guitar, Mike Preen (touring with Flashdance the Musical) on bass, and a surprise guest vocalist.
$30 All Seats, $10 minimum

July 22 (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 hit the stage alongside up-and-comers, serving up jaw-dropping music and general razzle-dazzle.
$20 all seats, $10 minimum

July 23 - 25 (Tuesday-Thursday) at 5:30PM
Hysterical YouTube Sensation Miranda Sings
Returns to Birdland with Miranda Selebrates Summer
YouTube sensation, chanteuse and high-end vocal coach Miranda Sings is returning to Birdland for three nights with her extravaganza, Miranda Selebrates Summer on July 23, 24 and 25 at 5:30pm. These events are part of the Broadway at Birdland concert series, which showcases performers and composers from the Great White Way and environs. Miranda's special guests have yet to be announced, but suffice to say they will be performers from the Broadway community thick-skinned enough to withstand her vigorous critiques and questionable pitch. International YouTube sensation Miranda Sings will perform a show filled with improvisation, hit songs, onstage voice lessons, magic tricks, and dramatic readings of her own hate mail. The quirky superstar (in reality, California native Colleen Ballinger) has performed her one-woman cabaret show to sold-out nightclubs and theaters in New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Provincetown, Salt Lake City, Dublin, and Sydney. Her music videos have amassed an astonishing 45 million hits! You will not want to miss seeing and hearing this lipstick-smeared, snow-globe-eyed, crooked-smiling beauty live and in person!
$25 All Seats, $10 minimum

July 23 - 27 (Tuesday-Saturday) at 8:30 & 11PM
"The Masters Quartet"
Steve Kuhn (piano) Dave Liebman (sax) Buster Williams (bass) Billy Hart (drums)
Featuring Samson Schmitt (guitar)
Four of the leading instrumentalists in jazz come together as "The Masters Quartet." Pianist Steve Kuhn first made his mark as a sideman with John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Chet Baker and Art Farmer. He grew beyond the powerful early influence of Bill Evans to become a unique stylist with an incredible technique and sense of dynamics and lyricism. Saxophonist Dave Liebman, a 2010 "NEA Jazz Master," learned directly from jazz icons, spending extensive periods as a member of groups led by MiLes Davis and Elvin Jones. As a leader, Liebman has been associated since 1970 with a succession of extraordinary groups from Open Sky Trio to Lookout Farm to Quest, each of which has framed a distinct phase of his musical evolution. Master bassist Buster Williams in an empathetic sideman known for his subtle sense of swing. He began his professional career in 1960 with saxophonist Jimmy Heath going on to play with jazz legends MiLes Davis, Sarah Vaughan, Herbie Hancock, Mary Lou Williams, Chet Baker, Dexter Gordon and many others. Legendary drummer Billy Hart has been a fixture on the jazz scene for over fifty years, performing and recording along the way with jazz legends Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz and MiLes Davis.
$30 Side Seating, $40 Center Seating, $10 minimum

July 26 (Friday) at 5:15-7PM
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!"
$25 all seats, $10 minimum

July 28 (Sunday) at 6PM
The Birdland Jazz Party
Featuring the Birdland Quartet
Plus Carrie Jackson
The Birdland Jazz Party is proud to feature Ms. Carrie Jackson, who is a New York/New Jersey based jazz vocal stylist. She combines jazz originals, standards, pop/blues tunes, and open improvisation in an adventurous, genre-bending style that's inspirational and original; a singer with a Sound!
$25 all seats, $10 minimum

July 28 (Sunday) at 9PM & 11PM
Bill O'Connell and the Latin Jazz All-Stars
Steve Slagle (sax), Conrad Herwig (trombone), Ruben Rodriguez (bass), Adam Cruz (drums),Richie Flores (congas/percussion)
Bill O'Connell is a native New Yorker who has played with many of the greats in the worlds of jazz and latin-jazz . In 1977, he joined the legendary congero, Mongo SantaMaria, writing and performing with him for over 2 years. Following that he worked with Chet Baker and jazz legend Sonny Rollins. In 1982, he joined Latin jazz flutist Dave Valentin, and they have been touring the world together ever since. Bill, an internationally recognized composer, has had his original compositions on CD's by Mongo SantaMaria, Emily Remler, Charles Fambrough, and on virtually every recording made by flutist Dave Valentin. He has also performed with Astrud Gilberto, Jon Lucien, Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band, Conrad Herwig and The Latin Side and many others.
$30 all seats, $10 minimum

Purchase tickets at www.BirdlandJazz.com. For more information and reservations call 212-581-3080.

Photo by: Seth Walters