Big Bands and Cabaret at Birdland

Birdland first opened in 1949 on Broadway near 52nd Street and was named for Charlie Parker; the original closed in 1965, and the current club on West 44th Street has carried the name since the revival began in 1986. It is a proper supper club, with a long room of tables facing the bandstand, and downstairs is the smaller Birdland Theater, where cabaret singers and Broadway performers do intimate shows. Between the two rooms there is music most nights from early evening onward.

The weekly residencies are the reason to come back: big bands and long-running groups that have played the same night for years. Book on the club's own site, which says it is the only authorized seller, and expect a food and drink minimum on top of the cover. The early show suits a pre-theater night since you are already in the Theater District; the later show is looser. Ask for a table rather than the bar if you want to see the band.