The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band

The High Society New Orleans Jazz Band comes to Birdland under the joint leadership of trumpeter and vocalist Simon Wettenhall and pianist and vocalist Conal Fowkes. Their New Orleans-style jazz set brings together Wettenhall and Fowkes with Tom Abbott on clarinet, Harvey Tibbs on trombone, Josh Dunn on banjo, Brian Nalepka on bass and vocals, and Kevin Dorn on drums. It is a full-band evening built around the group’s driving sound and long-running command of the New Orleans tradition.

For decades, this has been Woody Allen’s band of choice for films, concert tours and weekly performances. Its members have appeared in and supplied music for films including Wild Man Blues, Sweet and Lowdown, Midnight in Paris, Blue Jasmine, Café Society, Magic in the Moonlight and A Rainy Day in New York. The group has also played major concert stages in Europe and the United States. During a 20-year residency at the Café Carlyle, musicians including Chick Corea, Marian McPartland and Diana Krall sat in with the band. That history gives this Birdland date the perspective of a working ensemble whose repertoire and approach have been tested over years of regular performance.