Vanessa Racci – Comfort & Joy Album Release
Birdland315 West 44th Street, New York 10036
Vanessa Racci brings her Comfort & Joy album release to Birdland for a holiday-focused set. A touring and recording jazz vocalist, Racci reworks holiday classics in soulful jazz arrangements for this release. The billed event names Racci alone, with no accompanying lineup or formation specified.
Racci grew up in New York in an Italian-American family and lived with her Barese grandfather, whose jazz and Italian record collection helped shape her musical path. She is equally at home in straight-ahead jazz and music reflecting her Italian heritage. Her 2022 album Jazzy Italian celebrated Italian Americans who shaped jazz, reached the top 10 of the RMR traditional-jazz chart, and received programming on SiriusXM Sinatra and NPR. Her debut, Italiana Fresca, was produced by David Finck and arranged by Yaron Gershovsky of the Manhattan Transfer; Jazzy Italian was produced and arranged by Grammy winner Steven Feifke.
Birdland offers a refined jazz experience in a room where the audience sits at tables close to the stage, allowing every note to reach you clearly. The venue features a full menu with dishes like New Orleans-style gumbo alongside a well-stocked bar, making it easy to enjoy a meal or drinks while listening. Each show is ticketed per set, encouraging focused listening as the music unfolds in roughly 45-minute segments. The club’s walls echo decades of jazz history, having hosted legends and continuing to attract top contemporary artists. Located in Manhattan’s Theater District, the space balances a serious music environment with the energy of a night out, where attentive audiences savor the performances without distraction. Booking ahead is essential, as the club fills quickly for its celebrated lineup.