Christmas with Champian Fulton
Birdland315 West 44th Street, New York 10036
Christmas night at Birdland brings Champian Fulton’s quartet for a holiday set led by Fulton on piano and voice. She is joined by Klas Lindquist on alto saxophone and clarinet, Nathan Francis on bass, and Fukushi Tainaka on drums. An earlier Christmas with Champian program included holiday songs alongside jazz standards, and this billed edition continues the seasonal focus in Birdland’s late set.
Born in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1985, Fulton is a jazz pianist and vocalist who has led 18 albums and performed in more than 25 countries. Her work draws on the Great American Songbook and mainstream jazz tradition, and she has performed with Clark Terry, Lou Donaldson, Frank Wess, Eric Alexander, Buster Williams, and Louis Hayes. Mark Stryker of the Detroit Free Press called her the “most gifted pure Jazz singer of her generation”; The New Yorker noted her “galvanizing presence.” JazzWax writes, “No matter what song she takes on, Champian has fun, and her joy is infectious,” while New York Music Daily calls her “a rare force on both the keys and the mic.”
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.