Frank Vignola's Guitar Night with Pasquale Grasso
Birdland315 West 44th Street, New York 10036
Frank Vignola’s weekly Guitar Night arrives at Birdland with Pasquale Grasso, putting a four-piece guitar-led group on the bandstand: Vignola and Grasso on guitar, Gary Mazzaroppi on bass, and Alex Raderman on drums. The program draws on the standard repertoire and is part of Vignola’s Wednesday series, which celebrates the guitar’s many roles in jazz. Guitar Night takes its inspiration from guitarist John Pisano’s Los Angeles Guitar Night, and the series regularly welcomes guest artists.
Vignola is a virtuoso guitarist whose work has made him, in the listing’s words, “the guitarist of choice” for leading musicians. His collaborators include Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Tommy Emmanuel, and the Boston and New York Pops. That range frames Guitar Night as a working musician’s forum rather than a fixed recital: the focus is on jazz guitar, standard tunes, and the interaction between two featured guitarists with bass and drums underpinning the set. Grasso joins Vignola as the evening’s co-featured guitarist.
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.