Frank Vignola's Guitar Night
Birdland315 West 44th Street, New York 10036
Frank Vignola’s Guitar Night brings its weekly Birdland Theater series to Manhattan with Vignola leading a quartet featuring guitarist Pasquale Grasso, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Alex Raderman. The program celebrates the guitar’s place in jazz through tunes from the standard repertoire, following the model of guitarist John Pisano’s Los Angeles Guitar Night. It is a recurring Wednesday gathering designed around Vignola and his guests, with the focus on the interplay of two guitars supported by bass and drums.
Vignola is a virtuoso jazz guitarist whose work has made him a first call for musicians across pop, rock, and orchestral settings. His collaborators have included Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, Tommy Emmanuel, and the Boston and New York Pops. That range gives Guitar Night a broad frame, but the series returns to jazz standards and the many approaches the instrument can bring to them. Birdland presents the evening as a chance to hear Vignola’s command of the style alongside fellow guitarists in a continuing club tradition.
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.