Dave Pietro Quintet
Birdland315 West 44th Street, New York 10036
Dave Pietro brings his quintet to Birdland for a set celebrating the release of Satori, his most recent album. Pietro plays alto saxophone with Mike Rodriguez on trumpet, Gary Versace on piano, Johannes Weidenmueller on bass, and Johnathan Blake on drums. It is a compact five-piece setting for a leader whose work ranges from precise arranging to improvising and bandleading.
A fixture of New York’s music scene since 1987, Pietro is a saxophonist, composer, educator and Director of Jazz Studies at New York University. He currently performs with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, the Gil Evans Project, and the jazz orchestras of Pete McGuinness, Jihye Lee, Tracy Yang, and Chris Zuar. From 1994 to 2016, he was lead alto saxophonist in the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra. His eleven leader albums have included collaborators Brian Blade, Scott Colley, Dave Holland, Kenny Werner, Jay Anderson, Michael Rodriguez and Billy Drummond. A Birdland announcement calls him “one of the foremost reedmen in the jazz world for the past several decades,” renowned for “writing, arranging, bandleading, soloing, and large ensemble work.”
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.