Dorothy Lefkovits (in beret) confabs with tenor player Chuck Peterson & drummer Jimmy Ryan at the old Bird & Beckett location on Diamond Street, in the “early” days of the scene

Friday, Sept. 14, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., it’s drummer Jimmy Ryan’s quintet swinging through another bop-drenched session of our weekly “jazz in the bookshop” series…

and Sunday, Sept. 16, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., clarinetist/composer David Solbach brings in a trio with Jason Martineau on piano/vocals and Aaron Germain on bass in our weekly “which way west?” Sunday afternoon series.

Jimmy Ryan first showed up at Bird & Beckett a decade ago, as the drummer on a series of Sunday dates that featured the sublime vocalist Dorothy Lefkovits (it’s her birthday today!) in a combo led by the late, great Henry Irvin.  It wasn’t long before he was a cornerstone of our Friday sessions, in a steady, and steadily expanding group led by sax player Chuck Peterson.  From a trio to an octet, that little group grew & grew, and the rest, as they say, is history…

And history is just what Jimmy believes is happening here at Bird & Beckett with one of the most vital jazz series the City has seen in years.  Just ask him and he’ll tell you that what’s going on at Bird & Beckett will be talked about for years to come.  Come hear for yourself.  Jimmy’s quintet this evening will feature guests Mike Rinta and Danny Brown on the front line (trombone and tenor sax, respectively), with JRQ stalwarts Scott Foster on guitar and Bishu Chatterjee on bass.  It’s great jazz, and a great time in the neighborhood.

Happy Birthday, Dorothy!
Today’s the day! She’s got plans elsewhere, but we’ll be thinking of her… come hear her at Bird & Beckett on the fourth Friday of each month with the Chuck Peterson Quintet

We’ve had it going on since the fall of 2002, making it ten years of consecutive Friday evening jazz parties in the neighborhood — 500+ Fridays in a row, without a miss.  The Sunday weekly “which way west?” series started five years ago when we moved into our Chenery Street crib, and is going strong with a mix of jazz, acoustic Americana and world music.

Help us pay the musicians by donating generously at the shows,
and browse for a book while you’re at it — book sales are what keep the lights on and the rent paid!

Click “Support” in the navigation bar above for information on the Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project, which underwrites all of our cultural programming — with the crucial support provided by the tax-deductible donations of BIrd & Beckett’s many friends, neighbors and patrons.