Birdland is one of the most storied names in jazz, a New York City club that first opened its doors on December 15, 1949, on Broadway near 52nd Street. The venue took its name from alto saxophonist Charlie “Yardbird” Parker, and its opening night lineup included Parker himself alongside Lester Young, Lennie Tristano, and Hot Lips Page, instantly cementing the club’s place in jazz history.
The original Birdland closed in 1965 as rents rose and musical tastes shifted, but the name was revived in 1986 at a new Midtown location. Since 1996, Birdland has operated at 315 West 44th Street in the Theater District, where it continues to book major jazz acts nightly and remains a working piece of the genre’s living history rather than a museum piece.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: 315 West 44th Street, Manhattan, New York City
- Type: Jazz club
- Original opened: December 15, 1949
- Original closed: 1965
- Current location opened: 1996
- Capacity: About 150 seats in the main room, plus the adjoining Birdland Theater
- Famous for: Named after Charlie Parker; hosted Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane
A Club Built Around One Musician
Birdland’s founders named the club after Charlie Parker specifically to trade on his nickname and draw crowds eager to hear him play. Parker performed there repeatedly in its early years, and the club’s booking policy quickly expanded to cover the biggest names in bebop and swing, including Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Stan Getz. The original room, seating around 500 people below street level, became a required stop for touring jazz musicians through the 1950s and into the early 1960s before financial troubles and a changing music scene forced it to close in 1965.
A Second Life in the Theater District
The Birdland name returned in 1986 and found its current home in 1996 at 315 West 44th Street, a few blocks from Times Square. The modern club books touring and resident jazz artists nightly and in 2018 added the Birdland Theater, a second downstairs performance space that broadened the venue’s programming beyond straight-ahead jazz to include cabaret and variety acts, such as the long-running Monday night show Jim Caruso’s Cast Party.
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Birdland FAQs
Why is Birdland called Birdland?
The club was named after saxophonist Charlie Parker, whose nickname was “Yardbird” or “Bird,” to capitalize on his popularity when it opened in 1949.
Is the original Birdland still open?
No. The original club at 1678 Broadway closed in 1965. The current Birdland, open since 1996 at 315 West 44th Street, revived the name at a new location.
What kind of music does Birdland feature today?
Birdland primarily books live jazz, along with cabaret and variety programming in its Birdland Theater space, which opened in 2018.
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Photo: JPM Associates New York / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.