Jason Yeager Trio & Friends

“Such Sweet Thunder: Celebrating Billy Strayhorn & Duke Ellington”

Pianist and bandleader Jason Yeager will celebrate Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington on Monday, November 3 at 7pm. The one night only event will take place at Birdland, located at 315 West 44th Street in the heart of the Theater District in New York City.

 In celebration of Billy Strayhorn's 110th birthday, acclaimed pianist and bandleader Jason Yeager presents a swinging and vibrant evening of Strayhorn, Ellington, and original music. With his "highly interactive trio" (Downbeat), Yeager presents his "curiously varied and invariably moving" (Arts Fuse) arrangements, which showcase the colorful and expressive sophistication of Strayhorn and Ellington's music. Joining the trio will be Ellington Orchestra alumnus Steve Little, saxophone/composition polymath Randal Despommier, Grammy-winning vocalist Aubrey Johnson, and trumpet virtuoso Alphonso Horne. 

Jason Yeager – piano, Danny Weller – bass, Jay Sawyer – drums, Alphonso Horne – trumpet, Randal Despommier - alto sax, Aubrey Johnson - voice, Steve Little - drums

An adroit and sensitive accompanist as well as an imaginative soloist and bandleader, pianist and composer Jason Yeager has released eight critically acclaimed albums of original music, including most recently Sanctuary (Sunnyside Records, 2024), a collaborative effort with virtuoso jazz violinist Jason Anick. In 2022 Jason celebrated the release of two records: Hand in Hand (Club 44 Records) with his spouse and Broadway star Julie Benko, and Unstuck in Time: the Kurt Vonnegut Suite (Sunnyside) with his eponymous septet and special guest Miguel Zenón. Jason has performed at such storied venues as Carnegie Hall, Birdland, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Smalls, and on Broadway. In addition to his work as a bandleader, Yeager has recorded on over 40 additional albums and performed with such luminaries as Sean Jones, Jason Palmer, Luciana Souza, George Garzone, and Ran Blake