Join Julie Benko & Jason Yeager as they celebrate the release of their new album, “Hand in Hand” at Birdland on August 29th at 7pm!

Birdland is proud to announce that Julie Benko (Broadway’s Fanny Brice standby) will team with jazz pianist Jason Yeager to celebrate the release of their new recording, “Hand in Hand,” on Monday, August 29 at 7pm!

For one night only, Funny Girl’s Julie Benko joins forces with jazz pianist (and husband) Jason Yeager for an unforgettable evening performing selections from their new duo album, “Hand in Hand”. The release, due out August 26th on Club44 Records, features the pair’s unique and intimate arrangements of songs from Broadway musicals, the Great American Songbook, and Yeager’s original compositions. Joined by Michael O’Brien on bass, Jay Sawyer on percussion, and Patrick Laslie on woodwinds, the talented twosome will put their singular spin on favorites by such legendary composers as Jule Styne, Richard Rodgers, Anaïs Mitchell, Janis Joplin, and many others. Don’t miss this cozy and delightful evening celebrating two of New York City’s most enchanting rising stars.

Julie Benko – Voice

Jason Yeager – Piano/Keyboard

Patrick Laslie – Woodwinds

Michael O’Brien – Bass

Jay Sawyer – Drums

JULIE BENKO is currently marching her band out on Broadway as the standby for Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. Other Broadway/National Touring credits include Fiddler on the Roof, Les Miserables, and Spring Awakening. A recipient of the Wilde Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Girl in Once, Benko also won the Gold Medal and Johnny Mercer Award at the American Traditions Vocal Competition in 2017. Her debut album Introducing Julie Benko was released to widespread acclaim, with critics praising it as “disarmingly intimate, creative, and swinging” (Jazz Weekly) and “introducing us to… someone special” (All About Jazz). Visit www.JulieBenko.com or follow her @Jujujuliebee to discover more.

Pianist/composer JASON YEAGER has performed across five continents at such noteworthy venues as Carnegie Hall, the Blue Note, Panama Jazz Festival, Qintai Concert Hall, and more. A two-time finalist at the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition, Yeager has released five albums as a bandleader, the most recent of which, New Songs of Resistance, was called “one of the best albums of 2019 in any style of music” (New York Music Daily). In addition to Hand in Hand, Yeager will soon release Unstuck in Time: The Kurt Vonnegut Suite (Sunnyside Records), with his eponymous septet and special guest Miguel Zenón. A committed educator, Yeager is Assistant Professor of Piano at Berklee College of Music. For more, visit www.JasonYeager.com or follow @jyeagermusic.