A Bossa-Tinged Set Fills a Midtown Room

Eliane Elias plays Birdland with a trio behind her, moving between Brazilian standards and straight-ahead jazz. She sings and plays piano across the same set, and the material leans on bossa nova phrasing more than big-band volume. Her voice and the piano trade the lead through most of the night, which keeps the room quiet and close. Expect a working jazz set built on standards, played by a musician who has recorded this repertoire for decades.

You check in at the West 44th Street door, get seated at a table, and order food and drinks before the set starts. Tables run close together and face the bandstand, and staff clear plates between numbers. People applaud after each solo and stay put through the set. Most tables sit within a few steps of the piano, which is the reason regulars book early. Latecomers wait at the bar until a break.

The first set runs at 7 in the evening on Wednesday, September 16, at 315 West 44th Street in Midtown. Book a table ahead and arrive early for seating by the house. A music charge and a per-person minimum both apply, worth planning for on top of dinner. It fits people who want a close, seated jazz set with dinner, rather than a loud standing show. If you were after a late night out, this is not that.