Gotham
Yardbird Sanctuary
is a not-for-profit 501 (C)(3) organization that was founded in response to the 2020 global pandemic and it’s impact on NYC’s Jazz community and local businesses.
GYS provides free-to-all Live Jazz performances in various places all over NYC, such as restaurants and bars, art museums and galleries, food courts, churches, organic rooftop gardens. etc.
We create immediate jobs for Jazz musicians. We support hard-hit local businesses and bring Jazz back to the people to reach wider audiences.
GYS will revive NYC with the great unifying power of Jazz and rebuild this city as a sanctuary for Jazz musicians and aspiring artists from all over the world.
GYS Ladybirds Rising 2023
GYS proudly announces GYS Ladybirds Rising 2023.
This ambitious 7 month-long project produces collaborative events with free-to-all Live Jazz Performances by female-led Jazz ensembles alongside of educational workshops with local nonprofits to raise awareness on environment, woman’s empowerment and domestic violence with non-violence, upstanding and Gaia at heart from March till October under various theme each month at our for-profit headquarter Ornithology Jazz Club and city-wide.
Here is the fundraising site for GYS Ladybirds Rising 2023 through Givebutter:
GYS Fundraising Campaign
2021 anniversary
We are celebrating our one-year anniversary and new venture of turning our headquarter Bodeguita in Bushwick into a no-cover Jazz Club from late September to early October.
Through Greenbird Initiative, we will be having special fundraising events Greenbird Workshops on Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30pm bi-weekly by welcoming guest speakers from local grassroots nonprofit and businesses that are doing great things to promote green urban living, animal advocacy, zero waste and woman/children’s rights.
Here is the site for official GYS Fundraising Campaign: Summer 2021 through Givebutter:
Also, here is the upcoming schedule for Greenbird Workshops and the link to Humbler event page for tickets:
On 8/12, we invite Clean Bushwick Initiative and Humbler.
On 8/26, we invite Chilis On Wheels and Voters For Animal Rights.
Introducing Greenbird Initiative!
“Humans merely share the earth. We can only protect the land, not own it”
So The Bird said.
To honor our name sake Charlie “Yardbird” Parker’s vision toward the relationship between mankind and nature, GYS is proposing Greenbird Initiative as our core philosophy to be reflected on all our programming.
GYS will partner with other non-profit organizations and businesses that are devoted to solve environmental issues and promote green urban living in local communities.
We are starting Greenbird Initiative with Earthday Celebration event on 4/18/2021 at Maria Hernandez Park in Bushwick from 10am to 3pm with non-profit Clean Bushwick Initiative and incredible alleys of organizations including Cup Zero, Reusable Solutions, Deliver Zero, BK Rot, Sane Energy Project etc. to bring awareness on green grassroots movement in NYC!!
Introducing Yardbird Jazz Messengers project!
Function as a free-of-charge booking agent for Jazz artists to provide world-class Live Jazz entertainment
Through our brand new project, Yardbird jazz Messengers, GYS will be functioning as a booking agent to book various Jazz ensembles for private/corporate/wedding events and some public events through out the city.
This booking service will be provided with free-of-charge for Jazz artists and the booking fees will be used in GYS projects for the betterment of Jazz community and local businesses.
Also, in Yardbird Jazz Messenger project, GYS will use Greenbird Initiative to partner with green-conscious and community-driven event venues and event industries. GYS will give booking discounts to the clients who will choose our partner venues/vendors for the conscientious event planning.
During May 2021, GYS Yardbird Jazz Messengers started campaign collaboration with well-established nonprofit Street Lab near historic residence of our namesake Charlie Parker on Avenue B and 9th street to bring Live Jazz where Street Lab bring obstacle courses and chalk drawing kit for kids to play and listen to the music.
Creative stage-making project: Yardbird Jam
Create immediate jobs with respectable pay for Jazz musicians
Now, more than ever, the need to create a livelihood for Jazz musicians is dire.
Under Creative stage-making project, our programming Yardbird jam has produced free-to-all Live Jazz performances even during indoor dining ban during Winter 2020/2021, the most difficult time for Jazz artists and local businesses in NYC.
GYS ensures a minimum $100 per musician for each show to commeasure their artistic contributions.
Support local business with subsidized Live Jazz entertainment
Due to Covid-related restrictions, local restaurants and bars have no budget for music attractions. The places where musicians had played regularly have canceled most of the shows.
GYS Yardbird Jam program will pay for the full performance fees to allow local businesses to restart their Live music shows.
GYS brings high quality of Jazz, curated by our president Mitch Borden, the original founder of legendary Jazz clubs Smalls and Fat Cat.
Bring Jazz back to people and reach wider audiences
GYS’s free-to-all Yardbird Jam program will bring Jazz back to the people.
We have a great faith in the power of Jazz, which has been a synonym for NYC’s vibrant culture through many decades.
Jazz will encourage empathy, resilience and unity to guide us through these difficult times.