From the heart of Chile to Birdland's Eternal Swing

A night with the David Oswald: Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, where timeless jazz tradition shone — and a Chilean guitarist proved his place on one of New York’s most iconic stages.

By Domenica Bernetti

Jim Fryer, trombone player

There are places in New York where music feels bigger than the present moment. Birdland is one of them. The lights are warm, the room intimate, and the stage carries decades of jazz history. Every note seems to echo with stories.

On Wednesdays, David Oswald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band takes over the theater, a residency that has kept Satchmo’s spirit alive for more than 25 years.

Their sound is everything hot jazz should be: vibrant, sweet and metallic in the horns, rhythm that makes the whole room sway, music that feels joyful and physical at once.

David Oswald: Louis Armstrong Eternity Band playing at Birdland

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to watch them live on a night when guitarist and banjoist Alonso de la Fuente stepped into the spotlight. At only 28, he is already carving out a place for himself in New York’s traditional jazz scene. His playing carried a natural swing melodic solos, steady rhythmic strums, with a touch of Eddie Lang in his phrasing. What stood out most, however, was the way he blended seamlessly into the band while still leaving his own distinct color in the sound.

The setlist carried familiar tunes like "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" and "(Back Home Again to) Indiana" but when the band launched into “Smiles”, Alonso didn’t just play—he sang. His voice, playful and warm, brought a fresh energy to the room. He improvised on the lyrics, adding humor and personality, making the song feel alive and unrepeatable. It was one of those moments where tradition and individuality meet, and the whole audience leaned in.

What makes the Eternity Band special is exactly that: the way it honors the roots of jazz while opening space for musicians to leave their mark. Alonso’s presence on that stage wasn’t just participation, it was contribution, woven into the legacy of Birdland itself.

From way down yonder in Chile to the heart of Manhattan’s Theater District, Alonso de la Fuente is proving that jazz tradition is not only preserved, it keeps expanding, finding new voices to carry it forward.

As a photographer, it was also a joy to capture this night through my lens. Birdland has a glow of its own. The Blue velvet backdrop, the warm stage lights, the golden brass, the shadows falling across the players’ faces. Jazz is movement, it’s expression, and photographing it means trying to freeze that energy without losing its swing. These images are my way of holding on to the magic of that evening, and of sharing the pulse of a tradition that is still very much alive.

Walking out of Birdland, I still carried that echo in my body, the mix of swing, sweet melodies, and the laughter shared between musicians that keeps jazz alive. It’s not just about listening to songs that are nearly a century old; it’s about witnessing how they still breathe in every solo, in every improvised conversation between instruments. That night, the Eternity Louis Armstrong Band reminded us why this music never goes out of style: because it still has soul. And within that soul, Alonso de la Fuente added his own, connecting from Chile to the purest essence of New York swing.

Alonso de la fuente playing a six string Banjo at Birdland

Will Anderson, Clarinet

David Ostwald and Alonso de la Fuente at Birdland