Julie Benko, who made a splash in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl and will return to the Main Stem in January for a limited engagement in the revival of Ragtime, will release a new solo album next year. 

Entitled Euphonic Gumbo, the new album is steeped in the musical and cultural histories of New Orleans and will be available beginning February 20, 2026, from Club44 Records. Benko, currently starring in the Shakespeare Theatre Company staging of Guys and Dolls, is backed by her band with musical direction by her pianist-arranger and spouse, Jason Yeager. 

The album’s title comes from Benko’s original play Down the Line, set in Storyville, New Orleans’ former red-light district. In it, pianist Tony Jackson describes his own “jasmine” music as “euphonic gumbo,” a musical stew that “simmers slow and builds to something rich and complex, but still goes down easy.”

“The first time Jason and I visited New Orleans, we fell wildly in love with the place,” Benko says in a statement. “The history, the architecture, the food—oh, the food!—the parades, the languages, and the way music is celebrated on every street corner… it was unlike anything I’d ever seen before.”

“We want people listening to the record to feel like they’re with us at our annual Mardi Gras celebration at Birdland,” Benko adds.

Musicians include Yeager on piano, organ, and celeste; Michael O’Brien on bass; Jay Sawyer on drums; Ron Wilkins on trombone; Andy Warren on trumpet; Linus Wyrsch on clarinet; Sasha Papernik on accordion; Justin Poindexter on strings and banjo; and Gabe Terracciano on violin. Tap artist John Manzari adds a dynamic percussive dimension.

Benko will celebrate Euphonic Gumbo with a February 16 concert at Birdland. The 7 PM performance will also be streamed live. With Club44 Records, the married duo previously released Christmas With You and Hand in Hand.

The complete track listing follows:

• Down in New Orleans Medley
• Ticklin’ Time (Let the Good Times Roll/Tipitina)
• The Lakes of Pontchartrain
• Funky Fête (Iko Iko/Tootie Ma Is a Big Fine Thing) (feat. John Manzari)
• Ma Belle Evangeline
• Pretty Baby
• Don’t You Come Home, Bill Bailey!
• St. James Infirmary (feat. John Manzari)
• J’ai Passé Devant Ta Porte
• Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? (Live at Birdland)

Visit Club44records.com.