Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks

Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks bring their 11-piece orchestra to Birdland for an evening devoted to the jazz language of the 1920s and beyond. Led by multi-instrumentalist Giordano, the New York City band recreates period sounds with a large ensemble whose personnel can vary from performance to performance. Expect the focused, arranged interplay that has made the group a longstanding specialist in early jazz repertoire.

The Nighthawks are champions of the “hot jazz” of the 1920s and ’30s, as Lincoln Center has described them, and are known for meticulous period-style playing. Their work has made them a “Hollywood favorite” for period settings, with credits including Boardwalk Empire, The Aviator, The Cotton Club, Revolutionary Road, Cafe Society and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The band’s sound has drawn praise for both its precision and its lift: The New York Times described its vintage swing as “an erupting sense of euphoria.” Other responses underline the effect of hearing this music played at full scale: NiteLife Exchange called the group “the best party in town,” while Stage and Cinema wrote that a performance felt like being “thrown back a century.”