Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks
Birdland315 West 44th Street, New York 10036
Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks bring their Birdland Theater residency to Manhattan for an early-evening set. Giordano leads the Nighthawks, an 11-piece band, in music devoted to recreating the authentic jazz sounds of the 1920s and beyond. Expect a large-ensemble performance rooted in period arrangements and the detailed sonorities that made early jazz and dance-band music distinctive.
A New York native, Giordano is a GRAMMY Award-winning multi-instrumentalist whose work with the Nighthawks reaches well beyond the club stage. The band has appeared in concert venues around the world and supplied period soundtracks for films including The Cotton Club, The Aviator, Finding Forrester, Revolutionary Road, and Café Society. Their playing has also been heard on HBO's Boardwalk Empire and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, as well as the Martin Scorsese film Killers of the Flower Moon. That screen work reflects the ensemble's specialty: making the musical language of the 1920s and subsequent eras sound fully inhabited rather than merely historical.
Birdland offers a refined jazz experience in a room where the audience sits at tables close to the stage, allowing every note to reach you clearly. The venue features a full menu with dishes like New Orleans-style gumbo alongside a well-stocked bar, making it easy to enjoy a meal or drinks while listening. Each show is ticketed per set, encouraging focused listening as the music unfolds in roughly 45-minute segments. The club’s walls echo decades of jazz history, having hosted legends and continuing to attract top contemporary artists. Located in Manhattan’s Theater District, the space balances a serious music environment with the energy of a night out, where attentive audiences savor the performances without distraction. Booking ahead is essential, as the club fills quickly for its celebrated lineup.