Vince Giordano: There's a Future in the Past

Grammy Award-winning bandleader Vince Giordano recreates the kind of big band sounds popularized by Glenn Miller and Paul Whiteman. His grandparents, he says, introduced him to the music of the 1920s and ‘30s when he was growing up. For four decades, the New Yorker has led the Nighthawks, in which he sings and plays the tuba, string bass, and saxophone. He also maintains an archive of over 60,000 arrangements. His wife, Carol Hughes, says that initially, "I didn't think he was exceptional—crazy—like he is." In the 1980s, Giordano led three 11-piece bands, but it's harder to find gigs these days. Co-directors Dave Davidson and Amber Edwards here capture Giordano and his ensemble playing club dates and engagements at Lincoln Center and the Newport Jazz Festival. Giordano considers it essential to pay his musicians a living wage, although he has had to let some go over the years (and hires them back when he can). His situation becomes even more precarious when the band's favorite club, Sofia's, closes due to a rent increase. The Nighthawks played 500 shows there over a five-year period, although most of the band members also have other jobs, including music teacher and high school band director. Giordano also keeps busy with movie and TV work for Martin Scorsese in period pieces like The Aviator and Boardwalk Empire. The daily grind of gigs may not be for everybody, but Giordano's onstage joie de vivre suggests that it's his happiest place. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)