Vintage bandleader Vince Giordano is having a moment -- one of several such moments over a long and enviable career -- and so we thought it made sense to bundle them together and report them on International Jazz Day.
The first is indicated by the artwork above. I learned about this historic team-up only in February when I saw that the two principals were playing a concert in Palm Desert, California. It turns out that the album came out in 2020, though some of us can be forgiven for missing the event I think, given what going on at the time. My wife and I were probably busy bleaching groceries when the record dropped, else you KNOW I would have been crowing about this! I'd Rather Lead a Band is a pairing of two of my favorite living musical artists! For me, the idea of Vince Giordano and Loudon Wainwright III collaborating on a musical project is like Superman and Batman collaborating to save Metropolis (or Gotham City, as the case may be). (See previous posts here and here, to witness me gushing about Loudon).
Wainwright's a genius songwriter, so this outing is a big departure for him. Here he pays homage to Great American Songwriters like Fats Waller, Harold Arlen, Rodgers and Hart, and Frank Loesser, with the expert Nighthawks underpinning the interpretations. To my mind, as a lyricist, Loudon takes a backseat to nobody, including the giants of Tin Pan Alley, though musically his orientation has always been the simpler precincts of folk. It's inspirational to hear this 76 year old man stretch in jazzy directions, and nailing those trickier intervals and notes. Further, his always pleasant voice blends well with the Nighthawks sweet horns and woodwinds. It's like some combination of delicacies you never dreamt of having at the same time and being delighted at how well they work in concert. (Pun intended). We're accustomed to Loudon being a wonderful downer, self-deprecating, sometimes self-lacerating, full of regret, but also often full of anger, sarcasm, cynicism, all of which are the wellspring of his wit. Here, of course, he's channeling the sunnier sentiments of another era, cheerful, uncomplicated, romantic. Fans of his 50+ year recording career may be apt to think they are discerning an edge, an attitude, an irony behind his performances. But another possible spin to put on it: this is the part of his emotional journey we haven't gotten to hear before. Like, before your love affair crashes, you've got to fall in love in the first place. This is what it sounds like when Loudon does that. By all counts, his latest album Lifetime Achievement (2022) reflects this more optimistic frame of mind, too, so I guess that's just where he's at these days.
Sorry, Vince, that was very Loudon-centric! But I imagine you're used to scribes writing all about the singer and the songs and not the band. For those who don't know, Vince Giordano is an American treasure. Who leads a big band any more, let alone one devoted to the early, pre-swing sound? But I tell you, to see, hear, and feel the Nighthawks live is to get a chill up your spine. You'll never forget it.
The lost art (and business) of bandleading is a complex and no doubt harrowing one. Selecting, sometimes exhuming, the material, arranging it, hiring and maintaining a bunch of unruly musicians, rehearsing them, booking the act, traveling with them, and (in his case) also playing and singing with them, all while projecting charisma and an upbeat attitude. (Some, like Artie Shaw, couldn't hit that last mark!) On top of that, to almost single-handedly grow an audience for a form of music that is closing in on 100 years old. But Vince is universally beloved and respected by everyone who knows him and his important work. This is surely why on April 19, he received the Jazz at Lincoln Center Award for Excellence at their annual gala. Well earned, Vince!
Lastly, we are, ahem, jazzed to report the very good news that Vince and the Nighthawks will be returning to their regular weekly Tuesday engagement at Birdland starting May 8. Book your tickets here! Do it now; these show do sell out.
No comments:
Post a Comment