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Out of town: All that jazz in New York City (and elsewhere)
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Theatre may be the lifeblood of New York City, but jazz is never far from my mind or my agenda when I’m there. Jazz musicians gave The Big Apple its name, after all, and much of its fame.
When it comes to jazz, some like it hot—I do. If you want to experience the hot jazz sound of the 1920s and ‘30s today, Vince Giordano is the go-to guy; witness his presence on the soundtracks of Public Enemies, The Aviator, and half a dozen Woody Allen movies (he’s the on-screen bassist in Sweet and Lowdown). Better yet, catch his regular Monday night gig with the Nighthawks, his sizzling 11-piece jazz orchestra, in the downstairs Cache Room of Sofia's restaurant, at the Edison Hotel in the Theatre District. (For reservations: 212-719-5799.) You can also hear Vince on CD, of course, and see him at events like the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival in Davenport, Iowa (July 23-26), but he doesn’t travel much—he tells me the airlines aren’t too friendly with his instruments.
Fortunately, Vince’s key saxophonist-clarinetist, Dan Levinson, gets around. If you’re into trad jazz, Dan’s the man. He’s played with Mel Torme, Woody Allen, Wynton Marsalis, and Leon Redbone, and has several ensembles of his own—more than I can keep track of—which he performs with hither and yon. His latest CD, “At the Codfish Ball,” really cooks with his group Swing Wing, and the delectable vocal stylings of Molly Ryan. He’s in Europe this week and next, helping to celebrate the Benny Goodman centennial. Southern California will see him with his own Canary Cottage Dance Orchestra at the Orange County Classic Jazz Festival in Costa Mesa (August 6-9), and featured on reeds with Banu Gibson and Her New Orleans Hot Jazz at The Sweet & Hot Music Festival in LA (September 4-7).
Unlike Vince and Dan, I’ve never been able to catch up with banjoist-vocalist Cynthia Sayer on my many visits to New York; I’ve just missed her a few times. She’ll be at the aforementioned Bix Beiderbecke fest in Iowa, as special guest with the all-female Mighty Aphrodite Jazz Band. Otherwise, you can find her on CD, most recently the acclaimed “Attractions”—a listening experience I highly recommend. Cynthia’s renditions of everything from Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2” to her own “Banjo Tango” are a treat for discerning jazz hounds; Bucky Pizzarelli is a welcome added attraction on guitar.
More from Jordan:
Cirque Berzerk’s alternative circus returns
Summer storm of Shakespeare, from LA to OC
Out of Town: Chicago’s Steppenwolf goes ‘Up’
Visit Jordan’s new website: actingsolo.com.
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