Review: VINCE GIORDANO & THE NIGHTHAWKS And THE BRYCE EDWARDS FRIVOLITY HOUR Bring Back Past Eras at Birdland Theater

I descended the stairs to the Birdland Theater twice in one week and found that I’d also entered a wonderful time warp because both times caused me to be immersed in music that was more or less a century old.  Is this zap to the past done by magic?  If not, I’m not complaining.  It’s a happy environment with peppy material that is smile-inducing and performed with affection and skill in two separate shows by kindred spirits who embrace the old tunes and their originators the way the proprietor of an antique store prizes and praises (or appraises) a beloved collection. You’re likely to leave with a deeper appreciation of the dusted-off relics and a spring in your step, which makes that staircase back to the street and the year 2023 easier.

My first time-traveling adventure was with Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, his band of merry men who are reliably at this venue each and every Monday for two shows a night — 5:30 and 8:30.  If you are busy on Mondays, there are a few Tuesdays for them at Birdland; you can elect to see them on Election Day (November 7), and they are off on the Mondays of  Christmas and New Year’s Day, but come in on Tuesdays those weeks.  Mr. G. and his terrific team have been pleasing audiences with music from the 1920s and 1930s for a few decades now, beginning well before the birth of the star of the other act I caught – the quite young “old soul” with spunk galore named Bryce Edwards, doing a one-nighter. The two acts share the enthusiasm and mission of reviving and reinvigorating tunes from the same period and even earlier, in homage to the style in which they’d been done.  Other things the respectful respective leaders have in common are: playing multiple instruments, singing quainter lyrics with affection but no condescension, a strong sense of humor, and a preference for announcing song titles and some basic info before launching into things so that we’re not distracted with something that might sound vaguely familiar if we couldn’t easily “name that tune.” We’re told some tidbits of history, along with the names of those who wrote and/or recorded any item in a particular year.  But don’t worry if some names don’t ring a bell  – There is no quiz.  But there will possibly be bells ringing, or a reasonable facsimile of bright sounds.  

Vince Giordano and the Nighthawk Orchestra are 11 spiffy pros, and more than one of those often gets a hot solo within an arrangement and then is duly acknowledged by the leader after the last blast ends a selection, and that cues applause.  (This does make for many a call and cause for applause because the crowd often claps, without being so urged, during the number. But it’s all well-deserved and the variety of instrumental colors is thus emphasized.)  The choices in this particular set included “Maple Leaf Rag," “Wang Wang Blues,” “When Your Love Has Gone,” “Stampede” and “Big Butter and Egg Man” (a delicious tune, despite the implied high cholesterol).  The gregarious host is relaxed and charming, tossing sheet music into the air playfully for his players to catch.  (His aim is pretty good and, clearly, he aims to please.)  The feel-good songs feel like a party we’re glad to be at. The grand group consists of: Andy Stein, violin/ baritone sax; Joe Boga and Jon-Erik Kellso on trumpets; Jim Fryer, trombone; Will Anderson, alto sax/ clarinet (he’ll also be landing at Birdland to play Cole Porter numbers with his musician brother Peter on Tuesdays); Mark Lopeman and Dan Levinson who play both sax and clarinet; Peter Yarin, piano; Arnt Arntzen, guitar/ banjo; Paul Wells, percussion; and of course fearless leader Vince Giordano, on string bass/ bass sax/ tuba and occasional vocals. Thank goodness for the perennial pleasures provided by these pros who keep this music in the air and fresh.    

With a similar agenda, the cheekily-titled Bryce Edwards Frivolity Hour valiantly and victoriously brings back vintage vaudeville with vim and vigor. The first few decades of the 20th century are once again alive and well.  Welcome to yesteryear.  The musically-educated Edwards is a devotee who’s just in his early 20s. In the present, all is well with the departed past.  To invoke the title of one of the included songs, “Everything Is Hotsy Totsy Now.”  I’m glad I stopped in for the non-stop fun. 

With a mega-kilowatt twinkle in his eye, adopting a period-evoking timbre in his singing voice (even singing through an old-timey megaphone for a flash of ancient musical history), bubbly Bryce Edwards has one foot in the present, as he talks to the audience, and one foot firmly planted in the past, which is where his heart resides. He’s a musical multi-tasker strumming banjo or ukulele or guitar and playing other instruments, too – including authentic rare ones that are now endangered species – sometimes two at a time.  The winning, grinning guy is glib and glad-to-see-ya perky.  Here and there, some quicker-paced words and nuances in the more nasal/stylized sound weren’t always easy to catch, at least from my seat in the back right corner, so he might need to be a bit more vigilant with diction on the less familiar lyrics.  

But it was kind of like listening to the tinny sound of low-fidelity aging records or cheap radio in those moments – leaning in to concentrate so as not to miss a beat, and one’s ears adjust. 

This is an entertainer who is ready, willing, and able to do anything to please, and shows respect for his able bandmates, as they play supportively or get some spotlight moments of their own. They are: Scott Ricketts, cornet; Ricky Alexander, clarinet/ tenor sax; Conal Fowkes, piano; and Jay Rattman, bass sax. Repertoire is well-chosen cheer, froth, and zing. Bryce Edwards pays his respects to Bing Crosby and lesser-known vocalists, too. He grabs the audience’s attention, grabs his uke, and jumps into the distinctive style of Cliff “Ukulele Ike” Edwards… no relation, apparently, although I’d like to see DNA evidence.  It would be interesting to have a change-of-pace serious number that shows his vulnerable side, or the addition of a contemporary song done in the style of yore – played straight or for comic effect — to show how flexible some songs can be.

He croons, cavorts, dances, and duets deftly with his girlfriend, ReiIly Wilmit, as they shine on “Shine On, Harvest Moon” and they do a cute-as-a-button rendition of “Button Up Your Overcoat.” And F.Y.I., quite L.O.L. funny is Mr. Bryce Edwards, with strong stage presence.  But it’s not news to me, even though this is the first time I’ve seen him headline a full show.  I had a very memorable preview back in 2014 when he was a kid. We crossed paths as he auditioned for, rehearsed, and performed an acting/singing role - a mischievous schoolboy in a theatre project I was involved with: a play using music from a relatively “modern” decade (the 1960s). He sparkled then and he sparkles now. I suspect the coming decades will continue the trend. 
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For more on Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks, click HERE 

A recent BWW piece about Bryce Edwards, with video samples of his performances can be seen HERE

The Birdland website with its full calendar is HERE 

All photos courtesy of the good folks doing press relations for Birdland, Lorelei & Brian Edwards Photography (for Bryce Edwards' portrait), and Cyrus Gonzelez (for Vince Giordano's pic). 

 

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