Tara Helen O'Connor
Artistic Director
May 17 – Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks
PLEASE NOTE: THIS CONCERT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FROM ITS ORIGINAL FEBRUARY DATE.
Concert sponsored by the Clark Group and Tower Laboratories, Ltd.
Where and When:
VALLEY REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
256 Kelsey Hill Road, Deep River, CT
Click here to view in Google maps.
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Concert begins at 3:00 pm; outer doors open at 2:00 pm; auditorium doors open at 2:30 pm.
Accessible parking, entry and seating are available.
Concert Program:
Hot and Sweet Music of the 1920s and ’30s
Our Jazz Advisor Jeff Barnhart is thrilled to announce the return of EWS favorite Vince Giordano leading his incredible 11-piece jazz orchestra The Nighthawks for an afternoon of hot and swinging 1920s-30s jazz! Vince told Jeff that our audiences are among the most rewarding he’s performed in front of, averring “It’s like returning to visit old friends!” Indeed, this concert marks the fifth time The Nighthawks have graced our stage, making it the most requested jazz ensemble in the history of the series! Be sure NOT to miss this increasingly rare opportunity to experience the incredible jazz orchestra Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks outside of their NYC home!
In keeping with the spontaneity of the music and the performers, selections will be announced from the stage.
VINCE GIORDANO & THE NIGHTHAWKS
Andy Stein: Violin / Baritone Saxophone
Andrew Stevens: Trumpet
Joe Boga: Trumpet
Sam Chess: Trombone
Evan Arntzen: Alto Saxophone / Clarinet / Soprano Saxophone
Mark Lopeman: Tenor Saxophone / Clarinet / Soprano Saxophone
Dan Pearson: Alto Saxophone / Clarinet / Soprano Saxophone
Peter Yarin: Piano
Devan Kortan: Guitar / Banjo
Paul Wells: Percussion / Drums
Vince Giordano: String Bass / Bass Sax / Tuba / Vocals
Artist Biographies:
Vince Giordano, bass, tuba, bass sax, vocals (NY)
Grammy-winner, New York native and multi-instrumentalist Vince Giordano has played in New York nightclubs, appeared in films such as The Cotton Club, The Aviator, Finding Forrester, Revolutionary Road, Café Society, HBOs Boardwalk Empire and for concerts at the Town Hall, Jazz At Lincoln Center, the Newport Jazz Festival and the 92nd St Y.
Recording projects include music for films: Ghost World, The Savages, The Good Shepherd, Away We Go, Public Enemies, Carol, Bessie, The Knick, Sophie and the Rising Sun, Café Society, Wizard of Lies, The Promise, 2 seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Grey Gardens, Mildred Pierce, and The Joker, among others. Vince also sang in Scorsese’s film, The Irishman. Most recent recording projects include music for upcoming films Don’t Worry, Darlings, and Killers of the Flower Moon.
In 2017, Hudson West Productionscreated a documentary: Vince Giordano – There’s a Future in the Past. In the fall of 2019, the Nighthawks released their latest recording with Loudon Wainwright III titled, I’d Rather Lead a Band.
Giordano’s passion for music from the 1920s and ’30s lead him to amass an amazing collection of over 60,000 band arrangements.
Giordano sought out and studied with important survivors from the period; Whiteman’s hot arranger Bill Challis and drummer Chauncey Morehouse, as well as bassist Joe Tarto among others. Giordano’s passion, commitment to authenticity, and knowledge led him to create a sensational band of like-minded players, the Nighthawks.
Vince Giordano performs every Monday and Tuesday evenings at NYC’s Bond45 restaurant with his band, The Nighthawks.
Andy Stein, violin, , phono-fiddle, baritone saxophone
Two-time Grammy winner Andy Stein has been called “a musician with a checkered past” by the NY Times. Mel Brooks once exclaimed, “Andy, that was surprisingly good!” after a solo on baritone sax. But he is probably best known as the “Powdermilk Biscuit Fiddler,” for 22 years on public radio’s A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor.
As a jazz violinist he has recorded with Wynton Marsalis, Phil Woods, and others; while he has also worked with pop stars Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, and Lady Gaga; country legends Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson; and classical icons Placido Domingo and Joshua Bell. His orchestra music has been performed by ballet companies worldwide from Stockholm to Sydney and from Toronto to Tel Aviv, and by most Big City symphony orchestras in the US. He also created an opera with a libretto by Mr. Keillor, and scored films for Roger Corman and National Lampoon. Andy has played violin and sax in the Nighthawks since 1979 and is the oldest surviving member… so far.
Andrew Stephens, trumpet
Andrew Stephens is a musician, bandleader, and educator from Sacramento, California, based in New York City since 2021. He is the head instructor for the Louis Armstrong House Museum’s trumpet program, leads an ongoing project celebrating the centennial of Armstrong’s Hot 5 and 7 recordings, and has performed with Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, Taylor Eigsti, Roy McCurdy, Gabrielle Cavassa, Kenny Wollesen, Evan Christopher, Ben Goldberg, and many others. He completed a Masters of Music at the Juilliard School in 2023 and a BA in Pure Mathematics at UC Berkeley in 2018. Andrew placed 2nd in the 2025 and 2019 Carmine Caruso Competitions and is the winner of the 2021 Ryan Anthony Memorial Trumpet Competition.
Joe Boga, trumpet
NYC-based trumpeter has performed professionally in a variety of venues, from Carnegie Hall to Birdland, across the United States and abroad. Boga is a member of the legendary ensemble Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, specializing in music of the 1920’s and 30’s, and leads his own small ensemble, The Scranton Ramblers.
In addition, he performs regularly with highly acclaimed artists and ensembles including Stephane Wrembel, Gordon Webster and his Band, the Kyle Athayde Dance Party, the Nate Sparks Big Band, Wycliffe Gordon, David Ostwald and the Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, and many others. An avid educator, Boga has offered masterclasses and clinics nationally and internationally. In 2023 he will direct the Pennsylvania Music Educator Association’s All-State Jazz Band. Boga was a student of Wynton Marsalis and is a graduate of the Juilliard School.
Sam Chess, trombone
A recent addition to Vince Giordano’s legendary Nighthawks, Sam Chess is a New York City-based trombonist and graduate of the Juilliard School. Sam has had the great fortune to bring his unique sound to the stage with a variety of artists, including Wynton Marsalis. He’s played venues large and small – from the Sydney Opera House and the Montreux Jazz Festival all the way down to backyard barbecues in Appalachia and parties on decommissioned ferries in Brooklyn. Sam is a native of Tucson, Arizona where he attended the illustrious Tucson Jazz Institute. He is the grandson and great-nephew of Phil and Leonard Chess of Chess Records – a Chicago-based pillar of American culture via Jazz, Blues, Soul and Rock.
Evan Arntzen, alto saxophone, clarinet, soprano saxophone
Born into a family of musicians, Evan Arntzen was given a clarinet at age seven and began learning timeless blues melodies by the likes of Sidney Bechet and Louis Armstrong from his grandfather. He has since developed his own expressive voice as a clarinetist, saxophonist and vocalist, which Grammy Award winning jazz writer Ricky Riccardi calls “the very definition of timeless.”
Originally from Vancouver, Evan moved to New York City in 2014 and quickly became a dynamic force on the jazz scene. He has performed at legendary venues like Jazz at Lincoln Center and Birdland, lit up major festivals worldwide, and led the saxophone section for Grammy-winning Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks. A core member of Catherine Russell’s Grammy-nominated band and a frequent collaborator with Downbeat Rising Star Bria Skonberg, Evan swings with effortless authenticity, delivering electrifying improvisations and a profound connection to jazz’s rich history. As a bandleader, his critically acclaimed albums—including Countermelody (2021)honor the deep traditions of jazz while infusing them with fresh energy and compelling storytelling.
Mark Lopeman, tenor saxophone, clarinet, soprano saxophone
Like several other Nighthawks members, reedman Mark Lopeman started with the band several decades ago. He has worked with dozens of other diverse big and small jazz bands, including those led by Buddy Rich, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Gerry Mulligan, Loren Schoenberg, Chris Byars, Buck Clayton, Bill Kirchner, Catherine Russell, Mel Lewis, Woody Herman, Gil Evans and John Lewis. Mark is also a noted arranger and transcriber of classic jazz recordings. He has contributed, often working with Giordano and other Nighthawks, to soundtracks for “Finding Forrester”, “Ghost World”, “The Aviator”, “Boardwalk Empire”, “Kill Your Darlings”, “Carol”, “Mildred Pierce”, “Bessie”, HBO’s “Wizard of Lies”, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, “Fosse/Verdon”, “The Joker” and “The Irishman.”
Dan Pearson, alto saxophone, clarinet, soprano saxophone
“I wanted to play trumpet but Mr. Albano, my 4th grade band teacher, said I have to play saxophone. So here I am years later still having a go at it.”
Between the fourth grade in NYC public school and now, Dan studied music at The Hartt School and The Manhattan School of Music, then went on to performing all over the country and globe. Whether it’s playing West Side Story in the Far East or Birdland in NYC with the finest cats in town, Dan is happy to make sounds. Dan is one of NYC’s busiest freelance jazz musicians. He can be seen at Arthur’s Tavern playing with the Grove Street Stompers or Terry Waldo’s Jazz Band. And for many years played at Swing 46 with the Stan Rubin Orchestra. He also leads a band at another NYC nightspot, Winnie’s Jazz Bar.
Peter Yarin, piano
Peter has been playing piano with Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks since 2004. A pianist and composer who immerses himself in both jazz and classical music, Peter has performed and recorded solo piano for many film/tv projects (recently: “The Pale Blue Eye”, “Queen’s Gambit”; “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) as well as many recording projects with the Nighthawks (“Boardwalk Empire”, “Killers of the Flower Moon”; etc.). Peter has written 2 full length musicals and performs in a variety of NYC venues, currently regularly leading a trio at Melody’s in Manhattan. He is a graduate of NYU.
Devan Kortan, guitar, banjo
Devan is the newest (and youngest) member of the Nighthawks Orchestra. He grew up in the rich traditional jazz scene of Sacramento and the Bay Area of California where he played and studied with the many top musicians of the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee and Teagarden Jazz camp — where he now teaches. He entertains audiences worldwide, on a cruise ship or the radio, with his silky voice and sharp plectrum banjo playing.
Paul Wells, percussion
Paul is a drummer and educator based in New York City who is currently touring internationally with Curtis Stigers. He is also a Professor of Jazz Drums at The Juilliard School, and a member of Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks. In addition, Paul has performed and/or recorded with Deborah Harry, Joe Williams, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, …
The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Bill Charlap, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Randy Brecker, Mark Murphy, Kristin Chenoweth, and Houston Person. He was also featured on the soundtracks of The Irishman, Joker, Boardwalk Empire, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and many others. You can also see Paul featured in a pivotal scene alongside Robert DeNiro in the 2017 HBO film “The Wizard Of Lies.”