Vince Giordano: There's a Future in the Past

20162016
1h 30min

7.9/10

Vince Giordano: There's a Future in the Past (2016)

Vince Giordano is Hollywood's go-to guy for authentic period soundtracks, creating the music for Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club, many Woody Allen films including his latest Café Society, and HBO's Grammy-winning Boardwalk Empire. He is a New York institution who plays nightclubs, society parties, jazz festivals, concerts, radio shows; but is still, inexplicably, largely unknown beyond his passionate fan base. Who is this eccentric musician who, for 40 years, has brought the past to life with his 11-member band The Nighthawks, a collection of more than 60,000 band arrangements,and a house full of vintage musical instruments? And what does it take to keep the Jazz Age going strong in 21st Century New York? Fortunately, Giordano's dedication has kept this joyful, energetic music alive long enough for a new generation of hot jazz virtuosos to discover it, and claim it for themselves. There's a Future in the Past is distributed by First Run Features.

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Bandleader Vince Giordano keeps the Jazz Age alive with his 11-member band The Nighthawks, vintage musical instruments, and a collection of more than 60,000 original arrangements from the 19... Read allBandleader Vince Giordano keeps the Jazz Age alive with his 11-member band The Nighthawks, vintage musical instruments, and a collection of more than 60,000 original arrangements from the 1920s and '30s.Bandleader Vince Giordano keeps the Jazz Age alive with his 11-member band The Nighthawks, vintage musical instruments, and a collection of more than 60,000 original arrangements from the 1920s and '30s.

7.9/10

Directors
- Dave Davidson
- Amber Edwards
Writers
- Dave Davidson
- Amber Edwards
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win

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Trailer 2:03

Vince Giordano - There's a Future in the Past

Directors
- Dave Davidson
- Amber Edwards
Writers
- Dave Davidson
- Amber Edwards
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

A feature-length documentary about musician, scholar and bandleader Vince Giordano who, with his 11-member band The Nighthawks, has doggedly kept alive the popular music of the 1920s and '30s for the past forty years. Through Vince's story, the viewer will be immersed in the Hot Jazz and Swing that fueled Prohibition high-jinx and cheered up Depression-era America. And they will see what it takes to make a life as a professional jazz musician in 21st Century New York. Giordano's dedication, along with a handful of others, has kept this cultural phenomenon on life support through hard times, and introduced it to a new generation of Hot Jazz devotees and virtuosos who are laying claim to this joyful, energetic music.

jazz musician music business jazz music music band

Genres
Parents guide
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Trivia
Vince Giordano plays an unusual Aluminum String Bass. Musicians aboard seagoing ships preferred aluminium to the traditional wooden bass so it wouldn't warp or crack from sea moisture or freeze in Alaska.

Soundtracks
Dinah
Written by Sam Lewis (as Sam M. Lewis), Harry Akst, and Joe Young
Published by EMI Mills Music, Inc. (ASCAP), B&G AKST Publishing Company (ASCAP), Morley Music Co. (ASCAP), Bienstock Publishing Co. obo Redwood Music Ltd.
Performed by Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks

Top review

9/10

Vince Giordano: There's a Future in the Past explores the passion of a bandleader, his consummate musicians and their efforts to honor jazz from almost a century ago.

Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks have been playing jazz in the US, and primarily in the New York City area, for over 40 years. This film lovingly explores his decades as a bandleader; his commitment to collecting, preserving and archiving the original sheet music of over 60,000 songs (and what to do with such a collection in his basement?); his perpetual loading and unloading of the band's equipment in his van (there's a lot of lugging depicted); and offers a behind the scenes look at the drains of what old school band promotion still entails, even when you're the Hollywood go-to guy for music of these eras Charming indie film. Other than that you'll smile and tap your toes (and maybe even applaud) throughout, there's such merit in this little gem. Vince and the Nighthawks are consummate musicians dedicated to preserving and honoring jazz from decades ago; this film is a lovely homage to all of them. (They schlep a lot of equipment and they bring joy to everyone who listens to them.) Cross your fingers for wider release of the film, and for someone to ask "How come Vince hasn't gotten a MacArthur Genius Award yet?" and to get that ball in motion.

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