Warm up with hot jazz at latest in Essex concert series

Concert scheduled for Feb. 18 in Deep River

DEEP RIVER — Essex Winter Series welcomes the return of Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks with their signature brand of hot jazz from the 1920s and 1930s in concert on Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. at Valley Regional High School, 256 Kelsey Hill Road, Deep River.

Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks is one of the world’s most renowned bands specializing in jazz from the early decades of the 20th century and is well known for providing the soundtrack to the acclaimed HBO series “Boardwalk Empire.”

The band has appeared in films including “The Cotton Club,” “The Aviator,” “Revolutionary Road” and “Finding Forrester,” and in concert at Town Hall, Jazz At Lincoln Center, the Newport Jazz Festival, and many other major venues and festivals. The Nighthawks are also seen and heard in the USA Network series “Royal Pains” and the PBS series, “Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook.”

Mihae Lee is the artistic director of Essex Winter Series, and the appearance by Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks has been arranged by jazz artistic advisor, Jeff Barnhart. The Feb. 18 performance is the Stu Ingersoll Jazz Concert and is co-sponsored by The Clark Group and Tower Laboratories.

Essex Winter Series’ 2018 season continues on March 4 with bass-baritone David Pittsinger in a program to include music by Bach, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Handel and selections from the American Songbook that celebrate the American spirit.

The Quodlibet Ensemble, a New York-based string chamber orchestra of young, dynamic artists presents a range of great music, from the Baroque to the modern day performs April 8.

Their program will include Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, as well as music by Mendelssohn, Mozart and Nathan Schram.

All performances take place on Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m., with the Feb. 18 and April 8 concerts at Valley Regional High School, Deep River; and the March 4 concert at John Winthrop Middle School, Deep River. Seating is general admission and tickets may be purchased by visiting www.essexwinterseries.com or calling 860-2724572.

The 2018 Essex Winter Series season is sponsored by The Clark Group, Essex Meadows, Essex Savings Bank, Guilford Savings Bank, Jeffrey N. Mehler CFP LLC, Tower Laboratories and BrandTech Scientific. Media sponsor is WSHU Public Radio and outreach activities are supported by the Community Foundation of Middlesex County and donors to the Fenton Brown Circle.

Contributed photos Essex Winter Series welcomes the return of Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks with their signature brand of hot jazz from the 1920s and 1930s on Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. at Valley Regional High School, 256 Kelsey Hill Road, Deep River.