GUNHILD CARLING
JAZZ IS MY LIFESTYLE! https://www.gunhildcarling.net/
Release Date: September 1, 2024
Label: Jazz Art
TRACK LISTING
1. Jazz Is My Lifestyle (3:53)
2. Shaking The Bangkok (3:17)
3. I Desire You (3:34)
4. Your Smile Makes The
Difference (3:24)
5. Fire Alarm (3:28)
6. Chanson (4:18)
7. Mardi Gras Blues (3:13)
8. Cosmic Drive (4:27)
9. Winter’s Day (3:49)
10. You Are the Music (3:00)
11. I’ll Wait For You In San
Francisco (4:26)
Music and Lyrics by Gunhild
Carling
Produced by Michael Andrew
Tracking Engineer: Clark Germain
Mix: Michael Andrew/Johan Blome
Mastering Engineer: Alan
Silverman
Recorded In East West Studio, Los
Angeles
GUNHILD CARLING with BIG
BAND and STRINGS FEAT: SCOTTY BARNHART, CHLOE FEORANZO, IDUN & VIGGO
CARLING, NATHAN TOKUNAGA
MUSICIANS:
SAXOPHONES: Mark Visher - Alto 1 (Flute/Piccolo/Clar), Danny House - Alto 2
(Clar), Dan Kaneyuki - Tenor 1 (Clar), Dan Boissy - Tenor 2 (Clar/ Flute),
Ceasar Martinez - Bari (Bass Clar); TRUMPETS: Jonathan Bradley, Mike Stever,
Ray Monteiro, Jamie Hovorka; TROMBONES: Ryan Dragon, Nick Daley, Erm Navarro,
Julianne Gralle (Bass Trb), Idun Carling; RHYTHM: Neil Fontano (Piano) Jim
Fox (Guitar), Ken Wild (Acoustic Bass), Jamey Tate (Drums), Viggo Carling
Blomé (Guest Drummer), Johan Blomé (Banjo), Luke Kirley (Sausaphone), Roy
Gerson (piano); STRINGS: The Prague Strings Chamber Orchestra
To call Gunhild Carling a
remarkable musician is a bit of an understatement. In addition to her warm
singing (which can range from Billie Holiday to Cab Calloway), she is a
colorful swing-based trombonist and trumpeter who has impressive range on
both instruments, also plays such instruments as the harmonica, harp,
recorder, flute, bagpipes, ukulele and theremin, and is a skilled arranger
and composer. Her enthusiastic shows, which have swing and New Orleans jazz
as their foundations, are always memorable.
On Jazz Is My Lifestyle, Gunhild
Carling performs 11 of her originals with her 13-horn big band, the Prague
Strings Chamber Orchestra, and such guests as trumpeter Scotty Barnhart,
trombonist Idun Carling (her daughter), clarinetists Nathan Tokunaga and Chloe
Feoranzo, drummer Viggo Blom. (her son) and banjoist Johan Blom. (her
husband).
The program begins with the
joyful “Jazz Is My Lifestyle” which utilizes the chord changes of “When The
Saints Go Marching In,” and enthusiastically goes from hints of Dixieland to
swing. “Shaking The Bangkok” has a rhythm reminiscent of “Sing, Sing, Sing”
and features Carling creating some outbursts with her plunger mute on her
trumpet. Her warm vocalizing on the ballad “I Desire You” is accompanied by
the tasteful strings and her own harp playing. She swings happily on “Your
Smile” (one of several songs on the set that are worthy of becoming
standards), romps on the uptempo “Fire Alarm,” and on the wistful “Chanson”
she hits some high notes on her trombone while also being heard on flute and
harp. The other selections are highlighted by her trumpet playing with the
big band on “Mardi Gras Blues,” the bluesy and forceful singing on “Cosmic
Drive,” both her ballad singing and dramatic trumpet on “Winter’s Day.” and
vocal phrasing on “You Are The Music” that hints at Ella Fitzgerald. The
program concludes with the jubilant “I’ll Wait For You In San Francisco.”
Gunhild Carling was born in
Gothenburg, Sweden to a very musical family. While she started on the drums,
she made her recording debut as a trombonist at the age of nine with the
Carling Family Band. She soon mastered the trumpet, recorder, harmonica, and
bagpipes, became a tap dancer, developed as a singer and also learned to play
the banjo, ukulele, and harp. After carving out her career in Europe, in 2018
she moved to Northern California with her family while continuing to tour the
world.
The unique performer,, who was
featured with Postmodern Jukebox and guested with the Count Basie Orchestra,
has made such solo recordings are That’s My Desire, 20th Jubilee, Magic
Swing, Hot Jazz, Varieté, Red Hot Jam, Swing Out, Big Apple, Harlem Joy and
the recent Good Evening Cats. She is a social media influencer with over 5
million views (and growing) on You Tube. Jazz Is My Lifestyle, a recording
with a title that perfectly fits her career and life, is her latest
accomplishment and serves as an excellent introduction to the many musical
talents of Gunhild Carling.
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