Gunhild Carling
Jazz Is My Lifestyle
Jazz Art
Gunhild Carling is a Swedish multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who now lives in northern California. She made her recording debut at age 9 playing trombone with the Carling Family Band. As well as leading her own big band, Carling has performed with the Count Basie Orchestra and Postmodern Jukebox.
Carling plays trombone and trumpet as well as sings on the 11 tunes she wrote for Jazz Is My Lifestyle. She leads her big band, augmented with the Prague Strings Chamber Orchestra, through a selection of tunes that range from fire breathing to syrupy sentimentality. I’m partial to the revved-up swing revival sounds of “Fire Alarm” and the New Orleans styled “Mardi Gras Blues.” “Jazz Is My Lifestyle” has a NOLA trad jazz feel that is rather fun. “Shaking the Bangkok” is an uptempo number that would go well in a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy set. When Carling slows down for lovelorn crooning, things get a bit too schmaltzy for my tastes. I’ve never been a fan of the big band crooner style. I can admire her skills as a singer and arranger in these songs, but they don’t move me like the jump blues do.
Oh well, when Carling is cooking, she’s really on fire.
