Multi-reedman Adrian Cunningham is back at it, this time with a swingin' septet. And once again he shows us the delight of finger snapping rhythms and tunes older than your grandma's antique samovar. Whichever instrument Cunningham chooses on a given song, he's a marvelous, spirited player and a virtuoso technician. He even sings a bit as you'll discover on "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", "Caldonia", "Be My Life's Companion", and even "Waltzing Matilda". On the instrumental side of the ledger, he and his enthusiastic friends cook up oldies like "Stompy Jones", "All Of Me", "Caravan", and even Jackie Gleason's TV theme, "Melancholy Serenade". The arrangements sometimes dip a bit into a happy Dixieland bag, but for the most part this is feel good music that swings effortlessly from note one. Cunningham's musicianship and devotion to his chosen style speak for themselves.
Arbors, 2017; appx. 56 min.
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