Old School sounds with a modern mood.
Vocalist and woodwind player Adrian Cunningham leads an ensemble of Jon Challoner/tp, Dani Alonso/tb, John Merrill/g, Alberto Pibiri/p, Jim Robertson/b and Paul Wells/dr through some high stepping takes of Disney tunes. With a world wise voice and Wells’ Krupa-esque drumming the team pounds through “I Wanna Be Like You” while the team does a Cab Calloway read of “High Ho”. Cunningham’s flute is rich on “Cruella de Ville” and his tenor is cozy for “Bippity Boppity Boo.” A hot’cha “(You Ain’t Never Had A) Friend Like Me” swings into “Sing Sing Sing” while the team is relaxed on “When You Wish Upon A Star”. The snappiest place on earth.
Pianist and composer JC Hopkins leads a clever swinging band that features rich vocals and snappy arrangements by Drew Vanderwinckle. Besides Hopkins’ own material, the team tears through Charles Mingus’ “Better Git It In Your Soul” with some fervent alto sax work by Julian Pressley. Vocals by the Bobby Darinish Nico Sarbanes and soulful Joy Hanson make for rich pairing on the swinging “Beguiled” and sensuous “What Would You Say” while Vanisha-Arleen Gould soulfully two steps on “One Of These Days”. A relaxed Shawn Whitehorn is suave on “Oh Kitty” while all along Hopkins’ horn is hiply muted on pieces such as the nightclub-ish “Close Your Eyes” and warmly open on the easy “The Wonderful Things To Come”. A Rat Packed delight.