Yeah, I had never heard of her before, either!
From that hotbed of jazz, Sweden, comes Gunhild Carling, playing (take a deep breath)…trumpet, trombone, harp, flute, recorder, harmonica, ukulele and the “remin”. She fronts a big band that includes all-stars Scotty Barnhart/tp and Chloe Feoranzo/cl, and there’s even the Prage Strings Chamber Orchestra thrown in for an extra thrill. All of the songs are originals from you know who, but they all have the classic Swing Era feel.
Oh, and she sings, too, belting it out like she was born on 18th and Vine, growling along with her trombone on a Gene Krupa-ish “Shaking The Bandkock” or urgently oozing on ”I Desire You”. She also goes Left Bank with strings on a romantic “Chanson” and glistens on a lush “Winter’s Day”. But you want her for the good time on Saturday night, and she swaggers on the Rat Pack-flavored “Your Are The Music” and taps into her inner Nathan Detroit for a Guys and Dollsy “I’ll Wait For You In San Francisco”. When is she hitting the West Coast, and is she bringing her lion tamer with her?