Jazz-Americana Artist Bryan Cumming Releases New Jazz CD

By: A.A. Cristi Mar. 07, 2017

Bryan Cumming, a jazz-Americana artist who has recorded with popular acts such as Al Jarreau and The Pointer Sisters, has released a new CD that pays tribute to the classic songs and legendary jazz artists of the Silent Generation.

"Come Out Swinging" celebrates the spirit of swing with a lively mix of traditional jazz classics and originals. Highlights include covers of standards written and/or performed by legendary artists such as Nat King Cole, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Dorothy Fields, and Irving Berlin. The album, which was recorded at Java Jive Studio in Nashville, features Kelli Cox on keyboards, Adam Mormolstein on drums, and John Vogt on bass.

"I grew up listening to the music my father loved, including recordings by jazz artists such as Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, and Glen Miller," said Cumming, who also performs as a member of the Grammy-nominated Beatles tribute band The WannaBeatles. "As my music career has developed, I've found myself gravitating toward swing. It has a life-affirming tempo that expresses optimism, enthusiasm and energy. I hope my new album will inspire motion, inviting dancers to sway together, bounce, and enjoy the moment, just like in my daddy's day."

"Come Out Swinging" is available at major online retailers including CD Baby, iTunes and Amazon. To download, order or hear tracks from the album, visit http://www.CDBaby.com/CD/BryanCumming2 or https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/come-out-swinging/id1206565869 .

Among the covers are "Sunny Side of the Street," a standard recorded by Tommy Dorsey and The Sentimentalists in 1944. Other covers include "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," "It Had to Be You," and "Blue Skies."

The album's title track, "Come Out Swinging," swings to life with the sounds and lyrical images of the '30s, '40s and '50s.

"I wrote the song in 2008 to honor the classic swing music I learned from my parents," said Cumming. "'Come Out Swinging' is a nostalgic look at yesterday. It is presented as an imaginary epiphany,
where the singer hears the phone ring and mysteriously hears the sounds of old swing tunes. He gets inspired and preaches the message 'it's time to play' to his listeners."

According to music critic Chuck Davis, '"Come Out Swinging' is a fluent expression of a musical maturing... delivering swing-inspired original tunes for his father's generation and re-distributing 'that thing called swing' to the next generation."

Cumming is receiving positive reviews from top music industry professionals.

Hit songwriter and author Jason Blume says the project "offers a refreshing blend of original and traditional swing tunes that are both fun and exhilarating."

"Honest and unflashy singing with wit and joy, and refreshingly relaxed playing makes these songs well worth hearing," raves Nashville musician William "Tiger" Fitzhugh.

"Veteran musician Bryan Cumming has come up with a very good album that should appeal to the same audience as Steve Tyrell, with Cumming's charming vocals and the added attraction of his Sidney Bechet-influenced soprano sax playing, along with a solid combo," notes hit songwriter Billy Vera.

Harry Stinson of the Marty Stuart "Fabulous Superlatives" praises Cumming's project for its "tight arrangements, innovative solos, and finger-snapping right-in the pocket rhythms."

A Georgia native, Bryan Cumming grew up in a musical family playing Dixieland and classic jazz and singing harmony on Beatles songs. After serving a year in the U.S. Army playing saxophone, he toured and recorded with Martin Mull. He moved to Los Angeles in 1976, playing sax on sessions with artists such as Al Jarreau, The Pointer Sisters, Maria Muldaur, Al Hirt, and The Ohio Players. He later joined Billy Vera and The Beaters, performing at the Tokyo Music Festival and on the number one single "At This Moment". He performed at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion as a member of the Los Angeles Jazz Choir. He toured Japan and South America with David Soul, and toured four years as the lead guitarist for ShaNaNa.

Since moving to Nashville in 1988, he has performed and/or recorded with artists such as K.T. Oslin, Cleve Francis, and the Grammy-nominated Beatles tribute band The WannaBeatles. In 2009, The WannaBeatles received a Grammy nomination for the CD "Fab Fan Memories - The Beatles Bond." Cumming also produces and records artists at Studio 23 Nashville.

For more information about Bryan Cumming and his new album, "Come Out Swinging," visit http://www.BryanCumming.com.

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