Russell Gunn - Mood Swings

[Clay Fink]

This is a 1999 session released in 2003 with Gunn on trumpet, Radam Schwartz on organ, Eric Johnson on guitar and Cecil Brooks III on drums.

It's mostly covers (Donald Byrd's "the Injuns", Benny Golson's "Park Ave. Petite"), but stuff you usually don't hear. The version of Horace Siver's "African Queen is excellent. The instrumentation (trumpet + organ trio) is a little unusual, but that adds to the session. I like this a whole lot. It really swings and Gunn is in fine form.

[HLJ]

I've got this disc also and it does swing.The cat on organ Schwartz got skills.Peace and all that.

[Coda]

I used to hear about Russell Gunn as the next big thing in jazz, that was around year 2000. I have only heard one of his recordings - Blues on the DL - which really never made much of an impression on me.

I've really not heard his name mentioned in at last 5 years, perhaps longer. I reviewed his output, both as leader and sideman, and he seems to be diminishing in quantity. Not so much since 2007 and even see the name Kurt Whalum in the credits. Is he moving in a different direction - away from jazz and back to more commercial material?

[CraigP]

If he hasn't already, he needs to put out an album called "Love Gunn."