Playing the Blues with The Bagpipes: See Sweden’s Queen of Swing, the multi-instrumentalist Gunhild Carling
The trombone could be Sweden’s Queen of Swing Gunhild Carlings instrument of choice, but she blows some mean bagpipes too, as evidenced by her sizzling hot performance of her late father, trumpeter Hans Carlings. Bagpipe Bluesabove.
A follower of such early jazz greats as Freddie Keppard, Jelly Roll Morton, Bix Beiderbeckeand Billie HolidayCarling told Jerusalem Post some instruments “sing in my voice more than others”:
When I play the trumpet, I try to be close Louis Armstrong. Sometimes when I play I can hear him. It is, for example, more difficult for the bagpipes.
Vaudeville’s flame burns brightly in this consummate showwoman:
I grew up in southern Sweden, outside Malmö. Our house was full of variety—circus, acting, dancing, vaudeville, and novelty. I just picked up instruments from when I was very young and played them. I started with the drums, then recorder, trombone and trumpet. Then I started tap dancing, and after that harmonica and bagpipes.
Carling maintains tradition by populating the Carling Big Band with equally multi-talented, musically inclined family members, from her mother and daughter to her nieces, nephews and brothers.
Those who believe that bagpipes require a funeral and full Highland dress to get a tear probably haven’t heard Carling’s soulful rendition of Amazing Grace, above…
They have one reputation as a tricky instrument to get hold of, but Carling has several tricks up his sleeve.
She often enjoys playing three trumpets simultaneously…
…and during a performance at International Bagpipe Festival in Schleife, Germany she left the bags to other pipers so she could blow her horn in a fringed dress on top of a bandmate’s shoulders!
What a woman!!!
Explore jazz multi-instrumentalist Gunhild Carling’s vast collection of playlists, including a festive Christmas arrangement on her Youtube channel and don’t miss the chance to catch her live her US tournow through May.
Related content
John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” Played With Bagpipes: The Artistry of Rufus Harley
Guns N’ Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine” Reworked as 1920’s New Orleans Jazz
– Ayun Halliday is chief primatologist for East Village Inky zine and author, most recently, by Creative, Not Known: The Small Potato Manifesto. follow her @AyunHalliday.