OLD SONGS GET NEW LIFE FROM
TALENTED YOUNG GUYS
WHO ARE OLD SOULS

 Zip and zing with musical fizz and sparkle

Mike Davis

Hooray! They’re back!! Bryce Edwards—the mercurial, merry multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist and sassy singer—reunites with brilliant brass player Mike Davis, debonair dazzler, along with some top-drawer colleagues for a repeat of the sensational show they premiered in September called Hot Combination. It was one of the most memorable concept shows in New York clubs last year, and a return is sure to be cheered again, with fans returning and new fans made. The two, in various other “combinations,” playing in various shows at Birdland and elsewhere have also increased their following. And the title could not be more apt. The music is blazingly hot and they are indeed a delightfully combustive combination sensation of a celebration of old-timey musicians Cliff Edwards (aka “Ukulele Ike”) and Red Nichols, who were featured in a band known as Cliff Edwards and His Hot Combination about a century ago.

“Someone’s Stolen My Sweet, Sweet Baby”

This high-octane, highlights-filled program on Sunday, June 7 at 5:30 is a true treat and triumph. For proof, consider Exhibit A and Exhibit B: just two samples from the prior presentation. And take my word on Exhibit C: the smile that hasn’t quite left my face since attending that night so many months ago — and my jaw dropped in awed amazement witnessing the very fleet, friskiest fabulousness and the tight teamwork… but my jaw has managed to return to its usual placement so I can spread the word-of-mouth. And I’ll happily beat a path to the West 44th Street venue once more for the repeat performance.

“Say! Who Is That Baby Doll?”

No, the multi-talented multi-instrumentalist Bryce Edwards is not a relative of the same-surnamed Cliff, but if his burgeoning career were turned into a fictionalized movie, one would be tempted to write a scene wherein DNA evidence proved a link or proof of reincarnation. There’s more than a whiff of Cliff in this terrific talented troubadour, but that’s osmosis that comes from study and a knack for throwbackism (if there is such a word). He recreates the approach, his idol’s unique kind of scat-singing, period-perfect nasality, and chipper attitudes as he strums his ukulele and takes up other instruments. Likewise, the dapper Davis looks like he just walked out of the roaring ’20s and makes his cornet and trumpet roar and blast with vigor in the red-hot Red Nichols way. His dedicated work transcribing the playing on the 78 rpm recordings deserves a medal for re-creating and authenticity.

The classic song “Singin’ in the Rain” from Hot Combination (yes, this was introduced on film once upon a time by Cliff Edwards):

Channeling jumpin’ and jubilant jazz stars and styles straight out of the long ago with the real-deal feel is a triumph that only true devotees can deliver – and that’s the situation here. Clearly in their comfort zone, these experts create excitement and joy with the old songs, making it all inviting for all observers: whether appreciation for the antique music is slowly being acquired and desired or is familiar to those whose musical memories spin in their heads at 78 rpm. The program is invigorating and informative (but fun facts never feel like a lecture). Some tunes are quirky, some sizzle, but it’s fair to say that the vintage fare being dusted off is never dull. It’s a comfort zone for the musicians, who also include Ricky Alexander on reeds, Josh Holcomb on trombone, Felix Lemerle on guitar, Bryan Reeder on piano, Jay Rattman on bass saxophone, and Colin Hancock on drums.

Bryce Edwards

You probably weren’t alive and going to nightclubs with bathtub gin and flappers dancing around about a century ago, in the presence of Cliff Edwards and Red Nichols, but on Sunday afternoon, June 7, for a little but lucky while, you might feel like you were there.

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Hot Combination
Bryce Edwards and Mike Davis
Birdland Jazz Club, 315 West 44^th St
Sunday, June 7 at 5:30
for tickets, call 212 581.3080 or visit Birdland
for more info, visit Mike Davis and Bryce Edwards

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