Jazz-Americana Artist and Recording Engineer Bryan Cumming to Kick Off Spring 'Famous Communicator Speakers Series" on Feb. 27.

By Chuck Whiting

Motlow Buzz Editor-in-Chief

         SMYRNA -- Bryan Cumming, an acclaimed jazz-Americana artist and member of the Grammy-nominated group The WannaBeatles, will speak from 12:30-1:30 Feb. 27 (Thursday) as part of Motlow Smyrna's "Famous Communicator Speakers Series."

         The musician will share his fascinating story in SM 332 (Smyrna Building 3) with photos, videos and live music demonstrations. Admission is open to all members of the Motlow family. Other upcoming "Famous Communicator" speakers this spring are hit recording artist/speaker Joyce Rouse (March 19) and internationally acclaimed visual artist Camille Engel (April - TBA).

         Cumming, who sings and plays guitar, sax and cornet, has recorded with popular acts such as Al Jarreau and The Pointer Sisters. He has released several solo CDs. His album "Come Out Swinging" pays tribute to the classic songs and legendary jazz artists of the Silent Generation.  

         In 2009, he and three fellow members of The WannaBeatles walked the Red Carpet in Hollywood after receiving a Grammy nomination for the CD "Fab Fan Memories - The Beatles Bond." Cumming also produces and records artists at Studio 23 Nashville.

         "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," he said. "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."

         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. 

         Among the covers on the CD 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."

         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."

         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.

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