Presented by the Bix Beiderbecke Museum and Archives and the Sound Conservatory. Support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Iowa Arts Council, which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority and by Quad City Arts, through the Arts Dollars re-granting program, supported by The Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, and the Quad Cities Community Foundation - Isabel Bloom Art Education Endowment.
Genre: Jazz
Date: Saturday, September 6th
Doors: 1:00pm and 3:45pm / Show: 2:00pm and 4:30pm
Tickets: $20
Seating: General admission. All seated show, but there are no reserved seats.
Age Restriction: All Ages
Join the Bix Beiderbecke Museum at the Sound Conservatory in Moline for 2 special shows featuring Sweden's Queen of Swing, Gunhild Carling, for her first ever solo show in the Quad Cities. Accompanied by Josh Duffee and a special Greystone Monarchs arrangement of talented musicians, Gunhild will perform jazz standards in honor of Davenport's own Bix Beiderbecke for 2 unique shows.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Gunhild's Bio: Gunhild Carling is a world-class Swedish jazz musician, singer, and multi-instrumentalist known for her high-energy performances and remarkable versatility. She effortlessly plays trumpet, trombone, bagpipes, piano, and more, often switching between instruments mid-performance. Raised in a musical family, she gained recognition with the Carling Family Band before making a name for herself internationally. From performing for Swedish royalty to collaborating with Postmodern Jukebox, her unique ability to blend traditional jazz, swing, and vintage pop has earned her a global following.
Her dynamic stage presence, combined with a flair for showmanship, makes every Gunhild Carling performance an unforgettable experience. Whether leading her big band, improvising with multiple instruments, or tap dancing while playing the trumpet, she embodies the spirit of classic jazz with a fresh, modern twist. Now based in Northern California, she continues to bring her signature energy and musical brilliance to audiences worldwide.
Josh Duffee and Graystone Monarch's Bio: Josh Duffee was born in Louis Bellson’s hometown of Moline, Illinois, and has resided across the river in Bix Beiderbecke’s hometown of Davenport, Iowa, for the past 15+ years. He’s a very versatile musician, specializing in drumming and xylophone playing from the 1920s to the 1940s, while also performing a variety of other styles of music. He has been performing professionally for the past 20+ years, along with teaching private percussion and drum set lessons to middle and high school students. He has been a featured musician at jazz festivals and events all over the world, including tours of England and Australia. He has also been featured at venues across the United States.
He is the leader of The Graystone Monarchs, a 10-piece dance band that performs music from the 1920s and 1930s. The group performs arrangements which would have been heard at the Graystone Ballroom in Detroit, with their music coming from the libraries of the Jean Goldkette Orchestra (1924-1929), McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, Frank Trumbauer Orchestra w/Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington’s Cotton Club Orchestra, King Oliver Orchestra, and many more groups!
The Graystone Monarchs feature some of the best musicians who perform the music true to the era, taking you back in time to what it would have sounded like if you were listening to the original group in-person.