When Gunhild Carling returns to Central New York this week, she’ll celebrate one of her musical heroes and honor two Syracuse-area figures who helped shape her personal connection to the region.
Carling, known internationally as Sweden’s “Queen of Swing,” will present a Louis Armstrong tribute with the Carling Family Band and the Syracuse Horns at 7 p.m. July 11 during the 40th annual Syracuse International Jazz Fest at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in LaFayette. It will be her fourth appearance at the free annual festival.
The concert comes during another busy year for Carling, who recently sold out a three-night engagement at New York City’s famous Birdland Jazz Club. A trumpeter herself, Carling called Armstrong her biggest musical influence, saying his distinctive phrasing, tone and ability to bring jazz to audiences around the world shaped her own approach to music…