At first, it might seem like a calculated stylistic detour -- hot young hip-hop-influenced trumpeter teams up with a Hammond organ player (
Radam Schwartz) who's equally fresh but strictly from the old school. But 2003's
Mood Swings is not
Wynton Marsalis-style dilettante posing of the "I remember
Jimmy Smith" variety; there is nothing retro or nostalgic about this album, although it's firmly rooted in '60s-style organ combo jazz and mostly draws from the hard bop songbook. The opening track, a frenetic 20-notes-a-second take on
Donald Byrd's "The Injuns," is as forward-looking as anything
Gunn has done. Although ballads like
Benny Golson's weightless, lovely "Park Avenue Petite" allow
Gunn to explore
Miles Davis' gentle tonal palette, it's more aggressive performances like "S. Crib" and the downright funky "Twice Around" that really show off
Gunn's abilities. ~ Stewart Mason