David Young is a trumpeter extraordinaire, but now he’s taking a crack at being a full-fledged singer-songwriter. Though the Austin-based musician is primarily trained in classical and jazz trumpet performance, Young’s shift towards contemporary composition and passion for performance has earned him a place onstage and in the studio alongside artists ranging from Lauryn Hill to the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. Young’s most recent release, Silverback, takes a step back from his typical repertoire of improvisational straight-ahead jazz to conquer finely-tuned arrangements of soul, funk, R&B, country, blues rock, and fusion.
“Jack Black Cadillac,” the penultimate track on Silverback, exhibits Young’s knack for narrative lyricism and blues-influenced songwriting, while at the same time emphasizing James Robinson’s slapback-delayed vocals and a driving Hammond organ solo, courtesy of Justin Dillard. The light pulse of the rhythm section would fit perfectly into the intro credits of a gritty HBO drama and keeps you nodding just enough to make you look like a bobble-head.
Silverback is available for purchase on iTunes.
–Jack Anderson