The Carling Family Band enters the Birdland Theater like a New Orleans “second line,” blowing the hell out of “Bourbon Street Parade.” Formatted like a large dixieland unit – or a small brass band – Gunhild Carling and her band of mostly family members are all about “Jazz Age” jazz. Oh sure, they draw influences from all kinds of music, but this music beats with the heart of a 1920s flapper.

Gunhild Carling, a trumpet player of great skill, as well as a singer and multi-instrumentalist, has dubbed her current Birdland show “Gunhild Celebrates the Holidays.” Well, Carling and her family are certainly celebrating – with irresistible swing and brio that gets your toe tapping – but the holidays only really enter into this show in guest pianist Ron Abel’s between-number Christmas melody vamps. The songlist is much more about blowing the blues in trad jazz favorites like “St. James Infirmary,” “Down by the Riverside,” “I Ain’t Got Nobody,” and the like.

There’s even a bit a vaudeville in the act, with juggling and (more than once) fiery dancing to the Charleston and Jitterbug. Also, Gunhild finds the swing possibilities in such unexpected instruments as recorders and bagpipes.

The show is so high energy, in fact, that it sometimes spirals out of control, skirting the edges of chaos. An excess of energy is not the worst problem to have, however, and it helps give the evening a consistent feel of light-hearted good times. Recommended.

For tickets, click here.

To learn about Jonathan Warman’s directing work, see jonathanwarman.com.