A sweet little trio version of a super five-piece-plus known as Tin Cup Serenade — guitar, trombone and upright bass — playing tunes that create their own sense of an era of not much bread but plenty of optimism despite it all… Their recent album is called “Tragic Songs of Hope” and that kind of says it all.  You’ll love this band, or we won’t understand why you don’t!

Rolf Wilkinson writes the tunes, by and large, sings them and plays guitar, Larry Leight plays trombone and Joe Kyle, Jr. plays bass. (When the full band is on display, you’ll generally find Safa Shokrai on bass, Pete Cornell on sax and Eric Garland on drums, though that won’t be the case today… not to worry…three pieces’ll get it!)

Nashville Music News glowingly reviewed the album, using the phrase “exuberant melancholy” and that pretty well describes the tone of it.  They quote Rolf, who says “Every song on the album has a bit of pathos and a bit of sunshine. There’s no sadness without happiness, no comedy without tragedy. I like the complexity that results from conflicting emotion.”  The songs, says NMN. evoke a Tin Pan Alley melange of New Orleans Jazz, Calypso, Swing, Mariachi, ragtime, early Country, and traditional Cuban Music.

But enough talk!  Check the band’s website at this link, and listen in on a few cuts.  Then come out Sunday 8/9 at noon & feel that wistful good cheer for yourself.