Professor Cunningham
and His Old School

QUICK STATS
started: 2013
home base: New York City
style: traditional/New Orleans & swing
band size: sextet

Professor Cunningham and His Old School is one of the most sought after groups on the international scene, performing around the world at major events and festivals. This award-winning  New York based band performs the most swinging and grooving repertoire ranging from the streets of New Orleans to the early dance halls of Harlem NYC.

Formed and fronted by in-demand vocalist and reedman Adrian Cunningham - an Australian native based in NYC, - Professor Cunningham and His Old School consists of some of the most energetic and accomplished musicians on the New York scene. They present, with unparalleled energy, repertoire ranging from early jazz and the birth of swing, to soulful NOLA Rhythm and Blues. They have been a regular hit in the NYC underground party and swing dance scene since the band's formation in 2012; performing at some of the world's finest jazz and swing events- notably: Blue Note Jazz Fest (NYC), Snowball (Stockholm), Melbourne Intl Jazz Fest (Australia), CPLX (Copenhagen), Chase Festival (Heidelberg), Swing Crash (Como, Italy), Albany Jazz Festival, Barswingona (Spain) and Blue Skies (Lisbon).

Adrian is the recipient of the Hot House Saxophone Award for 2017. Adrian's band, Professor Cunningham and His Old School, is the winner of international band competition World Jam, (Madrid- 2016, 2017) and Best Band award at 2017 Harlem Festival (Vilnius, Lithuania).  

He has performed at some of the Big Apple's finest clubs- Blue Note, Smalls, Birdland, 55 Bar, Apollo Theatre, Fat Cat, Dizzy's Club (Lincoln Centre) and even a private event at the hallowed Village Vanguard; with such luminaries as Wynton Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon, Jon Batiste, George Coleman Jr and Jazz luminaries Jeff Hamilton, John Clayton, and Ted Rosenthal , Chris Potter, and Renee Marie.

Cunningham also has a busy individual Jazz Festival schedule, including North Carolina Jazz Festival, Central Illinois Jazz festival, Newport, and also concerts at the famous Gennett studios (Richmond, Indiana). International festival credits include Montreux Jazz Festival (3 times!!) Johanessburg, Japan, London, Tokyo and Sopot Molo (Poland).

PRESS:

"Indispensable to New York's jazz scene."
 Hot House Magazine, New York 

"Cunningham’s tender clarinet work..epitomizes sophistication and grace."
DownBeat Magazine

"Adrian Cunningham's saxophone solo actually
had me making whimpering noises in the front stalls"
The Independent, London

"The Down Under Sax Star"
The Wall Street Journal

"outstanding young jazz talent."
The Australian

"Adrian Cunningham’s clarinet playing saved the day for me."
The Star, Johannesburg

ADDITIONAL MEDIA: