Review: Bryce Edwards and Mike Davis Bring the Heat to Birdland

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The title of the show says hot but Bryce Edwards and Mike Davis are the coolest.

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Celebrated entertainers Bryce Edwards and Mike Davis first played their show HOT COMBINATION in September of 2025, and, lucky for those of us who missed that first performance, the gentlemen in spats (only spiritually) returned to the scene of their triumph on June 7th to show off that which makes them, as solo artists, unique and, as a team, a force. Misters Davis and Edwards are two special musicians, and that’s without the hook created by their mutual interest in history-centric music. Always clad in vintage (looking) clothing, Bryce and Mike have created this program to honor Cliff Edwards (whose era was the 1920’s into the ‘3os) and Red Nichols (whose fame peaked in the Twenties), with Bryce focusing his attention on the former and Mike shining his light on the latter. Like Nichols and Edwards, Davis and Edwards have joined forces as vocalist (Bryce) and cornetist (Mike) and, like Nichols and Edwards, Bryce and Mike have a winning combination on their hands.

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The great thing about Misters Davis and Edwards (well, there are a lot of great things about them…) is that their passion for this time and style of music informs their shows but it doesn’t affect their accessibility, only their affability. Isn’t it fun to watch someone talk about something that they love? Whether in real life or at a club act, one's level of enjoyment while listening to someone talk is compounded when the orator is in love with the topic on display. No Charlie Brown teacher droning on are Edwards and Davis while discussing the subject of their ardor - these are men of the Twenties talking about gentlemen of the Twenties, and with a wistful glint in their eye, a gleeful hop in their voice. Davis and Edwards are modern day men waxing poetic about yesteryear men - and in ways as varied as their own personalities. Mike Davis is enthusiastic in a laid back manner while sharing histories and factoids along with his cool cornet, while Bryce Edwards is bubbly and boisterous, sometimes so excited about discussing Cliff Edwards with a captive audience that his rhetoric cannot keep up with his intention. And there are enough yucks in his humor that Colin Hancock should be at the ready with a rimshot, at any given moment, while Davis slips the zingers in with the ease of studied stand up comic. The gents are jovial and genial, and their different styles of storytelling (both oratory and musical) work extremely well together. One cannot help but say a little prayer of gratitude to the gods of cabaret and historical preservation.

And then the setlist starts. And you have to pray to the gods of music, too.

There’s a kind of genius about Bryce Edwards and Mike Davis. There is a uniqueness to their talent and to their skill (different things, by the way) that belongs, solely, to them. Each man has something special that, when in the room to see it in action, one cannot help but crane the head forward a little, maybe furrow the brow a bit, and try to make sense of what you are hearing (seeing, too, if you consider Bryce’s facial expressions). It’s after being a bit breathtaking, being in the room with them. Oh, sure, this kind of act was all the rage a hundred years ago, but we don’t get to see this every day, in real time. We don’t get to hear a boy sing “Dinah” the way it was, once, sung - we have to go to YouTube and look it up. And YouTube is great, but in person is better! We don’t get to hear a fellow perform “Singin’ in the Rain” and sound like he’s singing through a megaphone, even though there is no megaphone in sight. It is a treat to be taken back in time by these modern-day Vaudevillians - and the benefit of their musical Tardis is that there are those of us who are old enough to remember the era, the music, the artists (even the popular cartoons that spoofed them), but there are also people who are NOT old enough, and thanks to Mike and Bryce, their interest can be piqued and their appetite whet. And even setting aside personal interest in the topic and the time, the superb proficiency of all of the men on the stage (it is an impressive band) makes the musical programming worth hearing. My own plus-one on the evening had no knowledge of this era in music and was beaming the entire night.

Among the highlights at the June 7th performance were opening number “After You’ve Gone,” performed only by the band ( see their names below, please ) which set the tone right and proper (and the bar, which was impressively high), a comedic “How She Loves Me Is Nobody’s Business” that showcased everyone’s ability with timing, a “Plenty Off-Center” featuring only Misters Reeder, Hancock, and Davis that had audience members tapping toes, drumming fingers, and bobbing heads (audience watching is one of the plusses of an Edwards/Davis show), and a “Lovey, Be Mine” that as akin to being dropped into a party at Queenie’s or Jay’s. There was a mid-show change of pace with a croon-y, swoon-y “Dreaming of a Castle in the Air,” after which the boys made a hard turn back into comedy with “Say! Who is That Baby Doll?” - a section of the show that, if filmed, would make a perfect teaser trailer for bookers around the country who are looking for new shows for their clubs, and they should be looking at Hot Combination because it checks off all the boxes - it is truly enjoyable nightclub fare ( Davis, by the way, did the impressive arrangements ). It may sound a little niche, with its vintage vibes and century-old material, but there is no arguing with audience reaction, and the Birdland patrons on June 7th were all over this show, and with good reason, too: it is hot and cool at the same time, it is doggone fine entertainment with a side of education, too. Edwards and Davis impart trivia in a manner that makes it easy to listen to and absorb, all the while sweeting the deal with magnificent musical entertainment - and that's just good cabaret, whatever the topic or genre. Hot Combination is a winner, all around.

The Hot Combination Band are:

Bryce Edwards: vocals, ukulele

Mike Davis: cornet

Ricky Alexander: alto saxophone and clarinet

Matt Musselman: trombone

Felix Lemerle: guitar

Bryan Reeder: piano

Jay Rattman: bass saxophone

Colin Hancock: drums

Find great shows to see on the Birdland website HERE.

Visit the Bryce Edwards IG page HERE and the Mike Davis website HERE.

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/cabaret/article/Review-Bryce-Edwards-and-Mike-Davis-Cool-Off-Birdland-With-HOT-COMBINATION-20260621)._