Tag Archives: Nordic music

Erlend Apneseth’s Song Over Støv

This album is a deep, complex and engaging exploration of the borderlands where Norwegian traditional music meets chamber folk, art song, and avant garde minimalism. We’re in good hands with Hardanger fiddler and composer Erlend Apneseth at the helm. The … Continue reading

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Mojna’s Väntenätter

Somehow I totally slept on this when it was released in the summer of 2024, but I recently fished it out of the digital folder where it was languishing and have been listening to it a lot. Väntenätter is the … Continue reading

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Anders Jormin and Christian Jormin’s Provenance

On Provenance, the Jormin brothers, Anders on double bass and Christian on piano, drums and percussion, play an album of open, airy, sometimes wintry music that blends jazz, classical and folk idioms. The two are both well known in the … Continue reading

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Gisle Torvik’s Tranquil Fjord

Norwegian guitarist Gisle Torvik’s Tranquil Fjord is indeed for the most part tranquil, but like any Norwegian fjord it is also dramatic. Sometimes in small, subtle ways, sometimes in large, obvious ways. Torvik is a prolific young musician who doesn’t … Continue reading

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JP Nyströms’ Stockholm 1313 Km

Mike Stiles wrote this review. Aha, another Nordic CD to review. First cut is “Spel Nisses Vals,” a lovely waltz with just a hint of the Germanic oompah influence. I’d better head out to the beer garden for the rest … Continue reading

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Various artists’ Nouse Luonto: Lauluja Monimuotoisuudestat

“The birds gifted us their song thousands of years ago. Now it is our responsibility to ensure the vitality of their song.” Those words from Heikki Laitinen, a musician, researcher, and emeritus professor of folk music, state the theme of … Continue reading

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Mathias Eick Quartet’s Lullaby

Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick has played on some of my favorite ECM titles of recent years, particularly Sinikka Langeland’s spine-tingling Wind And Sun and Manu Katché’s Playground, and he has quite an extensive discography as a leader as well as … Continue reading

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Stein Urheim’s Speilstillevariasjoner

Norwegian guitarist and composer Stein Urheim has an extensive back catalog on the Hubro label going back a dozen years, and also has contributed to the music of several other Hubro artists (and favorites of mine), including Frode Haltli’s Avant … Continue reading

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Möller, Willemark, and Gudmundson’s Frifot; Frifot’s Frifot, Jårven, and SummerSong; Garmarna’s Garmarna, Guds Spelemån, Vengeance, and Vittrad

Methinks that no one can keep up with all the great Nordic music that’s being released. Reynard, a band mate of mine, noted that A Fine Kettle of Fish, his favourite source of Nordic music, has tripled the space they … Continue reading

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Garmarna’s Hildegard von Bingen

The sticker says “12th century chants, 21st century sounds.” But don’t let that strike fear into your soul. This is no mamby pamby attempt to cash in on the unexpected appeal of Gregorian chants with New Age backgrounds. Nor is … Continue reading

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