Tag Archives: Nordic music

Trond Kallevåg’s Fargo single

One of the albums I listened to the most during the darkest days of the Covid pandemic was Norwegian guitarist Trond Kallevåg’s Bedehus & Hawaii, released by Hubro in 2019. So I’m especially happy to learn that Hubro is scheduling … Continue reading

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Emilia Lajunen’s Vainaan perua: Satavuotinen Sakka (Legacy Of The Dead: Deep In The Dregs)

”Plays like a village full of haunted fiddlers,” wrote the leading Finnish newspaper about Emilia Lajunen. I found this quote on Finnish fiddler Emilia Lajunen’s website while looking for more information about her staggering new solo album. It’s titled Vainaan … Continue reading

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Emmi Kuittinen’s Surun Synty

Finnish folk singer Emmi Kuittenen and her trio of backing musicians delve into various shades of nostalgia, longing and mourning on her debut album Surun Synty (The Birth of Sorrow). Solidly based in Finnish folk traditions but with touches of … Continue reading

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Sinikka Langeland’s Wind And Sun

Magical. That’s the first word that came to mind as I listened to Sinikka Langeland’s Wind And Sun. This is Langeland’s 11th solo album and seventh on ECM (her work has also appeared on Grappa and Heilo labels). I first … Continue reading

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Morten Georg Gismervik’s Dunes at Night

Here’s an album that’s hard to categorize. The young Norwegian guitarist and composer Morten Georg Gismervik’s Dunes at Night draws on contemporary jazz, classical, progressive, film scoring, and the wintry pallette of atmospheric Nordic jazz to tell a story of … Continue reading

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Silver Arm’s Never Despair

The world is a strange place, full of people who think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. In Europe, where I live, we are crowded with singers and musicians who do their best to sound … Continue reading

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Lena Jonsson Trio’s Elements

If you’re like me you can’t get enough of the neo-traditional Swedish folk sound represented by Väsen, and you’re always ready for more along that line. Well, we’re in luck, because Lena Jonsson has a new release. I know it’s … Continue reading

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Nils Økland & Sigbjørn Apeland’s Glimmer

Norwegian violinist Nils Økland and keyboardist Sigbjørn Apeland have been collaborating for 30 years, largely exploring the place where Norwegian traditional music and improvisation meet. On Glimmer they delve into a collection of folk music and originals arranged for Økland’s … Continue reading

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Knut Buen & Sigmund Groven’s Kjenslevev

I’m a big fan of modern Norwegian folk music and jazz, but I’m not very familiar with strictly traditional Norwegian folk music. On the basis of this generous album of modern Norwegian folk songs done in the traditional style, I’d … Continue reading

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Nils Økland’s Glødetrådar

For some reason I didn’t get around to reviewing this lovely album when it came out, and have had some sort of mental block against it ever since. There’s some confusion about its release date – one streaming service says … Continue reading

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