Tag Archives: Nordic music

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

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Emmi Kuittinen’s Surun Synty

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

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Sinikka Langeland’s Wind And Sun

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

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Morten Georg Gismervik’s Dunes at Night

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

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Silver Arm’s Never Despair

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

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Lena Jonsson Trio’s Elements

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

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Nils Økland & Sigbjørn Apeland’s Glimmer

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

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Knut Buen & Sigmund Groven’s Kjenslevev

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

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Nils Økland’s Glødetrådar

Aly Bain & Ale Möller’s Beyond the Stacks

One of the finest concerts my wife and I ever saw was Aly Bain and Ale Möller at the Center for Cultural Exchange in Portland, Maine, several years back. Like the music of Frifot, of which Ale is a member, … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Aly Bain & Ale Möller’s Beyond the Stacks

Aly Bain and Ale Möller at the Center for Cultural Exchange, Portland, Maine, May 12, 2005

Donna Bird and Cat Eldridge co-wrote this review. Maine-dwellers will remember May 2005 as the month of ceaseless rain, wind and unseasonably cold temperatures. The weather was at its worst on the weekends. Most of us were house-bound against our … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Aly Bain and Ale Möller at the Center for Cultural Exchange, Portland, Maine, May 12, 2005