Silje Nergaard - Houses

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:38
Size: 125,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:59) 1. His house
(3:19) 2. Window bird
(4:51) 3. A crying shame
(1:56) 4. Rain roofs
(5:46) 5. The ballet boy
(3:19) 6. I knew that I loved you
(3:27) 7. Night street
(4:33) 8. Candle in the window
(6:14) 9. Velvet curtains
(1:18) 10. Balcony ladies
(2:35) 11. My neighbour's cat
(3:57) 12. My crowded house
(3:42) 13. A long winter
(5:34) 14. One year

Multi-award-winning Norwegian jazz singer Silje Nergaard is a well-established artist with the world as her playground. She has released 16 albums since her debut in 1990. Her musical career got off to a flying start when she, at only 16, got up on stage in an impromptu jam session with Jaco Pastorius Band at Molde International Jazz Festival. The legendary jazz music critic Randi Hultin was in the audience and the result was next-day newspaper reviews announcing Norway’s new big jazz discovery. Silje’s debut single Tell me Where You’re Going recorded with guitar legend Pat Metheny was released in 1990 and instantly became an international success. It went straight to the top of the Japanese charts (where they even named a wine after her!)

Her album At First Light (2001) is to this day the best-selling jazz album of all times in Norway, selling more than 140.000 copies and spending 17 weeks on the charts. The single Be Still My Heart became Silje’s signature hit and from then on, she has been a household name in the international jazz scene. In 2008, she recorded the album A Thousand True Stories with the Metropole Orchest in Holland, under the baton of Grammy Award-winning composer Vince Mendoza. The title track received a Grammy Nomination in the US.

Silje is a pioneering artist in the international jazz scene and has developed her own unique sound and style both as a singer and a composer. She has toured worldwide with her music, performing and collaborating with the likes of Al Jarreau, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Kurt Elling, Toots Thielmans and Morten Harket. Manhattan Transfer is one of many acts that have covered Silje’s music. Alongside composing, Silje frequently tours both domestic and internationally, and Germany is to date her biggest market.

In 2020, Silje Nergaard will be celebrating her 30-year anniversary as an artist by releasing two new albums, which will be followed up by international touring. https://www.siljenergaard.com/bio

Houses

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Silje Nergaard - Japanese Blue

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:20
Size: 109,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:53) 1. Be Still My Heart
(5:56) 2. Based on a Thousand True Stories
(4:03) 3. The Waltz
(5:21) 4. I Don't Wanna See You Cry
(5:16) 5. Mercy Street
(5:09) 6. Lullaby to Erle
(4:06) 7. Love of My Life
(6:23) 8. Japanese Blue
(5:11) 9. En Og En

The Norwegian Silje Nergaard is a singer who should be known to everyone who has not heard her sing yet. There is a special occasion for this. The artist is celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of her career this year. Of which Japanese Blue is an element - a thing for sensitive listeners. The soothing sounds that fill this album bring hope and light. A plaster for our aching souls in times of plague. She started out performing pop, and in the early 1990s she released several LPs sung in her mother tongue. She made her debut at the age of only 16. Over the past three decades, she has recorded over a dozen phonograms. He has collaborated with such stars of jazz and popular music as Al Jarreau, Pat Metheny, Toots Thielemans, John Scofield, Nils Petter Molvær or Morten Harket from the famous A-ha group. Her first single Tell Me Where You´re Going (recorded with Pat Metheny in 1990) was an international hit. Silje Nergaard has crowds of enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic. She is one of the few Norwegian singers whose albums and concert tours are selling out in Japan, Brazil, Germany, England and even the United States. In the Land of the Rising Sun, where jazz and classical music flow from the loudspeakers even in elevators and supermarkets, one of the types of wine was named in her honor.

The pillars of the bands accompanying her were the masters of Scandinavian jazz: Tord Gustavsen and Jarle Vespestad. The outstanding conductor and arranger Vince Mendoza was nominated for a Grammy in 2011 in the Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist (s) category for his work on the title song from the album A Thousand True Stories, which is a recording of a session with the Dutch The Metropole Orkest. I often reach for this album ... It's high time that Silje herself won a Grammy! At the end of February we received the album Japanese Blue from Silje. It is a set of nine Norwegian hits and a few covers in an intimate arrangement for voice and piano. This disc has a special character because it was recorded at home near Oslo. Nergaard plunged into her cavernous catalog to pick out a few gems. The mid-generation pianist Espen Berg is responsible for the acoustic and minimalistic sound (he played, among others, with the trumpeter Per Jørgensen, saxophonist Marius Neset and with the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra). He is an equal protagonist of Japanese Blue. Silje Nergaard has an original, subtle, light, girly voice with a high register. I would compare her timbre to the vocals of such singing ladies as Blossom Dearie, Stacey Kent, Kat Edmonson, Lisa Bassenge or Lisa Ekdahl. The uncomplicated arrangement, the simplicity of the message, the minimalist approach to famous songs delight from the first sounds while listening to this ascetic album. In addition, there is a noticeable chemistry between the singer and her accompanist. Without fireworks, pompous solutions or pathos, we smoothly move on to the next ballad.

Japanese Blue opens the poignant version of Be Still My Heart. The song is almost 20 years old and first appeared on At First Light in 2001. We also receive an acoustic version of the song Based On A Thousand True Stories. I Don't Want To See You Cry hasn't grown old, on the contrary, in her new interpretation, Silje has matured. Covers of Mercy Street by Peter Gabriel and Love Of My Life by Queen are also interesting. For the finale, the Nergaard / Espen duo serves us the only song sung in Norwegian, En Og En. Japanese Blue is the first Silje Nergaard album that we receive this year. The coronavirus pandemic has thwarted many artist's plans. The schedule for celebrating the jubilee was different. The album with the original compositions was to come out with the acoustic album at the end of February. Forced isolation left a northern European diva trapped in the house. Silje decided to postpone such a premiere. Hamar Stasjon is expected to be finally released in May. Like hundreds of artists from around the world, during the worldwide quarantine, the artist regularly invites us to her living room on Saturday evenings for a live streaming of an intimate concert from the Living Room Session series. I will definitely "visit" Silje to listen to her subtle voice.~ Piotr Peplinski https://jazzpress.pl/plyty/silje-nergaard-japanese-blue

Personnel: Vocals – Silje Nergaard; Piano – Espen Berg

Japanese Blue

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Silje Nergaard - For You a Thousand Times

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:17
Size: 146,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:23)  1. It's Gonna Rain
(5:08)  2. For You a Thousand Times
(4:49)  3. Breathe
(5:50)  4. Cocco Bello
(3:25)  5. Amy
(4:19)  6. Sleepwalking
(4:32)  7. Run Run Run
(5:25)  8. Hush Little Bird
(3:39)  9. Jaded Childhood Dreams
(4:53) 10. Winter Moon
(4:06) 11. Cocco Bello (Radio Edit)
(3:50) 12. Breathe (Radio Edit)
(4:46) 13. For You a Thousand Times (Radio Edit)
(4:04) 14. It's Gonna Rain (Radio Edit)

Every song on the album "For You A Thousand Times" is a musical story in which the Norwegian jazz singer and songwriter Silje Nergaard makes past encounters and personal experiences with rousing melodies in a subtly arranged sound panorama. "I have seen pictures of how families from North and South Korea have met again after decades of separation. Everyone cried with joy and were filled with happiness. This is the song "For You a Thousand Times", "recalls Nergaard. One of the most intimate memories is her "Hush Little Bird," a sleepy figure for her little Ethiopian adoptive son Jonah, who sneaks in his native language before falling asleep. "For You A Thousand Times" is full of such stories: About invisible connections, longing and love. It is Nergaard's most personal album and a musical tale full of hope. Nergaard is accompanied by Andreas Ulvo (keyboard), Audun Erlien (bass), Sidiki Camara (percussion), Wetle Holte (drums and percussion), Mathias Eick (Trompetet), Håkon Aase (violin) and Håkon Korn. Translate by Google  https://www.amazon.de/You-Thousand-Times-Silje-Nergaard/dp/B07487316S

For You a Thousand Times

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Silje Nergaard - Be Still My Heart - The Essential

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:13
Size: 157,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:03)  1. Be Still My Heart
(4:40)  2. We should be happier by now
(4:46)  3. Shame On You
(4:58)  4. Dance Me Love
(4:40)  5. I don`t wanna see you cry
(4:21)  6. If You Leave Me Now
(5:24)  7. On and on
(3:06)  8. Me Oh My
(4:12)  9. The Waltz
(5:00) 10. Tell Me Where You're Going
(5:35) 11. How am I supposed to see the stars
(3:46) 12. Keep On Backing Losers
(4:24) 13. Japanese Blue
(3:39) 14. Lullaby To Erle
(4:33) 15. Ga en annen vei

Silje Nergaard is an award-winning Norwegian jazz-pop singer/songwriter who peaked in popularity after the turn of the century with the chart-topping albums At First Light (2001) and Nightwatch (2003). Born on June 19, 1966, in Steinkjer, Norway, she cites influences that include Al Jarreau and Joni Mitchell. As a teenager she became something of a national sensation when she joined an impromptu jam session at the 1983 Molde Internasjonal Jazz Festival. In 1984 she made her solo recording debut with a 7" single, "One of These Mornings"/"My Funny Valentine," released on PolyGram. Several years later she signed a recording deal with Lifetime Records and made her full-length album debut with Tell Me Where You're Going (1990), the first of three English-language jazz-pop albums produced and co-written by Richard Niles. The highlights of these early albums, the others being Silje (1991) and Cow on the Highway (1995), were later compiled on the best-of collection The Lifetime Years (2005). After parting ways with Lifetime Records, Nergaard released a couple Norwegian-language albums on the label Kirkelig Kulturverksted: Brevet (1995) and Hjemmefra (1996). Upon signing a major-label recording deal with Universal Music, Nergaard broke through to mainstream success in 2000 with Port of Call, a full-length English-language effort comprised largely of cover material. Port of Call was a Top Ten hit on the Norwegian albums chart and set the stage for her chart-topping follow-up albums, At First Light (2001) and Nightwatch (2003). Like Port of Call, these two albums feature a quartet comprised of Tord Gustavsen (piano, Rhodes), Harald Johnsen (acoustic bass), and Jarle Vespestad (drums), in addition to Nergaard (vocals). Almost entirely self-composed, Nightwatch was especially successful, earning Nergaard a Spellemannprisen award for Musician of the Year. In the wake of this success, Be Still My Heart: The Essential (2005), a best-of collection also featuring some new material, was released, along with the aforementioned Lifetime compilation. Subsequent albums Darkness out of Blue (2007) and A Thousand True Stories (2009), both Top Five hits, feature an expanded band and arrangements by Vince Mendoza. ~ Jason Birchmeier https://itunes.apple.com/no/artist/silje-nergaard/id13493860#fullText

Be Still My Heart - The Essential

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Silje Nergaard - Port Of Call

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:09
Size: 115,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:06)  1. Me Oh My
(5:25)  2. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
(3:13)  3. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
(4:05)  4. If You Love Somebody
(2:25)  5. What's New
(4:10)  6. The Waltz
(3:41)  7. You're Kind
(3:05)  8. For All We Know
(4:45)  9. Shame On You
(5:20) 10. Every Time We Say Goodbye
(3:14) 11. Dream A Little Dream
(4:35) 12. Don't Explain

Silje Nergaard is an award-winning Norwegian jazz-pop singer/songwriter who peaked in popularity after the turn of the century with the chart-topping albums At First Light (2001) and Nightwatch (2003). Born on June 19, 1966, in Steinkjer, Norway, she cites influences that include Al Jarreau and Joni Mitchell. As a teenager she became something of a national sensation when she joined an impromptu jam session at the 1983 Molde Internasjonal Jazz Festival. In 1984 she made her solo recording debut with a 7" single, "One of These Mornings"/"My Funny Valentine," released on PolyGram. Several years later she signed a recording deal with Lifetime Records and made her full-length album debut with Tell Me Where You're Going (1990), the first of three English-language jazz-pop albums produced and co-written by Richard Niles. 

The highlights of these early albums, the others being Silje (1991) and Cow on the Highway (1995), were later compiled on the best-of collection The Lifetime Years (2005). After parting ways with Lifetime Records, Nergaard released a couple Norwegian-language albums on the label Kirkelig Kulturverksted: Brevet (1995) and Hjemmefra (1996). Upon signing a major-label recording deal with Universal Music, Nergaard broke through to mainstream success in 2000 with Port of Call, a full-length English-language effort comprised largely of cover material. Port of Call was a Top Ten hit on the Norwegian albums chart and set the stage for her chart-topping follow-up albums, At First Light (2001) and Nightwatch (2003). Like Port of Call, these two albums feature a quartet comprised of Tord Gustavsen (piano, Rhodes), Harald Johnsen (acoustic bass), and Jarle Vespestad (drums), in addition to Nergaard (vocals). Almost entirely self-composed, Nightwatch was especially successful, earning Nergaard a Spellemannprisen award for Musician of the Year. In the wake of this success, Be Still My Heart: The Essential (2005), a best-of collection also featuring some new material, was released, along with the aforementioned Lifetime compilation. Subsequent albums Darkness out of Blue (2007) and A Thousand True Stories (2009), both Top Five hits, feature an expanded band and arrangements by Vince Mendoza. ~ Jason Birchmeier  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/silje-nergaard-mn0000329649/biography

Port Of Call

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Silje Nergaard - Chain Of Days

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:44
Size: 102.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:05] 1. Buckle Her Shoe
[4:22] 2. The Dance Floor
[4:43] 3. The Leaving
[3:28] 4. A Crying Shame
[3:29] 5. Come Walk Around
[3:53] 6. Lady Charlotte
[4:36] 7. Those Rainy Nights
[3:49] 8. Two For The Road
[3:28] 9. Cafe De Flore
[3:53] 10. Hunting High And Low
[4:53] 11. Morgenstemning

I can't believe that this is my 15th album … time passes so quickly. But, I'm just as excited as if 'Chain of Days' was my first release. Each song has their own unique personality and little story, and I can now share them with you. I've also chosen to record a cover song, my version of an A-ha song.

The album was recorded here in Oslo with a group of wonderful musicians, all of whom I've known for many years. My two steady guitarists Hallgrim and Håvar are with me and in addition, I have brought my old friends in on bass and drums, trumpet and even a male choir….. yes, many beautiful musical colours. Still, the arrangements contain air and space - "Less is more" remains my musical mantra.

Looking forward to seeing you all, and please - take care. ~Silje

Chain Of Days

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DR Big Band - Jazz Divas Of Scandinavia

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:41
Size: 106.9 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:21] 1. Be Still My Heart (Silje Nergaard)
[4:27] 2. Voodoo Skills (Rigmor Gustafsson)
[4:57] 3. Send In The Clowns (Cæcilie Norby)
[6:01] 4. Nothing's Better Than Love (Rigmor Gustafsson)
[5:16] 5. Naked In The Dark (Cæcilie Norby)
[5:15] 6. Tell Me Where You're Going (Silje Nergaard)
[5:25] 7. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Rigmor Gustafsson)
[4:42] 8. Japanese Blue (Silje Nergaard)
[5:14] 9. Circus, Circus (Cæcilie Norby)

For the first time ever the three most significant female jazz vocalist of Scandinavia are gathered on a single album. Jazz Divas of Scandinavia beautifully documents the meeting of the legendary DR Big Band and the three distinct jazz vocal traditions of Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Norby, Nergaard and Gustafsson have each defined female jazz vocal in Scandinavia over the last 10 years and have spearheaded the current surge of talented new female jazz singers. The three women each have an impressive career in their native countries as well as around the world. The collaboration with the DR Big Band is undoubtedly the ultimate experience of Scandinavian jazz vocal.

Jazz Divas Of Scandinavia

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