Niss Kerstin
Trad
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This interpretation of the poetry of Nobel laureate Harry Martinson is one of the most successful folk-fusions of Sweden, with a rich, organic quality that is still adventurous and unusual. Deep folk roots, hints of jazz and classical strains, a dark brroding quality at one moment, a bright, almost dewey quality the next. Coupled with a heady ensemble and sensitive prodcution, this is a must-have for fans of new Swedish music.

Niss Kersin - vocals, composition
Mats Edén - fiddle
Anders Hagberg - saxophones and flute
Terje Isungset - percussion
Johannes Lundberg - bass
Rickard Åström - keyboards

Listen to some short MP3 samples
Ekins Minne
Enbusken

"She can be just a wisp of vocal, seeming to be almost at the breaking point, but then the next moment she can shout to the wind and bend to the forces of nature. The production by Karl Seglem is organic and flowing, offering the musicians ample room to create mood and space. An excellent interpretation of poetry into music is always difficult. This group of artists have found a musical as well as textual approach to bring Martinson's poetry to the ear." - Cliff Furnald, RootsWorld

Press release:
Harry Martinson was one of Sweden's foremost writers and poets. A member of the Swedish Academy and Nobel Prize winner in 1974. In his writings impressions of nature, from a microscopic angle to a cosmic perspective, play a major role. In Martinson' s nature lyric folksinger Niss Kerstin Hallgren found the texts to the music she wanted to compose. The music to the Tree and the Forest. She describes the encounter with Martinsons poems about trees as magical - a voyage where the music wrote itself. Essentially Swedish folk music with a touch of jazz and improvised music In the group Niss Kerstin hand-picked for Träd (Trees) we find fiddler Mats Edén, Anders Hagberg, saxophones and flute, Terje Isungset, percussion, Johannes Lundberg, double bass and Rickard Åström, piano. Musicians with a vast experience in bands like Groupa, Winduo, Utla a. o. Norwegian saxophone-player Karl Seglem, a musical innovator on numerous recordings of his own where folk music meets jazz, was the obvious choice as producer for the project.

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