| Jazz |
Anna-Maria Nordström is a Swedish singer, songwriter, composer and arranger who started singing gospel in high school. She then became a gospel choir leader and conductor for Pité Gospel, acquired a Swedish music teacher’s degree and a Two-Year Certificate from Berklee College of Music, Boston, when she discovered the world of jazz. The seeds for several of the songs on this album were already sown in Boston in 2002. Anna-Maria wrote a number of modal compositions which were recorded as simple demo versions in a rehearsal room. Eight years later, Anna-Maria got her hands on these recordings and decided to rework them and to write more music with texts in Swedish. This is how she entered the studio to record 11 compositions, all signed Anna-Maria Nordström. She put together a band of seven experienced jazz musicians to bring her music to life.
The jazz band includes the excellent Per Johansson (piano), a devilishly effective rhythmic section with Johan Jansson (drums) and Martin Olsson (bass), and a bright and dazzling brass section with Jonathan Kronevik (trumpet), Jakob Sollerman (trombone), Per Nilsson (soprano saxophone and tenor saxophone) and Magnus Sjölander (alto saxophone).
‘Mod’ consists of a collection of musical short stories with a variety of musical expressions, some with lyrics and some without. The common thread is that it is Anna-Maria’s words, compositions and arrangements. The beauty of this album is based on a unique alchemy between voice and instruments.
In this album composer and singer Anna-Maria Nordström has invested her heart, as shown in the superb track entitled ‘Pappa’ (unfortunately no translation of the Swedish lyrics is provided in English in a leaflet…). The singer embodies the soul of performance, blending vocal technique and emotional expression.
The brass section plays a key role in adding textures and enriching the overall timbre. It also brings a luminous diversity and extends the stories through Anna-Maria’s voice. The indisputable talent of the drummer and bassist demonstrate throughout this album that they constitute the backbone of the band.
Discreet when necessary, but also very present throughout this album, Anna-Maria Nordström leads the band while leaving space for the musicians to express themselves. During the strong sections, all the instruments come together to create a striking emotional impact.
Hats off to the second piece, ‘Höst’, captivatingly slow and gentle, with a piano that bewitches you as much as Anna-Maria’s voice. The piano anticipates and reacts to Anna-Maria’s phrases, creating a subtle dialogue that enriches the track. Without doubt the Top track of this opus in which it is difficult, it is true, to find a flaw, a weakness.
“Could this be the start of something new?”, asks Anna-Maria Nordström… A first album which marks an excellent start, and which will be followed, we are sure, by other albums even more beautiful, brighter, more emotional as well… and if possible with the addition of an English translation of the lyrics in Swedish.
Frankie Pfeiffer
Editor in chief – PARIS-MOVE
PARIS-MOVE, November 27th 2024
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