Faroese Blues and Bliss
09/28/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I first heard Eivor Paldsottir performing at a recent tourism conference in Torshavn. She sang songs in both Faroese and English, ranging from traditional folk songs to modern country music. Eivor's powerfully smokey voice brought life to all the songs she sung. I was enchanted to hear more, so I bought her CD. I have enjoyed listening to it, and it has enchanted many of my coworkers as well. This is an album of Faroese and Danish folk songs performed with a jazz and blues influence. The mixture is beautiful- the minor keys and percussions of Faroese traditional music lend itself perfectly to jazz and blues. The first song on the album is my favorite, but I also enjoyed the haunting rendition of some traditional Faroese chain dance songs. Eivor blended in her own mystical jazz rendition of these songs against a backdrop of the original Faroese style: verses sung acapella by a group of chain dancers as they dance, the sound of their stamping feet providing a unique percussion. This fusion of modern jazz and Medieval chain dance music was exquisite. The Faroese people are splendid for combining the influences of their past to create something tastefully modern, whether it be fashion, music or architecture. This album shows how skilfully this can be done. Eivor and her band display a powerful love of their country's music, bought to life through their own jazz/blues medium. Eivor herself is a refreshing alternative to the materialistic image-driven teenage and twenty something artists you usually see. It is nice to see someone in this generation excel through her own sensually elegant approach. She reminds me of Norah Jones with her subtly passionate approach. I hope we hear more from Eivor aned her colleagues in the future."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1