LOW-FLY QUINTET - Stop For A While
Losen: LOS188-2
Camilla Tomta: vocal; Siri Snortheim: cello; Uri Sala: double bass; Ole Gjostol: piano; Skjalg Lidsheim: drums, percussion.
Recorded September 2017 by Ornulv Snortheim at Dakkota Studio, Hamar.
The liner notes of this CD contain a poem by Geirr Lystrup, which contains the line ‘when Camilla sings the cello dances’. The opening track, ‘Thank you’ pairs Tomta’s warmly rich blues tone with vibrant cello lines over a bouncing groove. The set moves between swinging jump-jive to languid ballads delivered in the manner of torch songs. Each piece creates the atmosphere of a dark and smoky jazz club, perhaps on the Left Bank, perhaps in Copenhagen but definitely somewhere a little risqué.
The blend of a piano trio with voice and cello definitely creates an unusual take on the early ‘40s styling of the music. The 10 tune set also mixes familiar songs, like Fats Waller’s ‘Black and Blue’ (track 2), Sonny Burke’s ‘Black Coffee’ (track 9) or Jimmy van Heusen’s ‘But beautiful’ (track 3) with five originals. Across each of these Snortheim’s cello takes some delicious solos and provides the perfect foil to Tomta’s singing. It is, of course, unusual for the cello to take such prominence and the way that it carves out its own spaces in this quintet makes for some intriguing listening. The group’s name ‘Low-Fly Quintet’ could refer to the way that pieces work their way down the register and enjoy the deep notes on Tomta’s singing and the richness of the cello.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Losen: LOS188-2
Camilla Tomta: vocal; Siri Snortheim: cello; Uri Sala: double bass; Ole Gjostol: piano; Skjalg Lidsheim: drums, percussion.
Recorded September 2017 by Ornulv Snortheim at Dakkota Studio, Hamar.
The liner notes of this CD contain a poem by Geirr Lystrup, which contains the line ‘when Camilla sings the cello dances’. The opening track, ‘Thank you’ pairs Tomta’s warmly rich blues tone with vibrant cello lines over a bouncing groove. The set moves between swinging jump-jive to languid ballads delivered in the manner of torch songs. Each piece creates the atmosphere of a dark and smoky jazz club, perhaps on the Left Bank, perhaps in Copenhagen but definitely somewhere a little risqué.
The blend of a piano trio with voice and cello definitely creates an unusual take on the early ‘40s styling of the music. The 10 tune set also mixes familiar songs, like Fats Waller’s ‘Black and Blue’ (track 2), Sonny Burke’s ‘Black Coffee’ (track 9) or Jimmy van Heusen’s ‘But beautiful’ (track 3) with five originals. Across each of these Snortheim’s cello takes some delicious solos and provides the perfect foil to Tomta’s singing. It is, of course, unusual for the cello to take such prominence and the way that it carves out its own spaces in this quintet makes for some intriguing listening. The group’s name ‘Low-Fly Quintet’ could refer to the way that pieces work their way down the register and enjoy the deep notes on Tomta’s singing and the richness of the cello.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
