Close To You - Celebrating Dionne Warwick

Various Artists - Fantastische FrauenCD / digital Julia Hülsmann & Rebekka Bakken, Anna Gréta, Solveig Slettahjell, Céline Bonacina, Ida Sand, Cæcilie Norby, Viktoria Tolstoy, Johanna Summer, Rigmor Gustafsson, Terri Lyne Carrington, Rita Marcotulli, Nesrine, Youn Sun Nah, Janne Mark, Kadri Voorand, Laila Biali Music is feminine. And it always has been, whether in Italian, German and French. Viva la musica. Die Musik. La musique. And in jazz? During the 20th century female musicians lives were lived in the shadows. Lil Hardin, for example, wrote compositions like “Struttin‘ With Some Barbecue”, and yet while her husband Louis Armstrong was becoming famous, she was hardly noticed at all. She was, as she described it later, “standing at the bottom of the ladder holding it and watching him climb.” Since then, however, things have moved on. Progress may be slow, but things are definitely changing. In jazz, today the female element has gone way beyond just the “girl singer with a band”. It is not only quite normal for a woman to be playing electric guitar, bass, drums or trumpet, we now have musicians such as Terri Lyne Carrington serving as important role models. “Fantastische Frauen” presents a selection of the strong female voices who have either forged their careers in partnership with ACT, or at least been with the label for part of their journey. Some came to the label at the beginning of their careers; others were already more established: Berlin-based pianist/composer Julia Hülsmann released three albums for ACT in the early 2000s, showing a refined sensitivity for language and a flawless instinct for setting poetry to music. “Same Girl” is her arrangement of the Randy Newman song, with Norwegian singer Rebekka Bakken as a kindred spirit on the album “Scattering Poems”.  Scandinavian singers have always been a major presence on ACT, including some stalwarts who have been with the label for several years: Viktoria Tolstoy, from Sweden, has eight albums to her name on ACT, of which “Shining On You” was the first. It features compositions by probably the most important Swedish jazz musician of the last 20 years, pianist Esbjörn Svensson. Icelandic pianist/singer Anna Gréta is a new member of the ACT family. “Nightjar in the Northern Sky” is simple, direct and con-cise. Solveig Slettahjell (Norway), Ida Sand (Sweden, both singer and pianist), Cæcilie Norby (Denmark) and Rigmor Gustafsson (Sweden) are important and well-established figures on the scene, and are all much more than “mere” singers: they have been writing and arranging their own music for many years, and also penning the lyrics and leading their own bands.  Janne Mark from Denmark occupies a very special place: she has found her own fascinating path between folk music, church hymns and jazz. Kadri Voorand from Estonia is also much more than just a singer. Alongside her mind-boggling vocal skills and her clever use of effects devices, the fact of quite how good a pianist she is – and also lyricist and composer – runs the risk of being overlooked. “I’m Not in Love” is both charming and unsett-ling, with just the right mixture of each. Youn Sun Nah, from South Korea, brought her love of French chanson and jazz to Europe, and has made some terrific recordings: “Momento Magico” with guitarist Ulf Wakenius stuns with its virtuosity, leaving the listener breathless. Nesrine creates magical worlds of sound with no boundaries: Cello and voice with Arabic roots and Mediterranean soul. Canadian vocalist/pianist Laila Biali combines everything which is good about singer-songwriting. Céline Bonacina takes on an unusual role; there are still not many well-known female baritone saxophonists, and even fewer who lead their own interesting bands. This Frenchwoman absolutely does her own thing... ...something which can also be said about pianist Johanna Summer. She chose Robert Schumann’s “Kinderszenen” (scenes from childhood) and “Album für die Jugend” (album for the young) as the starting point for free improvisations. Her album has had a major impact.  For Italian pianist Rita Marcotulli, the power of melody is the driving force – her album with the accordionist Luciano Biondini has a dreamlike quality. Today US-American Terri Lyne Carrington is one of the leading figures on the drum set and has played with all of the greats of jazz. She shared the stage with Wayne Shorter, composer of the classic “Witch Hunt” when she was still in her twenties. “Fantastische Frauen” is a very apt title for this album because music is female and so, increasingly, is jazz. The fact that this is now recognised and appreciated has been a major step forward. At some point in the future it will only ever be about the music, irrespective of whether it has been created or performed by male, female or diverse artists. And that will be the next big step forward.Credits: Curated by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Rigmor Gustafsson - Come HomeCD / digital Rigmor Gustafsson vocals Jonas Östholm piano Martin Höper bass Chris Montgomery drums Sometimes it’s wrong to rush things, even when everything might appear to be completely in place: "Straight after I had released my last album 'When You Make Me Smile' in 2014,” says Swedish singer Rigmor Gustafsson, “I knew what I wanted to do next, not least because the inspiration to write new music was coming so rapidly. It's a mystical and magic feeling when you can hear music inside you that you know you have to write down". But Rigmor Gustafsson is not one to rush in headlong. She prefers to let her ideas mature, to bring them to perfection. So before making "Come Home", she took her time. From the outset it was clear to Gustafsson that she wanted to record this album with her regular trio of several years. Pianist Jonas Östholm, bassist Martin Höper and drummer Chris Montgomery have become "my cornerstones, I simply love to sing with them", she says. And because Gustafsson finds that the music for new songs tends to fall into place before the lyrics, she could not have been happier when Andreas Mattsson, who had already worked for many other Swedish stars, suggested they might collaborate. They worked on three songs together. Even the elegiac "I Think Of You", which revels in some unusual and enticing blues changes, was far from a simple proposition. The same can be said of the longing and touching title track – which is heard last on the album – it became a little masterpiece. For the other original compositions, Gustafsson placed her trust in a circle of old friends, lyricists with whom she has worked together for a long time: Lina Nyberg, Tomas Bäcklund, Anders Lundin and the team of Caroline Cederlöf and Sofia Petterson. Originally, she had toyed with the idea of featuring just her own songs on "Come Home", but she had the increasingly strong feeling that she wanted to add some of her favourite songs, all by female songwriters. "Kate Bush and Joni Mitchell have always been an enormous inspiration to me," she says. And so the album begins with a wonderful, highly individual interpretation of Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi". Gustafsson has an extraordinary ability to deploy her technically perfect, captivatingly precise and powerful singing voice in a way that is completely natural and always individual, and those attributes can be admired at their fullest in Kate Bush's extremely demanding hit song "Wuthering Heights". Perhaps the most unusual track is Gustafsson's version of Tanita Tikaram's "Twist In My Sobriety", with Lisa Långbacka's accordion taking the original song's oboe melody. The memories, the feelings in this album are going to be recognizable to every listener. Songs such as "Winter Doesn't End" or "Enjoy The Day" are sometimes cheerful, sometimes melancholy but invariably captivating and irresistible. The sense that these songs are so true to life is attributable to the way the album evolved. Alongside her busy concert schedule, Gustafsson was determined to ensure that "Come Home" should be given all the time that it needed to reach fruition. She was conscious that she could not be satisfied until she had created something new and completely right from the things that had lain dormant within her. “Until I felt that I had truly come home."Credits:Produced by Rigmor Gustafsson Co-produced by Martin Höper, Jonas Östholm and Chris Montgomery Recorded by Otto Wellton at Kingside Studio, Gnesta, Sweden, February 2018 Edited by Martin Höper Mixed by Pål Svenre at Unit 7, Stockholm, Sweden Mastered by Thomas Eberger at Stockholm Mastering, Sweden

16 tracks, over 50 contributors, 70 minutes of the best jazz-infotainment featuring the current ACT lineup at a special price.

”This album is a dream come true. I started to write songs about two years ago and contacted Dalasinfoniettan, an absolutely fantastic Swedish orchestra that I love. For a short while I was thinking that there are already so much lovely music out there to record, but felt very fast that for me it’s natural to compose new material. It has been both a freedom and a challenge to have an orchestra available.” (Rigmor Gustafsson)

For the 20th birthday of ACT-Music, the Jubilee Album presents 20 highlights from the moving history of the Munich label. A real treat for connoisseurs, explorers, researchers and the curious, as well as for anyone seeking the Spirit of Jazz.

The ACT Signature Edition presents 24 selected tracks by Rigmor Gustafsson – a musical essence of her work featuring jazz greats like Nils Landgren.

Rigmor Gustafsson and radio.string.quartet.vienna blend jazz, soul, and classical into a unique sound universe with magical phrasing and grooving strings.

"This fresh sound has never been so pleasing to Swedish ears before." - STEREOPLAY

Explore the ultimate anthology of the most exciting Scandinavian jazz voices.

The ultimate compilation "celebrates highlights from 15 years of high-quality label history from ACT." AUDIOPHILE HIGHLIGHT - STEREO

Rigmor Gustafsson with an exceptional ensemble blending jazz and soul. Recorded in Stockholm, featuring special guests and masterful production.

"This album is worth it" - AUDIOPHILE HIGHLIGHT (STEREO)

"Audiophile Highlight" in STEREO: "An extraordinary record."

Rigmor Gustafsson's soulful jazz transformation of classic hits with Jacky Terrasson, Nils Landgren, and more. Fresh and captivating.

"A fantastic record" - STEREO

The ultimate vocal jazz album featuring Norah Jones, Dianne Reeves, Nils Landgren, Rebekka Bakken, and more.

"Her voice touches the heart" - (DER SPIEGEL) German Jazz Award 2004