Artists
Majken Christiansen vocals
Magne Arnesen piano
Andreas Dreier double bass
Torstein Ellingsen drums, percussion
Guest:
Lars Frank tenor saxophone (2, 7, 9, 11)
CD info
Catalogue No: LOS 306-2
EAN: 7090025833069
Arrangements by Andreas Dreier and Magne Arnesen
Recorded April 4.-6. 2024 by Leif Johansen at Newtone Studio, Oslo, Norway
Mixed and mastered June 2024 by Leif Johansen
Produced by Andreas Dreier and Torstein Ellingsen
Executive producer Odd Gjelsnes
Photos by CF Wesenberg at Kolonihaven
Design by Max Franosch
Supported by Fond for utøvende kunstnere and Norsk Jazzforum
Welcome to The Great Danish Songbook – a jazz record consisting of Danish classics
from the 1930s to the 1960s. The title has a parallel to the term The Great American
Songbook and thus a humorous little play on words, which in all modesty equates
old Danish songs with the American jazz standards. The goal of the record is to
present songs from the “Danish Song treasury” in a re-arranged mainstream swing
jazz tradition.
This nostalgic album rewinds time to Copenhagen in the 1930s; a time where there
was live jazz music on almost every street corner, and where swing jazz was both
entertainment and dance music. Together with the first Danish feature films, a large
number of songs were composed, such as ‘Jeg har elsket dig så lenge jeg kan mindes
/ I Have Loved You As Long As I Can Remember’.
In addition, many musical revue songs were popular, such as ‘Man binder os på
mund og hånd / They Tie Us Hand And Mouth’, for which the singer Liva Weel
became famous. All these songs were quickly considered Danish popular music and
soon were an important part of Denmark’s song treasure.
The melodies were often influenced by American jazz music, and went straight into
the Danish folk soul, for example the musical film ‘Forelsket i København / In Love
With Copenhagen’. Another classic is ‘Dansevise / Dance Song’, a beautiful jazz waltz
that won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1963. A common feature was the many
strong female vocalists such as Daimi Gentle who, with charm and a smile, sang
‘Jeg sætter min hat som jeg vil / I Put My Hat As I Want’ in 1967. The identical type
of strong female character is also charmingly described in ‘Tanta til Beate / Beate’s
Aunt’, a Norwegian bonus track on this album.
The Great Danish Songbook has been a great project to record, and we have enjoyed
every note with a big smile. Hope you will enjoy our Danish “hygge”.
Andreas Dreier
Kjøp plater direkte fra Losen Records. Kr 200,- per CD inkl. porto. Vipps til 99 00 61 90 og mail navn og adresse til odd@losenrecords.no
Digisleeve in the link below:
Download Press Release (PDF)
1 DANSEVISE (Otto Francker/Sejr Volmer-Sørensen) 5:18
2 FORELSKET I KØBENHAVN (Bent Fabricius-Bjerre/Sejr Volmer-Sørensen) 6:12
3 JEG HAR ELSKET DIG SÅ LÆNGE JEG KAN MINDES (Kai Normann Andersen/Mogens Dam) 6:22
4 GLEMMER DU (Kai Normann Andersen/Børge & Arvid Müller) 5:16
5 I SKOVENS DYBE STILLE RO (Folkemelodi/Fritz Andersen) 4:04
6 JEG SÆTTER MIN HAT SOM JEG VIL (Bent Fabricius-Bjerre/Klaus Rifbjerg) 4:01
7 HVORFOR ER LYKKEN SÅ LUNEFULD (Karen Jønsson/C.V. Meincke) 6:03
8 MAN BINDER OS PÅ MUND OG HÅND (Kai Normann Andersen/Poul Henningsen) 4:53
9 I AFTEN (Karen Jønsson/Børge Müller) 4:52
10 HVOR ER LIVET DOG SKØNT (George David Weiss/Bob Thiele/Henrik H. Lund) 3:03
11 TANTA TIL BEATE (BONUS TRACK) (Lillebjørn Nilsen) 5:07