 Lisa Ekdahl Lisa Ekdahl's English-language debut, recorded in 1995 but not released in the US until 1997, is a captivating set of standards done with the Peter Nordahl trio – it's the kind of disc that creeps up on you and slowly wins you over. Ekdahl's voice is shockingly unschooled; in places it's like watching the proverbial trainwreck. People seem to really either love it or hate it, and the fact that she's attaching it to some of the most well-known songs around is really daring, in my opinion. But it's a case of the ingenue sometimes having something that the seasoned veteran doesn't, like a less awed approach, or simply not knowing how to be self-indulgent. Her little-girl voice is continually surprising, but it makes these dusty old songs fresh in ways that your typical jazz-school grad could never do. In her native Sweden, she's a pop star akin to Jewel, but in the US she's this quirky jazz vocalist that serious jazz cats tend to ignore. She deserves a better audience based on the way she makes these songs her own. "Cry Me a River," "But Not For Me," "I'm a Fool to Want You," "Blame it On My Youth" – we've all heard these songs hundreds of times, but she steps forward and claims them as no one has in the past 40 years. That's not to say she's the greatest singer of the past 40 years, by any means – but she's easily one of the most unique. When Did You Leave Heaven is not as accomplished as its more dashing follow-up Back to Earth, but it's a pretty solid album. The title song is amazing, and most of the songs are given a similarly slow, sad treatment. But it's a distinctly Scandinavian sort of sad, kind of oblique and detached. Pianist Nordahl and his boys provide hip and tasteful accompaniment, allowing Lisa to find her way in tunes like "Lush Life," that she has no real right to be singing. It's a great combination, and the way the band supports her (sparsely, sensitively, knowingly) makes no attempt to shy away from her vocal limitations. In some spots this reveals a voice much in need of some more training ("My Heart Belongs to Daddy" has some of the most irritating enunciation you'll ever find), but in other songs, it gives Ekdahl the opportunity to shine. "Lush Life" has been done by lots of much better technical singers, but this version is not a throwaway at all. She's a million miles away from Sarah Vaughan or Nancy Wilson in terms of pure power, but actually, her restraint carries her a long way in performance. Intentionally or not, she's a subtle and distinguished vocalist, most comparable, I'd say, to the young Eartha Kitt. The less successful moments are all Cole Porter tunes ("Love For Sale," "It Was Just One of Those Things," "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"), probably because those songs just need to be retired for another 300 years or so. But the majority of this is very accomplished and interesting – coffee jazz that ultimately reveals itself to be kind of essential.
Review by Prince Pasolini |