Solveig Slettahjell

Slettahjell Solveig ( born April 2, 1971 in Bærum ) is a Norwegian jazz singer.

Biography

Solveig Slettahjell was born on April 2, 1971 in Bærum near Oslo but spent her childhood in Orkanger, a small town near Trondheim. As the daughter of a pastor she comes in early years in touch with music and singing at the age of seven years in a choir. Another musical education she learns a little later as a student of a musically oriented high school in Trondheim, where she received piano and singing lessons. At the age of 13, she accompanied various youth and gospel choirs on the piano. After graduating from high school Solveig eventually begins from 1992, a study at the Norwegian Academy of Music specializing in jazz. Between 1993 and 2000 she studied there at the well-known Norwegian Sidsel Endresen Jazz singer and closes her exam with a study on rhythmic aspects of vocal phrasing from. During her studies Slettahjell Solveig learns the pianist Håkon Hartberg, with whom it occurs in a duo. In this experimental phase, it clips the different genres between country, folk and jazz standards to contemporary pop music of Prince and Tom Waits. 1995 Solveig member of the band Squid with which she plays his own compositions in the area of ​​soul and funk, and in 1998 a first CD recording (Super) will make before the band dissolved in 1999. Already parallel to the tape project joins Solveig Slettahjell 1997 the Norwegian experimental vocal quartet Kvitretten with the singers Eldbjørg Raknes, Kristin Asbjørnsen and Tone Åse. With original compositions and contemporary pieces Norwegian jazz musicians they occur in Scandinavia and Germany until 2002 in many concerts. Arise during this period that the two albums Everything turns ( 1999) and Kloden he s snurrebass snurrer som oss (2002) together with the Norwegian poet Rebbolledo Torgeir Pedersen. Furthermore sings Solveig Slettahjell in the vocal ensemble Trondheim Voices and vonDrei. From her former teacher Sidsel Endresen she is invited for the song Living Rooms project, which comes under the Norwegian jazz festivals Nattjazz for performance in 2002. In December 2005, she takes a vocal part of a four-part composition Endresen for the concert Norwegian Voices in London.

A new musical phase begins in 2000 with the founding of her own band Slow Motion Quintet, which belong to the bassist Mats Eilertsen her, trumpeter Sjur Miljeteig, drummer Per Oddvar Johansen and the pianist and arranger Morten Qvenild. With sparse arrangements and acting very slow tempos you give known standards, especially ballads, a very individual touch. By 2001 published Erstalbum they einspielt together with her band and other Norwegian guest musicians live in the Oslo Jazz Club Blaa, the international scene is now aware of the already well-known singer in Norway. The breakthrough in Germany celebrate Solveig Slettahjell and their vassals in 2004 with her highly critically acclaimed appearance at the Jazz Baltica in Salzau and its published in the same year CD Silver. The quintet then receives a contract with the ACT label, which has a focus in vocal jazz division is in the choice of artists. Here published in 2005 and in 2006 the CD Pixiedust Good Rain and the newly launched previously successful CD Silver. The three most recently published albums reveal two trends: Firstly, the sound is modern, especially because the pianist and keyboardist Morten Qvenild and drummer Per Oddvar Johansen always discreet, but more and more often to add to the music electronic, partly noise-like timbres. Second, the band members are resorting increasingly to their own compositions. While on Silver still dominate American classics and cover versions have been recorded on Pixiedust to contemporary compositions by the Norwegian drummer Peder Kjellsby two songs written by the singer. On the CD, Good Rain comes eight of the eleven compositions written by Solveig Slettahjell, Morten Qvenild and Sjur Miljeteig. From duo performances together with Sjur Miljeteig the concept that very intimate album Domestic arises record songs at home with Slettahjell on the piano. Mats Eilertsen leaves her band and is replaced by Jo Berger Myhre. The CD, in which also Peder Kjellsby has participated will be published on ACT 2007.

2007 occurs Solveig Sletthjell for the first time at a concert in Arendal with the well-known Norwegian jazz pianist Tord Gustavsen. With him and Sjur Miljeteig it takes 2008 in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Christmas carols that are published on the CD I Natt Bethlehem in Norway.

Awards

The second release of Silver Solveig Slettahjell together with the Slow Motion Quintet receives the 2004 award for best Norwegian jazz album of the year. In 2005 she was awarded in Norway as part of the jazz festivals in Kongsberg and Molde with the Vital -Price and Radka Toneff 's Memory Award. The latter distinction is particularly dear to her, as Radka Toneff one of their models and has taken great musical influence on them.

Discography

Solo

  • 2011 - Anthology

With the Slow Motion Quintet

  • 2001 - Slow Motion Orchestra
  • 2004 - Silver
  • 2005 - Pixiedust
  • 2006 - Good Rain
  • 2007 - Domestic Songs
  • 2010 - Tarpan Seasons

With Squid

With Kvitretten

Tord Gustavsen and Sjur With Miljeteig

  • 2008 - Natt I Bethlehem

As a guest musician

  • 2001 - Synchronize your watches - Rob Waring Trio
  • 2003 - Burglar Ballads - Friko
  • 2004 - Sound and smoke - Ophelia Orchestra
  • 2005 - Batagraf - Jon Balke
  • 2006 - The journey to Mandoola - Friko
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