Silje Nergaard – Port Of Call (2000)

Where her more famous contemporaries achieve greater mass appeal by dumbing down or aiming at a younger audience (Katie Melua, Norah Jones),or worse, adding a generic 4-beat pop backing (Dido), Silje Nergaard writes and sings mature music for discerning adults, with astounding results. The key to her appeal, perhaps, is in the combination of mature composition and pure, innocent voice. There are other artists who soundlike her, there are others that write like her, but nobody who combines the two so successfully.
But that's not to say that the music sounds old fashioned. Employing avariety of contemporary jazz styles and with a minimal musical accompaniment, Silje manages to achieve the rare feat of an entire album that never once falls into middle of the road blandness yet sounds fresh and modern and new on every listening.
The highlights on this album are "The Waltz", which effortlessly evokes such gorgeous romantic images that it almost physically hurts; the playful duet "Dream A Little Dream"; and "Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered",which delightfully combines the sexy with the coy. In contrast, a couple of the songs are very low-key; in particular, "Don't Explain", the final song on the album, seemingly trails off into nothingness, which cannot help but leave the listener yearning for more.
This is music for demand the real thing, but more than that, it's music for people who believe in love at first sight. Silje's sensuous voice is so heart-stoppingly beautiful throughout that by the end of the album, you'll believe in love at first note, too.

Please note that this is an older but good rip (without log), made with an older version of EAC, and coming from my archives on external hard disc.

Personnel:

Silje Nergaard - Vocals
Tord Gustavsen - Piano
Harald Johnsen - Acoutic Bass
Jarle Vespestad - Drums

For Additional Personnel See Booklet-02

Tracklist:

01. Me Oh My
02. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
03. Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me
04. If You Love Somebody
05. What's New
06. Waltz
07. You're Kind
08. For All We Know
09. Shame on You
10. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
11. Dream a Little Dream of Me
12. Don't Explain

Pruduced By Georg Wadenius
For Recording Information See Booklet-03

Sound Quality: 8/9