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Solveig Slettahjell
Slow Motion Orchestra has been her main project since they did their first concert together at the Osloclub Blaa in 2001. This concert was recorded and released as their selv titled debut album the same year. Since then the Slow Motion Orchestra have released 6 more albums. The last one, ”Tarpan Seasons” was released in 2009 to massive positive response, and was followed up by a major European tour the following years. Besides the Slow Motion-releases she's also released a duo album containing Chrstmas Songs and carols with pianist Tord Gustavsen in 2008.
The Slow Motion family now concists of six members in addition to Solveig; Sjur Miljeteig (trumpet), Per Oddvar Johansen (drums), Jo Berger Myhre (doublebass), Morten Qvenild (piano), Andreas Ulvo (piano and organ) and Even Hermansen (guitar). They have also since the beginning been working together with norwegian soundengineer Asle Karstad and he has been a very important participant in developing their live expression.
Since the start Solveig Slettahjell's Slow Motion Orchestra have done extencive touring mostly in Europe, but their music has also taken them to Chile, USA, Russia, India and Pakistan.
In 2011 Solveig will release her 8th album and the second one on Universal Music.
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Solveig Slettahjell-Knut Reiersrud with In The Country: Trail Of Souls
by Bruce Lindsay
Vocalist Solveig Slettahjell and blues guitarist/harmonica player Knut Reiersrud record together for the first time on Trail Of Souls. They're joined by another three Norwegian musicians--pianist Morten Qvenlid, bassist Roger Arntzen and drummer Pål Hausken, known collectively as In The Country--on a programme of songs drawn from early blues, spirituals and classic rock songwriters.The performances are uniformly high quality--Qvenild's synth and piano parts are subtle, Sletahjell's vocals are heartfelt and understated, Reiersrud's acoustic guitar is lyrical and flowing. ...
read moreSolveig Slettahjell: Various Artists: Norwegian Woods - Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic II
by John Kelman
One night, six Norwegian artists--three of them together in a group for a decade. Such ideas can look great on paper, but turn out less than inspiring in reality. Fortunately, beyond the individual talents involved, there's been enough interconnectivity between singer Solveig Slettahjell, keyboardist Bugge Wesseltoft, guitarist Knut Reiersrud and the members of In the Country--keyboardist Morten Qvenild, bassist Roger Arntzen and drummer Pål Hausken--that Norwegian Woods-Jazz at the Berlin Philharmonic II doesn't just work...it soars. Slettahjell--bringing a ...
read moreSolveig Slettahjell: Antologie
by John Kelman
It's been two years since Solveig Slettajhell's Tarpan Seasons (Universal Music Norway, 2010), and in the intervening years she's been a little busier than usual, taking time off to give birth to her first child. Delivering a thoroughly captivating duo showcase with In the Country keyboardist Morten Qvenild at this year's Jazzahead! in Bremen, Germany--playing music largely culled from Antologie--it was clear, however, that family responsibilities haven't stopped the Norwegian singer from further stretching the concept she's been honing in ...
read moreSolveig Slettahjell / Slow Motion Orchestra: Tarpan Seasons
by John Kelman
From a simple idea, great things can sometimes come. When Solveig Slettahjell formed Slow Motion Orchestra for a 2001 performance that became the 15-piece group's eponymous first recording on Norway's Curling Legs, the premise was simple: take a collection of songs from the Great American Songbook, and slow them down. Way down. But over the course of three albums and an eye-opening performance at Kristiansand's 2007 Punkt Festival, the Norwegian singer and her trimmed-down quintet proved that slow, powerful and ...
read moreSolveig Slettahjell: Domestic Songs
by Eyal Hareuveni
The fifth solo release by Norwegian vocalist Solveig Slettahjell finds her in a domestic environment. This intimate album was indeed recorded at Slettahjell's home, and most of the songs feature Slettahjell's vocals with the beautiful sounding new Steinway piano that she recently purchased after winning the Norwegian Kongsberg Jazzfestival's Vital-Pris, with some spare ensemble arrangements. As such the focus is on Slettahjell's arresting warm vocal, that can stretch to a surprising range, and her wise and restrained slow motion phrasing, ...
read moreSolveig Slettahjell: Good Rain
by Eyal Hareuveni
This fourth release by Norwegian vocalist Solveig Slettahjell and the Slow Motion Quintet offers another magical experience. On Good Rain, these creative and busy musicians expand the musical language that they began to explore on their previous release, Pixiedust (Curling Legs, 2005). In addition to Slettahjell, the group includes trumpeter Sjur Miljeteig, formerly of the jazz-pop-electronica outfit Jaga Jazzist and one of the leaders of the art-rock group Friko; keyboardist Morten Qvenild, who leads In The Country and Susanna and ...
read moreSolveig Slettahjell: Pixiedust
by Eyal Hareuveni
Cool Norway seems to be the most efficient hothouse for new talents in Europe in recent years. Vocalist Solveig Slettahjell is by no means a new talent, but only now is her third solo disc, with her Slow Motion Quintet, being distributed outside of Norway. Slettahjell was a student of renowned Norwegian vocalist Sidsel Endresen, with whom she collaborated recently in Jon Balke's Batagraf ensemble (Statements, ECM, 2005). She recorded with the experimental all-female vocal quartet Kvitretten, with jazz singers ...
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