Ninna Milner (vocals,
percussion); Lars Emil Riis (piano, keyboard); Thomas Raae (bass, cello,
guitar, various tracks); Lis Wessberg (trombone 3 tracks)
Ninna Milner lives
with her family in Osterbro, Copenhagen, where her husband owns the Drumstick
shop. She has taken lessons with Rhiannon in Hawaii and with Bobby McFerrin in
New York, performed at the Beijing Jazz Festival with a Chinese trio in 2007
and sings regularly at Cafe Intime in Copenhagen. In fact Ms Milner has
taken part in many concerts since the mid-1980s. This is her fifth solo album,
which has influences from spirituality and World Music.
Six of the tracks
were composed by Ms Milner with lyrics by Christine Bojsen Traeden and there
are two standards included. The information given describes the music as
'Lyrical Nordic jazz and bubbling world music...' I'd certainly agree with that
as the songs are inventive, unusual, sad, tactile, romantic, optimistic by
turns and also sometimes fun, covering a wide range of styles.
The lyrics are clever e.g. Naked in the
Rain: 'I'm on my balcony, nothing to lose, come up hot baby, bring me my
shoes', a saucy song, to contrast with the tactile romance of Invisible to the Eye: 'There are marks on my skin where you've been, but we can't see
them'. The instrumentalists contribute well – on There is a Crack the
trombone sounds tender and romantic.
The title track is a jaunty, amusing 1920s
style song where, this time, the trombone is playful! My favourite track is Naked
in the Rain, which is a slinky swing number: It's Not a Dream
features a drone effect, presumably from guitar, adding to the dream idea, and
an effective piano solo. The whole is appropriately rounded off with a standard,
We'll Be Together Again, suitable for these Covid times, with a bass solo
on this one.
Yet another woman
singer who is well worth listening to. The album was released yesterday, September
14, in the form of 200 LPs and also on stream.
Ann Alex
https://ninnamilner.dk/
There is a Crack; Treasures of the Heart; Saga of Harrison
Crabfeathers; Did I Tell You?; Naked in the Rain; It's Not a Dream; Invisible to
the Eye; We'll Be Together Again
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