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Nordic Connect
Nordic Connect: Spirals
by Troy Collins
Scandinavian jazz has enjoyed quite a renaissance over the past few decades, ranging from the cool Norwegian austerity of Jan Garbarek and Terje Rypdal's seminal 1970's recordings to the fiery Swedish expressionism of Magnus Broo and Mats Gustafsson's recent avant-garde excursions. Spirals, the sophomore effort of Nordic Connect, embraces both aesthetic dualities, serving as a pertinent example of the stylistic diversity currently championed by those of North Atlantic descent.All of the members of Nordic Connect share similar ethnic ...
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by Jerry D'Souza
Flurry (ArtistShare, 2007), the debut disc from Nordic Connect, rang out loquaciously. In assimilating several moods, the music created an emotionally resolute ambience. Since the release of the CD, the band as toured Canada, the USA and Scandinavia, recording its follow-up,Spirals, at the end of 2008. Pianist Maggi Olin wrote most of the compositions, with contributions also coming from trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, saxophonist Christine Jensen and drummer Jon Wikan. The charts are impressive and open-ended, leaving room for ...
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by Nicholas F. Mondello
Spirals manifest themselves across art, nature and life in varied ways. The geometric spiral image might even be seen three-dimensionally, with infinite depth or point-of-view added or perhaps spinning in perpetual motion. There's movement and implied energy in the curling image. Engendering reflection, a spiral goes from and to somewhere. Like its namesake, Nordic Connect's Spirals is absolutely fascinating; an engaging, energetic and multidimensional musical effort that compels involvement, movement and reflection. Simultaneously, Spirals displays a stark ...
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by Budd Kopman
The word mainstream" has come to have virtually no meaning except perhaps that a regular rhythmic pulse of some kind (not necessarily swinging") can be felt. In this respect, Flurry is a mainstream album, but from every other viewpoint, it is as adventurous as they come. That the band's name, Nordic Connect, implies a Scandinavian connection is actually somewhat of a distraction from the music in that expectations of a cool, crisp, expansive and somber kind of ...
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by Celeste Sunderland
Hailing from Canada, Sweden and Alaska, the five members of Nordic Connect share two constants: Scandinavian blood runs through their veins, as does an impetus to play music that is lighthearted and free, but has at its roots, a serenity where wisdom resides. Co-led by sisters Ingrid (trumpet and flugelhorn) and Christine Jensen (alto and soprano saxophone), Flurry is Nordic Connect's debut album. Nine tracks on the disc, composed by the two Jensens, as well as pianist ...
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by Michael P. Gladstone
Following the career of Canadian/Scandinavian trumpeter Ingrid Jensen seemed to peak at a new level with At Sea (ArtistShare, 2006), which ambitiously resembled an ECM label project. However, all that has now been overshadowed by the release of Flurry by Nordic Connect. This is a family cooperative that includes an interwoven cast: Jensen on trumpet and flugelhorn, her sister Christine on alto and soprano sax in addition to Swedish pianist-composer Maggi Olin, a former schoolmate of Ingrid's at the Berklee ...
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by John Kelman
Flurry is the debut by Nordic Connect, a collaboration between two Canadian-born sisters of Danish descent--trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and saxophonist Christine--and Swedish pianist Maggi Olin, whom Ingrid met some years back while studying at Boston's Berklee College of Music. Drummer Jon Wikan--Ingrid's husband and, while Alaskan-born, also possessing Scandinavian lineage--and Swedish bassist Mattias Welin flesh out the quintet for a strong set of originals that explore the value of shared cultural and familial experiences.
Despite living ...
read moreNordic Connect Weigh in with the Tuneful "Spirals"
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Gapplegate Music Review by Grego Edwards
Nordic Connect? Yes. We have the band's Spirals, their second CD (Artist Share 0097), a jazz-rock present day program with some tuneful originals penned by the various band members. Ingrid Jensen appears to be the bandleader and she turns in some very nice trumpet, fluegel and songs; her sister Christine has definite prowess and imagination on alto and soprano; Maggie Olin gives a good showing on piano and Rhodes; then there's a capable rhythm section of Mattias Welin on contrabass ...
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Nordic Connect - Spirals (2011)
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Something Else!
By S. Victor Aaron Nordic Connect is a grouping of musicians from Canada (Ingrid Jensen, trumpet; Ingrid's sister Christine Jensen, alto and soprano saxophones), U.S.A. (Ingrid's husband Jon Wikan, drums), and Sweden (Maggie Olin (piano, Fender Rhodes; Mattias Welin, acoustic bass). The name points up to the Scandinavian ancestry of all its members, and the shared heritage provides common ground that is used as the basis for a consistent but never repetitious brand of jazz. Though led at least nominally ...
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"Spirals" from Ingrid Jensen and Nordic Connect
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Michael Ricci
The second fan-funded release from Ingrid Jensen and Nordic Connect, Spirals" is now available as a CD or digital download! To celebrate this release, Ingrid and ArtistShare would like to invite you to preview the project and a song from the album by clicking here. In addition to the CD or digital download, fans will receive access to lead sheets of tunes from the album, performance footage, photo galleries of Nordic Connect's recent tour, and video of a clinic led ...
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"Spirals" Now Available from Ingrid Jensen and Nordic Connect!
Source:
Michael Ricci
ArtistShare and Ingrid Jensen are pleased to announce the release of Nordic Connect's latest fan-funded project Spirals". To celebrate this release, Ingrid and ArtistShare would like to invite you to preview a tune from the album, as well as an exclusive video performance and tour photos from the fan-funded Spirals" project. To access this preview click here. Spirals" is available for purchase as a mail-order CD or digital download here. Ingrid and ArtistShare would also like to thank all of ...
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