Home » Jazz Articles » Radio & Podcasts » Mads Tolling: Nordic Folklore Meets American Jazz
Mads Tolling: Nordic Folklore Meets American Jazz
Click the play button to listen
This week on Backstage Bay Area, host Steve Roby welcomes two-time Grammy Award-winning violinist Mads Tolling. Known for his work with the Turtle Island Quartet, Stanley Clarke, and Bob Weir, Mads is shifting gears this season to share a piece of his Danish childhood in San Francisco.Mads takes us inside his project, Cool Yule: A Nordic Holiday Celebration, a "love letter" to his upbringing in Copenhagen. We explore the concept of "hygge," compare the structured traditions of a Danish Christmas with the chaotic energy of American holidays, and delve into the fascinating—and sometimes frightening—folklore of the North. From a rice pudding-eating gnome to a child-eating "Christmas Cat," Mads explains the stories behind the music. Plus, hear how he transforms an 1830s violin into a growling baritone instrument he calls "Uncle Scratchy."
Playlist
- Mads Tolling "The Gnome's Attic" from Cool Yule (Madsman Records)
- Mads Tolling "The Christmas Cat" from Coll Yule (Madsman Records)
Tags
Radio & Podcasts
Mads Tolling
Steven Roby
United States
California
san francisco
Turtle Island Quartet
Stanley Clarke
Bob Weir
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
