"This fresh sound has never been so pleasing to Swedish ears before." - STEREOPLAY ACT
Not every singer who is relevant to vocal jazz is a rigid purist who
completely rejects the influence of R&B, pop, and folk. There are
some jazz-friendly singers who stray outside of jazz, which is what
Swedish singer/songwriter Rigmor Gustafsson often does on Alone with
You. Parts of this CD offer straight-ahead post-bop, while other parts
are more pop-minded and/or R&B-ish and draw on influences ranging
from Joni Mitchell and Laura Nyro to Stevie Wonder. And the good news is
that whether Alone with You veers in a post-bop direction or more of a
pop/R&B direction, this is one of Gustafsson's more consistent
albums. Some of Gustafsson's releases have a reputation for being
uneven, but this 2007 recording does a better job of staying on track
creatively -- and that may have to do with the fact that it is a very
hands-on project for her. Every melody on Alone with You was composed by
Gustafsson herself, ranging from the straight-ahead post-bop of "On
Higher Ground" to the jazzy pop/R&B of "Special Effects" and "Voodoo
Skills" to the folkish moves of "Medan du Väntar" (which is the only
Swedish-language offering on an album that is performed primary in
English). Gustafsson didn't write all of the lyrics; five of the 13
tracks use the talents of other lyricists, including Swedish jazz singer
Lina Nyberg on "Special Effects." But Gustafsson wrote most of the
lyrics, and she definitely wrote all of the melodies on a solid effort
that isn't recommended to jazz purists but is among the more memorable
discs in her catalog. Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
1. In My World - 04:15
(Rigmor Gustafsson)
2. Voodoo Skills - 04:31
(Rigmor Gustafsson / Lina Nyberg)
3. Still - 04:24
(Rigmor Gustafsson)
4. Special Effects - 02:56
(Rigmor Gustafsson)
5. Joy To Me - 03:36
(Rigmor Gustafsson / Sofia Pettersson)
6. You Don't Have To Worry - 03:54
(Rigmor Gustafsson)
7. Will Our Love Be There - 05:01
(Rigmor Gustafsson)
8. Nothing's Better Than Love - 05:25
(Rigmor Gustafsson)
9. Medan Du Väntar - 03:33
(Rigmor Gustafsson / David Shutrick)
10. Don't Do It Here - 03:09
(Rigmor Gustafsson)
11. It's All There - 04:32
(Rigmor Gustafsson / Rigmor Gustafsson, Sofia Pettersson)
12. On Higher Ground - 06:06
(Rigmor Gustafsson / Dave Castle)
13. Alone With You - 04:33
(Rigmor Gustafsson)
