LISA EKDAHL — When Did You Leave Heaven (review)

LISA EKDAHL — When Did You Leave Heaven album cover Album · 1995 · Vocal Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
2.5/5 ·
Matti P
The Swedish vocalist LISA EKDAHL (b. 1971) has a distinctive child-like voice which I find rather charming. She debuted with an eponymous, Swedish-language album in 1994. Most often she has sung in her native tongue, but there are also recordings in English. She is perhaps more interesting, and certainly more convincing and personal, as a pop singer with jazz leanings than as a jazz singer per se. This is her second album, a collection of more or less well known standard pieces of American Vocal Jazz. As such it's definitely not the most recommendable album from her, but at least we have an opportunity to evaluate how she can compete with the greats like Julie London, Sarah Vaughan or whoever who has recorded these songs earlier.

She's accompanied by The Peter Nordahl Trio (Nordahl is a pianist) plus some tenor sax here and there. Ekdahl and an acoustic jazz trio is a pretty nice combination to start with. If one isn't familiar with the chosen song already, like is the case for me with the opener 'When Did You Leave Heaven?', everything is fine. It's the thoroughly well known classics such as 'Cry Me a River', 'Lush Life' or 'I'm a Fool to want You' that reveal Ekdahl's striking lack of maturity as an interpreter of them. 'My Heart Belongs to Daddy' could be thought to fit for a childish voice, but nah... One remembers too well the sinful heat of Marilyn Monroe to be excited by Lisa's lukewarm version.

'Love for Sale' has a joyous feel in its fast tempo, and in it Ekdahl comes closer to her own territory between pop and jazz. But still, I'd rather listen to Swedish-language songs written by/for her. 'Blame It on My Youth' featuring a piano solo is among the album highlights.

Let's go with friendly 2½ stars, mainly for the good trio. Sad to say, Lisa Ekdahl pales in comparison with the glorious past when it comes to the evergreens of the Great American Songbook, and the innocent personality she manages to bring to the table doesn't necessarily fit the songs. But I don't see a reason to be as merciless as All Music Guide's 1½ star review: "[her] thin, girlish, mousy voice might work on bubblegum pop, but it's hardly appropriate for standards..." or "It's most regrettable that RCA Victor chose to record someone who should have stuck to commercial pop".
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