Lento - Sun Nah, Youn (CD)

Release Date: 03/22/13

“Lento is simply a singer/songwriter’s album of great intimacy, poetry and charm.” Allaboutjazz.com

With her universal yet individual style Youn Sun Nah gives traditional vocal jazz a new flavour, while unconventionally and effortlessly exploring new exciting spaces. She is one of the most outstanding representatives of vocal jazz that includes the whole spectrum of contemporary music. What is the secret of her remarkable success? “Lento” gives an explanation by combining Youn Sun Nah’s unique qualities. One of them is the blending of different cultural and musical sources, in a respectful yet unconventional manner. Besides jazz and related styles, she draws on chanson, pop and folk music, and in addition to compositions by herself and her band members, there is the extremely light version of the Korean folk song “Arirang” as well as “Hurt” by the alternative rock band Nine Inch Nails, and Stan Jones’ “Ghost Riders In The Sky”, a classic country song made famous by Johnny Cash. For the first time Nah also calls upon European classical music: Alexander Skrjabin’s Prelude op. 16 Nr. 4 in E minor with its tempo indication ”Lento” was a source of inspiration for the album’s title, and it also sets up an intimate, atmospheric and harmonious musical world. Youn Sun Nah unfolds her expressive power especially in the peaceful and slow-paced moments – on the fragile chanson “Full Circle”, with heartbreaking grievance on “Lament” or artistic unison singing on “Momento Magico”. On “Lento” it becomes more apparent that Nah’s voice ties the songs together. It is the precision of her intonation and phrasing, great timing and crystal voice that enable her to turn minimalistic forms into powerful emotions, pure elegance and magic. All this requires extremely subtle and considerate co-musicians: Nah’s longstanding duet partner Ulf Wakenius on guitar, Lars Danielsson on bass and Xavier Desandre-Navarre on percussions. The fourth member of the band is the French accordion magician Vincent Peirani.