Annbjorg Lien – Waltz with Me Waltz with Me (Grappa, 2008)
Award-winning Norwegian fiddle virtuoso and composer Annbjorg Lien has crossed all kinds of musical boundaries in her recent albums. Her latest CD, Waltz with Me, takes her in the direction of acoustic fiddle roots music, blending various musical traditions. Waltz with Me was a concert commissioned by the renowned Telemark Folk Music Festival in Bø, Norway. After the Telemark debut, Lien presented Waltz with Me at Celtic Connections in Scotland in January 2008.
"I wanted to put together a folk music string quartet, and was honoured when Bruce, Mikael and Christine agreed to take part in this project," says Annbjorg. "The music was an attempt to find a point of intersection for these wonderful musicians in their traditions, personal styles and hearts."
The format of Waltz with Me is a string quartet. The artists featured on the CD come from the Nordic, Celtic and bluegrass/old time tradition. Those influences set the tone of the album. The pieces include rapid fire melodies and foot stomping tunes as well as improvisation and hauntingly beautiful melancholic passages. Even though there are plenty of instrumental moments, the CD also includes vocals in Norwegian and English.
The musicians that appear on the CD are Annbjørg Lien on Hardanger fiddle and violin (Norway); Bruce Molsky on fiddle and vocals (USA); Christine Hanson on cello (Canada/Scotland); and Mikael Marin on viola (Sweden). There is also a guest appearance by Kirsten Braten Berb on vocals and zither.
You can catch the Norwegian fiddle wizard performing Waltz with Me live in the United States in September and October.
September
24 Kennedy Center, Washington USA Waltz with me
25 Germantown, New York Waltz with me
26 Cedar Center, Nordic Roots Festival, Minneapolis, USA Waltz with me
28 Mindekirken, Minneapolis USA Lien/ Bratland
29 Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA Waltz with me
October
1 Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA Waltz with me
2 Bloomington, Indiana, USA Waltz with me
3 Lotus Festival, Indiana, USA Waltz with me
16 Ibsenhuset, Skien Duo
17 Agder Theatre Duo
18 Stranda Cultural House Duo
22 Ørsta Cultural House Duo
23 Brattvåg Cultural House Duo
30 Release concert Sondre, Jacob Church Oslo Sondre Bratland band
November
16 Sem Church, Tønsberg Lien/ Bratland
23 Kongsberg Church, Kongsberg Duo with Kirsten Bråten Berg and Steinar Ofsdal
Buy the CD:
- In North America: Waltz with Me
- In Europe: Waltz With Me
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
