Johan Tobias Bergstrom – Stella (Losen Records, 2026)
Norwegian guitarist Johan Tobias Bergstrom presents his second album, Stella. Bergstrom is known for a delightful Django Reinhardt–influenced swing style and a jazz foundation.
According to Bergstrom, Stella expands his musical range with brighter harmonic choices than his 2024 debut, Nova. Indeed, he leans more often into major-key writing and graceful, captivating, and accessible folk-leaning melodies drawn from Irish and Norwegian traditions. He also cites influences that point toward North and South American flavors, alongside nods to Middle Eastern elements, while keeping the foundation rooted in jazz. I much enjoyed the guitar and violin performances.
Bergstrom says the earliest ideas for Stella began during the making of Nova, and he describes the second-album process as more straightforward than his debut.
The lineup reunites musicians from Nova. Multi-instrumentalist Knut Hem appears as a guest, playing slide guitar on two tracks. Bergstrom also adds wordless vocals on select compositions, with additional group vocals from the band forming a small choir on several songs.
Musicians: Johan Tobias Bergstrøm on guitar, vocals; Jørgen Krøder Mathisen on violin, vocals; Håkon Huldt-Nystrøm on bass, vocals; Thomas Antonio Debelian on percussion, vocals. Guest: Knut Hem on dobro.
Author: Madison Quinn
