Organist, composer and singer born 1940 in Jämtland, Sweden. Started playing jazz piano in bands already in her mid-teens and performing at Stockholm's foremost jazz club "Nalen" in the fifties. After travelling to America early sixties she formed the band "Merit & Her Girl Stars" - together with four US black female musicians on bass, drums, saxophone and trumpet - an outfit that toured Sweden for about six months before breaking up. Around 1965 she fell in love with the Hammond B3 organ which she has more or less kept to since. Today she's mosty appreciated for the interpretations of Swedish folk music recorded in the seventies, performed as jazz or pop, at the time frequently rewarded on home turf. Debute LP - the 1966 "Discotheque Dance A Go Go" (Sonet SLP 50) - was a live performance from the Esquire club in Sheffield together with her then band The Meritones, where they did instrumental jazz/pop/soul versions of known hits. This second album is more in the same vein, here recorded in a studio with backing including US jazz percussionist Sabu Martinez among others. There's nothing even remotely stirring going on here. I hear jazzy instrumental cover versions of hits as from a lounge milieu, embedded in a warm flowing hammond with just enough odd twists to keep me alert. Audio top notch, very relaxing and more suitable for snug love meetings or late night after-parties than intense listening or boisterous festivities. Released in Sweden only, but judging from the English liner notes probably also meant for export. Vinyl reissue mid-seventies on RCA International (YSJL 1-547) came with different sleeve design. To my knowledge never released on CD. Premiere issue had label as shown here and thin fully laminated cover. (SCÄ*) (CCÖ*) (CLÄZ*)
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar