Magnolia Jazzband - Salige stund (2020)

Magnolia realized early on that gospel and negro spirituals are a natural part of traditional jazz.
Inspired by concerts in New Orleans, the band also wanted to try and play pure gospel concerts in Norway. Gospel music belongs in the church room, and churches are good concert halls. The acoustics and surroundings usually make the audience more receptive than in a noisy jazz club. Magnolia's many church concerts became popular. The band eventually needed to expand the repertoire beyond what is found in The Baptist Hymn Book, and found many fine Norwegian, Swedish and Danish hymns.
The album Salige Stund - Scandinavian Hymns - contains religious folk tunes, prayer house songs and hymns, but also some of the musicians' own compositions. After the death of pianist Håkon Gjesvik, Morten Gunnar Larsen is back in the band. A small church in Sørkedalen outside Oslo has been the setting for the recording.