Hilde Hefte - Playsong - The Music of Bill Evans (2001)

When Hilde Hefte released her first solo-album the jazz magazine Down Beat wrote: 'Hilde Hefte is making waves on the Norwegian scene'. ... And she is still making waves with her honest, personal and intimate vocal-sound. Her first CD was a tribute to Chet Baker, ''Round Chet's Midnight', and it was named the album of the year in Norways largest jazz-magazine Jazznytt. 'Playsong - the music of Bill Evans is Hilde Hefte's second CD. It's a tribute to the fantasic pianist and composer Bill Evans, and as well as her first CD, this became the album of the year in Norway. The reviews have been fantastic: 3 of the largest newspapers in Norway gave this album dice-trow 6 (6/6) and the rest gave it dice-trow 5 - not bad! The reviews have been fantastic all over the world: Japan gave this CD 5 of 5 stars. The music magazine Orkesterjournalen (Sweden) wrote: The first thing that strikes you is how beautiful Hilde Hefte and her musicians are taking care of this historical music. She is a vocalist who is listening. Playsong is not an ego-project, this album is not made for showing everybody her musical talent. It feels like Hilde Hefte is a part of this group. Really wonderful. The music magazine Jazz Stage (Sweden): Hilde Hefte has managed holding an non-artistical atitude, and the result is an interpretation that I would call heartfelt. It is Hilde Hefte who is touching my heart. The music magazine Jazz Spesial (Denmark): Hilde Hefte interprets Evans with warmth and it's crystal clear.... The best album ever since Bill Evans own recordings together with Tony Bennett. The music magazine Jazzpodium (Germany): Playsong is lyrical, elegant and sophisticated. Wonderful that Hilde Hefte starting this album not using lyrics, but only sings pianissimo and soft. As a composer Bill Evans is a genious and so is the jazz vocalist Hilde Hefte. AND people are still writing about this recording: Nordische Musik (Germany) gave this album 5 stars (5/6)September 2006. Hilde Hefte is not a beginner. She has studied music at the highly respected Barratt-Dues Music Intitute. She has been playing piano, guitar, alto saxophone, Bb clarinet and studied acting. And she was for one periode teacher at Vest-Agder Music Conservatorium. She is what they call the musicians musician.