Cæcilie Norby, My Corner of the Sky (Blue Note, 1996)

Cæcilie Norby, vocals
Louise Norby, backing vocals
Randy Brecker, flugelhorn
Scott Robinson, flute
Michael Brecker, tenor sax
Joey Calderazzo, piano
Lars Jansson, piano, organ
David Kikoski, piano, organ
Lars Danielsson, bass
Lennart Ginman, bass
Terri Lynne Carrington, percussion
Jacob Andersen, percussion
Alex Riel, drums
Jeff Boudreaux, drums

Recorded 1996

Sound on Sound, NYC & Focus Recording, Copenhagen
Engineers: Malcolm Pollack (USA) & Hans Nielsen (Denmark)

I must have read a convincing review of Cæcilie Norby's My Corner of the Sky because, on the surface, this is not the kind of music I seek out. Its construction is more like a pop album: a mix of popular songs and jazz standards, recorded in studios in different hemispheres, with different musicians from track to track. Although the Blue Note imprint reassured me that this was, indeed, a jazz album, I approached skeptically. 

In hindsight, I now consider My Corner of the Sky as one of the best jazz vocal albums of the 1990s. However, it's difficult for me to write about My Corner because it coincided with an upheaval in my professional life and a move to a new city and employer at the age of 50. The album came to me at a time when I needed reassurance, and it's difficult to put the emotional attachments aside and critique the album in a way that would interest readers. Music just does that sometimes. 

Fortunately, as I searched for a better approach, I encountered a review that closely matched my own thinking. The following is an abridgement of a review by The Loud Bassoon, published online approximately six years ago with no cautions about copyrights or reuse. I thank The Loud Bassoon for the insights and hope that I might return the favor someday. Bassoon's full review can be found at the loud bassoon guide to records: cæcilie norby - my corner of the sky

Cæcilie Norby is a Danish chanteuse with a funky voice and a remarkable ability for investing lesser songs with a lot of passion. Several of the cuts on My Corner of the Sky are covers that beat the original versions, and she even lays down one standard that has never been done better ("Suppertime").

Few singers could open an album with "The Look of Love" nowadays and have it be fresh; it actually is fresh here. Several of the songs (particularly the more recent pop covers) have a slightly Holiday Inn-lounge jazz feel, but the precision of the band and Norby's voice keep things from getting cheesy.

"The Right to Love" (a Lalo Schifrin/Gene Lees tune) better reflects Norby's taste and talent. Her voice (backed by a trio) is full and soulful, emoting without becoming overbearing. Track 3 is an organ-driven cover of Sting's "Set Them Free," which does work well in this context. ... "Suppertime," not one of my favorite standards, is given a magnificent reading here; the song is perfectly suited to Norby's voice, and she performs it with great emotion. 

This is followed by the stupefying "African Fairytale," a version of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" to which Norby has written some great lyrics. This is one of the best jazz vocal performances ever, truly a tour-de-force. Wayne Shorter has never been so accessible. 

The winning streak continues with a cover of David Bowie's "Life on Mars," which I think actually bests the rock version by taking the song into a more introspective place, augmented greatly by Randy Brecker's aching flugelhorn.

The majesty of these three consecutive gems is offset a bit by an ill-chosen attempt at "Spinning Wheel," which sticks out like a broken nose. ...The rest of the album slows down a bit, settling into something of a late-night feel with "What Do You See in Her," a brisk "Just One of Those Things" ..., and the haunting "Snow" (one of the album's many highlights).

The CD ends with a wonderful take on Leon Russell's "A Song for You" ...and another ballad, "Calling You." 

Review courtesy of: