Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Music for a While: Graces That Refrain

Music for a While: Graces That Refrain

By Eyal Hareuveni
November 30, 2012
View read count

Five years have passed since Norwegian quintet

Music for a While

" data-original-title="" title="">Music for a While released its debut, Weill Variations (Grappa, 2007), a collection of fresh, outspoken versions of Kurt Weill songs. Now this dream team band—headed by cabaret diva Tora Augestad, with accordionist

Stian Carstensen

accordion

" data-original-title="" title="">Stian Carstensen (leader of

Farmers Market

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Farmers Market), trumpeter

Mathias Eick

trumpet
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Mathias Eick (from

Jaga Jazzist

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Jaga Jazzist and a leader in his own right), tubaist Martin Taxt (from the

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.2000

" data-original-title="" title="">Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and Koboku Senju) and drummer P?l Hausken (from

In The Country

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">In The Country)—delivers a magnificent chamber jazz transformations of classical repertoire, songs ranging from English Renaissance, Baroque and Romantic eras to the present.

Unlike the playful spirit of its debut, Graces That Refrain tends to be serene and subdued. The quintet begins with two arrangements of songs by John Dowland, "Flow My Tears" and "Come Again." Augestad performs these gentle songs with a commanding, warm voice, fragile sensitivity and great reserve. The beautiful melodies are sketched simply by Eick and Carstensen, with gentle touches by Taxt and Hausken. Franz Schubert's lieder, "Der Leiermann," from his Winterreise song cycle, receives a slow, contemplative arrangement with Hauske's imaginative percussion. It is followed by two romantic songs by Francis Poulenc, "La reine de Coeur" and "Les Chemins de l?amour," both highlighting the vulnerable expressiveness of Augestad's voice and Eick and Carstensen's emotional musical envelope.

The early love song of Bertold Brecht and Franz S Bruinier, "Erinnerung an die Marie A.," gets a light, playful arrangement, performed by Augestad with the heartfelt, forgiving perspective of an adult who looks on her youthful, mischievous days.

Erik Satie

" data-original-title="" title="">Erik Satie's sentimental waltz "Je Te Veux" is arranged for a duet by Augestad and Carstensen, both sounding as if they are dancing passionately around each other. A meditative version of George Friderich H?ndel's aria "Lascia ch'io pianga" follows, featuring a brilliant pedal steel guitar solo from Carstensen. The popular Renaissance/Baroque song "Une Jeune Filette" is performed in a charming, traditional dance form. Than Augestad sings Giuseppe Verdi's aria "Ave Maria" with dramatic control and reverence. The quintet concludes with a minimalistic arrangement of Henry Purcell "Hush, no more."

Beautiful, elegant and highly creative performances of timeless songs.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Flow My Tears; Come Again; Der Leiermann; La reine de Coeur; Les Chemins de l?amour; Erinnerung an die Marie A.; Je te veux; Lascia ch'io pianga; Une Jeune Filette; Ave Maria; Hush, no more.

Personnel

Music for a While

Tora Augestad: vocal; Mathias Eick: trumpet; Stian Carstensen: accordion banjo, pedal steel guitar; P?l Hausken: drums; Martin Taxt: tuba.

Album information

Title: Graces That Refrain | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Grappa

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Anti-Mass
< Previous

Offset
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.