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Rigmor Gustafsson: When You Make Me Smile

By Bruce Lindsay
August 28, 2014
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Rigmor Gustafsson: When You Make Me Smile

Rigmor Gustaffson's extensive discography, stretching back to 1997, has seen the Swedish vocalist working with major jazz musicians such as

Jacky Terrasson

piano
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Jacky Terrasson and

" data-original-title="" title="">Eric Harland. When You Make Me Smile is her sixth album on the ACT Music label—all of which have included "You" in the title. Gustafsson is a subtle vocalist—no over-the-top melodrama or blues hollerin' here—and this is a polished collection of songs.

The album title and its cover photo of a smiling Gustafsson hint strongly at an upbeat, if sentimental, collection of pop-jazz songs. There's certainly plenty of examples—"A Different Kind," "Blind As A Bat" and "Forget About The Moonlight" to name just three—but Gustafsson also adds a couple of bluesy numbers and one or two slow, sad, songs. It all adds up to a collection with a wider stylistic and emotional range than the title and photo suggest.

With the exception of Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager's "Nobody Does It Better" this is a set of original songs. Gustafsson provides the music to most of them, with lyrics by Tomas B?cklund and Ollie Olson. Gustafsson's regular working trio—

Jonas Ostholm

" data-original-title="" title="">Jonas Ostholm on piano,

Martin Höper

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Martin H?per on bass and

Jonas Holgersson

" data-original-title="" title="">Jonas Holgersson on drums—form a sympathetic musical center for these songs, aided and abetted by a strong set of guest players.

Sweden's Dalasinfoniettan features on some of the songs, its appearances giving a lush romanticism to "Forget About The Moonlight" and "If Dreams Are Made Of Sand." Sweeping strings also suit the sadness of "Let It Go," a duet with Eagle-Eye Cherry (son of

Don Cherry

trumpet
1936 - 1995

" data-original-title="" title="">Don Cherry) and of "Hymn." The Dalasinfoniettan's contribution to "Nobody Does It Better," by contrast, is a little too lush—?stholm, H?per and Holgersson all make considered and sympathetic contributions that get rather overwhelmed by the orchestra.

The lovely waltz-time ballad "Call Me Lonely" and the slinky bossa nova of "When You Make Me Smile" (which features

Magnus Lindgren

flute

" data-original-title="" title="">Magnus Lindgren's flute solo) have an immediate and lasting impact. So, too, do two songs with a small band accompaniment. "I Get Along" is a soulful blues enlivened by Jesper Nordenstr?m's atmospheric organ playing. "Woke Up On Sunday [In Saturday's Shoes]" is another blues, but this time there's a bit more of an edge, lyrically and musically. B?cklund's lyrics tell the tale of a lost weekend, the protagonist "still wearing Friday night's clothes." Holgersson and H?per keep things funky, as does guitarist

Max Schultz

" data-original-title="" title="">Max Schultz, and Lindgren makes another welcome appearance, this time on clarinet.

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Track Listing

Call Me Lonely; Forget About The Moonlight; A Different Kind; If Dreams Are Made Of Sand; When You Make Me Smile; I Get Along; Nobody Does It Better; Stay, Stay, Valentines Day; Finally, Falling In Love; Blind As A Bat; Woke Up On Sunday [In Saturday's Shoes]; Let It Go; Hymn.

Personnel

Rigmor Gustafsson

Rigmor Gustafsson: vocals; Jonas ?stholm: piano; Max Schultz: guitar; Jesper Nordenstr?m: organ; Martin H?per: bass; Jonas Holgersson: drums; Calle Rasmusson: percussion; Eagle-Eye Cherry: vocals (12); Magnus Lindgren: tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute (3, 5, 11); Patrik Skogh: trumpet, flugelhorn: 3, 5, 9, 10); Karin Hammar: trombone (3, 5, 9, 10); Anders Wiborg: bass trombone (5, 9, 10); Jonas Nydesj?: conductor; Dalasinfoniettan.

Album information

Title: When You Make Me Smile | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: ACT Music

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