Mysterious Meishi Smile

A Swedish jazz and pop vocalist, Viktoria Tolstoy is a much celebrated performer in Europe. Known for her lilting, emotive style, she has worked closely with pianist Esbjörn Svensson and trombonist Nils Landgren, crafting her unique crossover jazz, pop, and folk sound. Emerging in the 90s, Tolstoy released a handful of chart-topping jazz albums like 1997's White Russian and 2004's German Jazz Award-winning Shining on You. A descendant of novelist Leo Tolstoy, she has explored both her Swedish and Russian roots on record, issuing My Swedish Heart in 2005 and My Russian Soul in 2008. She has also appeared often on producer Landgren's own albums, including 2004's Funky ABBA and 2011's The Moon, the Stars and You.

Rigmor Gustafsson - When You Make Me Smile (2014) {ACT Music}
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Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Post Bop / Contemporary Jazz

Rigmor Gustafsson has always known that her personality comes out best when singing melodious jazz. To do that realisation justice, she seeks out special music-making constellations and fascinating combinations. On When You Make me Smile , she now takes this to the next level: In addition to her working band , with the trusted companions Jonas Östholm on the piano, Martin Höper on bass and Jonas Holgersson on the drums, she not only gathers an illustrious team of guests around her, like the woodwind and flute player Magnus Lindgren, trombonist Karin Hammar and guitarist Max Schultz, but also an almost 30-strong orchestra. Together with the Dalasinfoniettan, one of the leading orchestras in Sweden, with a wealth of experience in many different styles, the music shines in symphonic splendour and is lent a colourful expressiveness. This represents the fulfilment of a heartfelt dream that Gustafsson has had for a long time.

The Remo Four's lone album is an above-average slab of mid-'60s British mod-soul, with a tinge of jazz. Tony Ashton's organ playing could hold its own with that of better-known players in the same style, such as Graham Bond, Alan Price, and Georgie Fame; Colin Manley's vocals were first-rate blue-eyed soul; and Phil Rogers' bass was very assertive and well-recorded by the standards of the era. Although Smile! consisted wholly of covers, these were imaginatively and energetically executed, especially when they stretched out into some jazz-soul grooves on "Brother Where Are You" and "Jive Samba"; on "No Money Down," they sound quite a bit like the early Animals. The CD reissue on Repertoire adds eight important bonus tracks, half of which are from 1966 and 1967 singles, and half previously unreleased. Of these, the highlight is their storming version of Mike Settle's "Sing Hallelujah"; these also include a couple of original songs, although they aren't so hot.