Search - Lief Sorbye :: Folk Music From Norway

Joy and sadness, spooky and beautiful!

David | Portland, OR USA | 09/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Five stars if you're a folk music lover, otherwise who knows - but there is some really interesting music here. Sorbye has selected a set of Norwegian songs that display their characteristic blend of joy and sadness - sometimes with a bit of a spooky sound that makes the hair on your neck stand up. Listen,too for the lilt and drone of the hardingfele - Norway's national instrument: the Hardanger fiddle played here by two Seattle (?) area artists, Jane Landstra and Ken Embrey. Sorbye has a smokey, deep voice that you will remember, too.He can also be heard, sounding quite different, on CDs by his Celtic/Norwegian folk/rock group Tempest, as a (former?) member of Golden Bough, and at least one solo CD. Tempest tours a couple of times a year, watch for them especially in college towns. Although we had this record on vinyl (titled "Springdans"), we searched the US and the length of Norway from Kristiansand to Kirkenes for the CD - finally finding a copy in a shop in Trier, Germany (it turns out it was not released in Norway - oh well, we had a great trip there). I had listened to Norwegian folk music since the '40's, but never thought of it as particularly cool until hearing it done by Lief Sørbye. Sorry to go on so much about this CD, I have no connection to anyone connected with it, except for meeting Lief once at a Tempest concert in Portland. If you think you might like this music, grab your copy while you can - out-of-the-mainstream music comes and goes without warning."