''Nordic Quartet'' is an album by English saxophonist

John Surman John Douglas Surman (born 30 August 1944) is an English jazz saxophone, Clarinet family, clarinet, and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music. He has composed and performed music for danc ...

recorded in 1994 and released on ECM the following. The quartet features singer

Karin Krog Karin Krog (born 15 May 1937) is a Norwegian Vocal jazz, jazz singer. Life and career Krog began singing jazz as a teenager and attracted attention while performing in jam sessions in Oslo. In 1955, she was hired by the pianist Kjell Karlsen ...

, guitarist

Terje Rypdal Terje Rypdal (born 23 August 1947) is a Norwegian guitarist and composer. He has been an important member in the Norwegian jazz community, and has also given show concerts with guitarists Ronni Le Tekrø and Mads Eriksen as "N3". Career Rypd ...

and pianist Vigleik Storaas.ECM discography
accessed November 7, 2011

Reception

The

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

review by

Scott Yanow Scott Yanow (born 1954) is an American jazz reviewer, historian, and author. Life and career Yanow was born in New York City and grew up near Los Angeles. Beginning in 1974, Yanow was a regular reviewer of many jazz styles and was the jazz e ...

stated, "The group never really meshes their disparate voices together and few of the spacey (and sometimes meandering) group originals other than 'Wild Bird' are at all memorable. All of the principals have sounded better elsewhere."Yanow. S
AllMusic Review
accessed November 7, 2011 ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled b ...

'', however, awards four stars, writing that "there is a compelling logic to the music that overcomes its cool detachment."

Track listing

:''All compositions by John Surman except as indicated'' # "Traces" (Karen Krog, Vigliek Storaas) - 7:14 # "Unwritten Letter" (Krog, John Surman) - 3:49 # "Offshore Piper" (Terje Rypdal, Surman) - 2:09 # "Gone to the Dogs" - 3:58 # "Double Tripper" (Rypdal, Surman) - 6:18 # "Ved Sørevatn" (Rypdal) - 8:06 # "Watching Shadows" (Krog, Surman) - 5:20 # "The Illusion" (Storaas) - 5:57 # "Wild Bird" (Krog, Rypdal, Surman) - 7:30

Personnel

Nordic Quartet

– soprano and baritone saxophones, alto and clarinet * Vigleik Storaas – piano *

– guitar *

– voice

References

{{Authority control ECM Records albums John Surman albums 1995 collaborative albums Albums produced by Manfred Eicher