Silje Nergaard (born 19 June 1966) is a Norwegian
jazz vocalist and songwriter. She is one of the best-selling jazz artists on the official sales chart in Norway.
She became known worldwide after the release of the international bestseller ''Tell Me Where You're Going'' featuring
Pat Metheny on guitar.
Career
Nergaard entered the music scene at the age of 16 when she accidentally had a jam session with Jaco Pastorius Band in 1982. Her first hit single in 1990, "Tell Me Where You're Going" featuring guitarist Pat Metheny made it to no. 1 in Japan as well as top 10 in Norway and other countries. Her album ''At First Light'' (2001) is the best-selling Norwegian jazz album ever recorded and entered the official sales chart in Norway at No. 1 in its first week. The album ''A Thousand True Stories'', which Nergaard recorded with the
Metropole Orchestra in 2008, was a great success in both Europe and Asia. Nergaard is one of the few Norwegian artists to have been commercially released all around the globe, on most continents and major music markets including Japan, Brazil, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Nergaard has recorded and performed songs with
Al Jarreau
Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and musician. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and R ...
,
Pat Metheny,
Toots Thielemanns
Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for his chromatic harmonica playing, as well as his guitar and whis ...
, and
Morten Harket of
A-ha
A-ha (usually stylised as ''a-''h''a''; ) is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars and vocals), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitars and vocals), and Morten Harket (lead vocals), the band ...
. She has had
Tord Gustavsen
Tord Gustavsen (born 5 October 1970) is a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer. He tours extensively worldwide, and he has been a bandleader for a trio, ensemble and quartet at various times, all bearing his name.
Early life
Gustavsen was born o ...
and
Jarle Vespestad as two pillars in her bands.
Vince Mendoza received a
Grammy Award Nomination for the Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) Award for the song "A Thousand True Stories" in 2011.
In the spring of 2012, Nergaard released her new album ''Unclouded'', based on recordings with her two guitarists Hallgrim Bratberg and Håvar Bendiksen. It was released on 9 March in Norway and 23 March internationally. Nergaard has written 9 new songs for ''Unclouded'' and has two covers on this album: "Human" by
The Killers and ''
The Moon's a Harsh Mistress'' by Jimmy Webb. For ''Unclouded,'' Nergaard has also invited the American guitarist
John Scofield to contribute along with
Georg Wadenius,
Knut Reiersrud, and
Nils Petter Molvær.
Personal life
She is married to the singer
Heine Totland
Heine Totland (born 16 October 1970 in Moster, Bømlo, Norway) is a Norwegian-Danish singer and has featured in several prominent productions, like ''State'', ''Gli Scapoli'', Silje Nergaard, the musical ''Sophies verden'', '' Køhn/Johansen Sex ...
. They have two daughters and one son together.
Discography
* ''Tell Me Where You're Going'' (Sonet, 1990)
* ''Silje'' (BMG, 1991)
* ''Cow On the Highway'' (Sonet, 1993)
* ''Brevet'' (Kirkelig Kulturverksted, 1995)
* ''Hjemmefra'' (Kirkelig Kulturverksted, 1996)
* ''Port of Call'' (EmArcy, 2000)
* ''At First Light'' (EmArcy, 2001)
* ''Nightwatch'' (EmArcy, 2003)
* ''Live in Koln'' (EmArcy)
* ''Darkness Out of Blue'' (EmArcy, 2006)
* ''A Thousand True Stories'' (Columbia, 2009)
* ''Jazz Divas of Scandinavia'' with
DR Big Band
The Danish Radio Big Band (aka: DR Big Band), often referred to as the Radioens Big Band is a radio ensemble and big band founded in Copenhagen in 1964 at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR).
Band history
Originally called the New Radio ...
(Red Dot, 2009)
* ''If I Could Wrap Up a Kiss'' (Sony 2010)
* ''Unclouded'' (Columbia/Sony, 2012)
* ''Chain of Days'' (Okeh, 2015)
* ''For You a Thousand Times'' (Okeh, 2017)
* ''Hamar Railway Station'' (2020)
* ''Japanese Blue'' (2020)
* ''Houses'' (2021)
References
External links
*
BBC's review of ''At First Light''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nergaard, Silje
1966 births
Living people
Norwegian women jazz singers
Norwegian jazz singers
Norwegian jazz composers
Norwegian singer-songwriters
Melodi Grand Prix contestants
Spellemannprisen winners
Musicians from Hamar
Musicians from Steinkjer
Okeh Records artists