Gunnfjauns Kapell - Dansä läite

Gunnfjauns Kapell - Dansä läite (2001)

Gunnfjauns Kapell are a Swedish folk group from Gotland.    Their name was taken from an abandoned church is east Gotland.  (Wikipedia)

01 | Gunnels Vals

02 | Småpolskorna

03 | Just Jost

04 | Det Gingo Två Flickor

05 | Groddaliran

06 | Sletkalsgilde

07 | Groddapolskan

08 | Läile Nätte Fröken

09 | Lärbropolskan

10 | Dansä Läite

11 | Trumbromsen

12 | Högaste Himmel

13 | Mördarpolskorna

14 | Den Bergtagna

Availability: Out of print in the U.S., but available in MP3 format.

Ranarim - För världen älskar vad som är brokot

Ranarim - För världen älskar vad som är brokot (2003)

Ranarim are a folk band from Sweden. Their current line-up consists of Sofia Sandén and Ulrika Bodén on vocals, Niklas Roswall on nyckelharp, Jens Engelbrecht on guitar and mandola, Anders Johnsson on double bass, and Olle Linder on percussion. They play a mixture of traditional and original folk compositions.

Ranarim were formed while Sofia Sandén, Ulrika Bodén, Niklas Roswall and Jens Engelbrecht were at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm together.  Niklas Roswall won the 1996 Nyckelharpa World Championship, and has also released a solo album. He is also a member of the Nyckelharpa Orchestra.  Ulrika Bodén and Sofia Sandén also performed as part of Rosenberg 7, an all-female vocal group led by Susanne Rosenberg.

‘Ranarim’ translates literally as ‘dew tapestry’ (‘rana’ means a woven tapestry or rug; ‘rim’ is an old Swedish word for ‘dew’). (Last.fm)

01 | Skulle jag sörja?
02 | I min ungdom
03 | Hjärtats vals / När rågen blir mogen
04 | Mara mara minne
05 | Koraler
06 | Näcken bortför jungfrun
07 | Höga berg
08 | Mera önska myckit få
09 | Slängpolskor
10 | Mitt adertonde år / Jag tänka däruppå
11 | Ropot
12 | Brokot
13 | Sista polskan
14 | Sjalen
15 | Tennisbaronessan
16 | Haga / Flyg ystat

Availability: Other of their albums appear to have received U.S. releases, but not this one.  No mp3 version that I can find.

Chateau Neuf Spelemannslag - Spell

Chateau Neuf Spelemannslag - Spell (1995)

"The traditional music of Norway is preserved through the efforts of the 11 musicians and five female vocalists who comprise Chateau Neuf Spelemannslag. With traditional Norwegian instruments, including fiddle, Hardanger fiddle, accordion, and Norwegian recorder, combined with saxophone, clarinet, oboe, electric bass, guitar, piano, and percussion, the group resurrects the musical spirits of Norway's past. Formed in 1994 by musicians and singers whose prior experience included stints with classical, rock, jazz, and pop groups, Chateau Neuf Spelemannslag continue to learn traditional melodies by ear and collectively work out intricate arrangements. Their first two albums, The Sweet Sunny North and The Sweet Sunny North, Vol. 2, were produced by Henry Kaiser and David Lindley. Their 1997 album, Tjuvgods, was reissued in the United States as Stolen Goods. Chateau Neuf Spelemannslag performed their debut London show in the summer of 1999. " (Allmusic.com)

01 | Forspill
02 | Faut-Marits Polska
03 | Funky Pærsen
04 | Ringereven
05 | Gamle-Guro
06 | Lars Linkerifot
07 | Visetone
08 | Sheiv Shig
09 | Kari Hagen
10 | Holtrilen
11 | Gaute og Magnhild
12 | Gubben Garberg
13  Vossatril
14 | Kulokk
15 | Huldra Mi
16 | Kjetta
17 | Lilleboa
18 | Nu Er En Dag Fremliden
19 | Heilos Trademark

Availability: Not readily available in the U.S., although used copies can be found.

Unintented hiatus (hopefully) over!

Apologies for disappearing for so long.  I've been out a computer for the better part of two months, and have just acquired a new one which appears to have some issues straight from the factory... but hopefully everything is functional enough that I won't disappear again.  :)  To make up for it, I intend to post at least once a week until I've returned to my 3-posts-a-month average.  I've also just updated my music list.  It isn't a lot, but there are a few new items.

Steinar Rygg - Brunnslåtten

Steinar Rygg - Brunnslåtten (2002)

Guess what? There isn't much information available about Steinar Rygg.  He's a hardingfele player, like his father Leif Rygg, and is mentioned in this article about his father.  I found a single image of the CD cover online, in the poor quality you see above (it was less than 100x100 pixels).  All but three tracks on this disc are solo hardingfele, and all tunes come from Voss, Hardanger, or Telemark.

01 | Huldrejentas lokketonar av Torkjell Haugerud (1881-1954)
02 | Brunnslåtten av Eivind Groven (1901-1977)
03 | Langedragen I etter Knut Luras (1786-1848)
04 | Nordfjorden etter Anders Kjerland
05 | Frå sova til sjø, brureslatt etter Ola Håstadbø
06 | Jentebedragaren, gangar
07 | Muraren, brureslått etter Siri Dyvik
08 | Hoyversdagen, etter Håvard Giboen
09 | Langedragen III, ganger etter Leif Rygg
10 | Myren, springar etter Ola Mosafinn
11 | Eivinds minne, av Eivind Mo
12 | Langedragen II, gangar etter Leif Rygg
13 | Gammal Vossarull etter Leif Rygg
14 | Jornvrengja, etter Ola Mosafinn
15 | Fanitullen etter Einar Mjølsnes
16 | Trotto

Availability: Not available in the U.S.  As far as I can tell, somewhat difficult to get a hold of in Norway as well.