“Sidsel Endresen has been at the forefront of the Norwegian music-scene for more than two decades. Her work has spanned genres from fusion and jazz-rock in the -80’s – to free improvisation and “new music” in the -90’s and the new millennium. Through her two solo-records on ECM Records (”So I Write” and “Exile”), three duo-recordings with Bugge Wesseltoft, as well as other releases on the Jazzland label (“Merriwinkle”, “Undertow” a.o.) – she has received wide international recognition and critical acclaim. In international media she has been labelled «the Grand Dame of Nordic, poetic chamber-jazz and Europe’s most innovative jazz singer – yet she does not consider herself a jazz-singer per se. She is influenced by many sources, including the ethnic and contemporary vocal expressions. Sidsel Endresen has always moved in new directions – constantly renewing her music and her approach – and challenging the traditional role and function of the singer. She is today considered a major influence on a new generation of singers, both at home and abroad. She has worked extensively with the voice as solo-instrument – and has developed her own, distinctive improvisational style – and her own abstract, phonetic language based on her exploration of the pure sound-aspects of the human voice. Her solo-concerts are intimate, minimalistic – with complete focus on the voice – and with no use of electronic devises or effects. She occasionally accompanies herself on a few simple instruments (a small kalimba, and old mini tape-recorder, a glass.)The repertoire for her solo-concerts is a mixture of improvisations and her own, pre-organised material.”