Kirsti Huke And Tore Brunborg - Scent of Soil (2012)

'Scent of Soil' is fronted by the Norwegian vocalist Kirsti Huke and saxophonist Tore Brunborg. They make use of material from a critically acclaimed commissioned work they wrote together for the Vossa Jazz Festival in 2010. The nine powerful and visually rich songs they present here are all related to nature, each in its own way and are both exciting and accessible and create a record abounding in musical high points.

The music on 'Scent of Soil' ranges from energetic rock to tender ballads in which the group's jazz roots emerge more distinctly. Huke and Brunborg have put together an exciting band with musicians who have all worked extensively with boundary-defying music, and their references to the alternative rock scene are very much in evidence.

Kirsti Huke has worked in both rock and jazz genres, and has released two highly praised albums under her own name. Her voice has been described as both "a honey jar" and "a powerhouse", which indicates the breadth of her approach to jazz standards, pop and rock.

Tore Brunborg is undoubtedly one of the most important Norwegian saxophonists in the generation that followed Jan Garbarek. He had his breakthrough in the 1980s with the group Masqualero, which also featured Nils Petter Molvaer, Arild Andersen and Jon Christensen. During the past few years he has worked with Mathias Eick, Manu Katché, the Tord Gustavsen Ensemble and Ketil Bjornstad. He also plays a key role on two of Mats Eilertsen's records on the Hubro label: 'Radio Yonder' and 'Sky Dive'.