Beady Belle - Songs From A Decade: The Best Of Beady Belle (2015)

Fronted by Beate S. Lech, a stunning singer, songwriter and composer with few peers, and consistently provided with unparallelled backbone by Marius Reksjø and Erik Holm, and regular top-notch collaborators such as David Wallumrød, the group has progressed, digressed and evolved to become one of the most consistently excellent bands, both live and in the studio.

The phrase "All killer, no filler" has rarely been more apt than here, with this fabulous three-disc collection offering a superb selection of tracks that effortlessly demonstrate just why Beady Belle are placed upon a golden pedestal by so many critics and fans alike.

The first two disks present the group in the studio, featuring a selection of tracks that fans helped to choose. Rather than chronological order, the tracks have been given new placements to complement each other and create a smooth flow. Each studio album contributes several tracks, and with that comes an array of collaborators that reads like a litany of the great and good in modern jazz and crossover: Jamie Cullum, India Irie, Torun Eriksen, Bugge Wesseltoft, Jørgen Munkeby, Geir Sundstøl, Anders Engen and countless others.

The third disc, entitled "A Night At The Theatre", is unique to this collection, and presents a live recording of a concert at Parkteatret, set in the heart of Grünerløkka, Oslo (a place that briefly lent its name to the club-jazz fusion music scene that emerged at the turn of the millenium, a scene in which Beady Belle were key players).
There is nothing nostalgic about this collection. It is a beautiful summary of an exceptional career to date, and a prelude to more great things to come.