Ida Sand - I Will Be Right There (2026) [Hi-Res]

Ida Sand vocals, Wurlitzer, piano
Ola Gustafsson guitars, banjo, pedal steel
Jesper Nordenström Hammond organ, synthesizers
Per Lindvall drums, percussion
Dan Berglund electric and double bass
Pablo Cepeda percussion

Completely unpretentious, approachable and free of affectation – yet possessing the glamour of a diva in the very best sense: in the 20 years since her ACT debut, Meet Me Around Midnight, Swedish singer, pianist and songwriter Ida Sand has become one of European soul-jazz’s most loved artists, without ever making a fuss about herself and always keeping the focus firmly on the music. Whether entirely on her own with just voice and piano, or on the biggest stages alongside Nils Landgren or the SWR Big Band, it is Ida Sand’s warmth and authenticity that touch her audiences. And, of course, her smoky, sonorous voice, recognisable from the very first note.

These same qualities – her authenticity and soulfulness – are also what make the music on Ida Sand’s new album, I Will Be Right There, so compelling. Listening to it really does feel just as the title suggests: as though Ida Sand were singing, at that very moment, for you alone. “The songs on the album are the result of my own introspection and reflections on the relationships in my life, and what it means to be in healthy dynamics with others,” says Ida Sand. “I wanted to put into words, how I value responsibility and intention in relationships, and how we sometimes need to sharpen our communication and intuition when interacting with other people.”

The album’s musical ingredients range from soul, rhythm and blues, folk and Americana. Although Ida Sand often moves within the world of jazz, the songs dispense with extended solos and improvisations. Instead, it is the small, spontaneous embellishments and variations, the subtle swing of many of the grooves and the harmonic depth of the songs that gently point towards jazz. Alongside seven of Sand’s own compositions – including two versions of the title track – ranging from moving ballads to fiery, groove-driven numbers, the album also features interpretations of two classic songs: Massive Attack’s darkly shimmering “Teardrop” and the English-language version of Jacques Brel’s “Ne me quitte pas”.

What unites all the album’s songs is Ida Sand’s distinctive musical personality – and the virtuosity of her fellow musicians. Yet that virtuosity is expressed not through instrumental excess, but through quite the opposite: remarkable rhythmic ease and impeccable judgement when it comes to dynamics, sound and phrasing. The album was recorded virtually live in the studio, often in just one or two takes and with hardly any overdubs – simply because there was so little to correct or add. There is a good reason for this: the core band – guitarist and Ida Sand’s husband Ola Gustafsson, drummer Per Lindvall and organist Jesper Nordenström – consists of some of Sweden’s most internationally renowned studio musicians. Bassist Dan Berglund already provided the musical foundation for e.s.t. Esbjörn Svensson Trio; here, playing electric bass, he once again acts as a unifying and grounding presence.

One thing is clear: Ida Sand is a people person, someone for whom family and community matter deeply – both in her private life and in music. For her, it is not about ego or self-promotion, but about creating something together that enriches the lives of others. Or, as she puts it: “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world, sang Barbra Streisand so beautifully, and I couldn’t agree more.”