Janne Mark: reinventing the hymn in Denmark in the spirit of jazz
Janne Mark writes hymns. And yet there is nothing about her that is stuck in a fusty tradition. She writes in the here and now, she is socially aware and committed, and in her work she draws on the freedom of jazz and all of the breadth of the Scandinavian folk tradition.

Janne Mark: reinventing the hymn in Denmark in the spirit of jazzJanne Mark writes hymns. And yet there is nothing about her that is stuck in a fusty tradition. She writes in the here and now, she is socially aware and committed, and in her work she draws on the freedom of jazz and all of the breadth of the Scandinavian folk tradition. And that is how her songs have established their place outside the canon of sacred music and in the secular space. As she explains herself, “the music of ‘Pilgrim’ is written for people who are unfamiliar with the church as well as for those who know it well.”The music of the Christian church and jazz have always been closely related. Spirituals and then gospel music were both a fertile nurturing ground for jazz and an important source of inspiration. Janne Mark has enlisted the participation of Norwegia...
line up

Janne Mark / vocals
Arve Henriksen / trumpet
Henrik Gunde Pedersen / piano & celeste
Esben Eyermann / bass
Jesper Uno Kofoed / drums
Gustaf Ljunggren / lap steel

Recording Information

Recorded by Lars Nilsson at Nilento Studios, Kållered (SE), May 4 & 5, 2017
and by Boe Larsen at MillFactory Studios, Copenhagen, May - June 2017
Mixed and mastered by Lars Nilsson
Produced by Esben Eyermann and Janne Mark
Vocals produced by Boe Larsen

Cover art by Neo Rauch (detail), “Kleine Unterbrechung” 2017
by kind permission of the artist, courtesy Eigen&Art Leipzig / Berlin

Arve Henriksen appears courtesy of ECM Records and Rune Grammofon