Susanna And The Magical Orchestra

Susanna Wallumrød (vocals) and Morten Qvenild (keyboards, harmonium and autoharp) are Susanna & The Magical Orchestra. Hailing from the small Norwegian town of Konsgberg, home of a renowned jazz festival, the pair came to the attention of Rune Grammofon’s boss Rune Kristofersen after he got hold of a demo featuring their own version of Dolly Parton’s classic Jolene and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. While twenty-four year old Susanna was until now totally unknown, Morten spent the last few years as a member of Norwegian experimental jazz outfit Jaga Jazzist. Produced by another of Jaga Jazzist’s members, and Rotoscope founder, Andreas Mjøs and Deathprod’s Helge Sten, List Of Lights & Buoys is a stunning piece of work. Delicate in its melodies and arrangements, the essence of this album is to be found somewhere between the crystalline ambiences of Björk’s Vespertine and the acoustic structures of Carole King’s Tapestry.