Thursday evening the Valstad audience had the pleasure to see again one of the better New Orleans bands on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Copenhagen based group New Orleans Delight visited the church on their way to the Askersunds Festival.
The clarinet player Kjeld Brandt leads the band to even higher levels and introduced this time the shining jazz-singer Marilyn Keller from Portland, Oregon.
The English trumpet player Derek Winters was the other guest, an old friend with Valstad.
In addition the new trombone player Kim Menzer made his first appearance.
Full up as usual, and the audience enjoyed the jazz music in the form of a church concert with traditional gospels and hymns of an as well heartfelt as un-restrained kind.
New successful concert in Valstad
Text and photo: ROLF Johansson
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Additionally, they had added two dazzling guest stars: Marilyn Keller from the US and the trumpet player Derek Winters from the UK.
- "It does not get any better than this," was the overall opinion afterwards.
Jan and Margareta Skold also got high marks for arranging this success concert. On the other hand, this is how it usually sounds out there in Valstad, wherever or whenever it may end.
The talking interludes and presentations of the numbers by Marilyn Keller, Derek Winters and Kjeld Brandt were informative and entertaining. It thereby became a mix of Danish and English, which did not become the jazz friends the least, instead they seemed to enjoy themselves and laughed in the right places.
Dark and Forceful
At the core it was a church concert, where the seriousness of such, was replaced with light, warmth and closeness. Marilyn Keller with her warm laughter, who does not try to hide her Christian faith, which gives her voice that little extra. She participates in Lutheran gospel sermons at home in Portland, OR, as often as she can in-between tours and concerts. This is her first visit to Sweden.
- "A wonderful country," she exclaimed despite the rain and expressed the wish to visit again.
Her voice is dark and expressful, her aura and emotion intensive, and she masters the gospel techniques fully. Additionally, she has that humble quality that only seems to exist in very talented and knowledgeable people.
Exceptional musicians
Derek Winters has been to Sweden and Valstad many times. He is a dynamic 62-year-old journalist. Derek possesses an advanced technical, almost attacking trumpet playing, but can also become almost inaudible during the melodic pianissimo pieces. He has been taught how it should sound during his early study trips to New Orleans and it shows both in his playing, and singing. Staffing the trumpet playing with different artists have become this band's signature and always provides them with a fresh sound. Derek Winters being the most used one.
NO Delight has got a new trombonist since last time. His name is Kim Mentzer, a multi-facetted musician, who knows everything, including classical music. His technique is top-notch, the tone mastodon and the glissando gleaming carrying with him his colleagues and the audience. A great addition to an already great band.
Goa människor
Kjeld Brandt is extraordinary clarinett player himself and his ability to find talented musicians is well renowned.
- "I know exactly how it is supposed to sound in here," he says pointing to his head during the break, "furthermore, I try to find people that will fit in." Another newcomer is more than an adequate pianist, Hans Pedersen, who received plenty of praise for his playing by Marilyn Keller. The never-changing core of NO Delight is the only Swede, upright bass-player Stefan Karfve and Erling, and Claus Lindhardt on banjo and drums respectively.
- "Excellent musicians," Marilyn says admiringly of her comrades. She continues: "furthermore, they are good people."
I sing because I´m happy
G ospels and hymns were on the repertoire, such as, "I came to the Garden Alone;" "Does Jesus Care?;" 'He Touched Me;" "His Eyes Is On The Sparrow;" and "Just As I Am." The profound tunes were mixed with hot sounds like "Higher Ground," "This Little Light of Mine," 'When the Saints" and the encore number: "Iko Iko." The last one was the uttermost wild type. Me, myself hummed "I sing because I´m happy, I sing because I´m free" the whole way home and half of Friday. The high-points of this ten-pointer in Valstad were Marilyn's deeply engaging voice and words about the Godly. In this village church with direct connection to the King's village and other metropolis of the world.
The Football priest, Mats Löwing spoke about the orphanage in Poland and told us that these concerts had raised over 200,000 SEK so far.
– "You are the most generous visitors we have here at this church." His subject was the word 'touched.' He was that by his childhood memories, he said and by the fair play on field, and of music. The conclusion that was touches us the greatest comes from God left us with something to think about during the hymn: "Amazing Grace," which was sung in this year's lowest tone. This weekend you can once again here these guests at Askersund's Jazz Festival.
