* En anglais uniquement
Silje Nergaard is an award-winning Norwegian jazz-pop singer/songwriter who peaked in popularity after the turn of the century with the chart-topping albums
At First Light (2001) and
Nightwatch (2003). Born on June 19, 1966, in Steinkjer, Norway, she cites influences that include
Al Jarreau and
Joni Mitchell. As a teenager she became something of a national sensation when she joined an impromptu jam session at the 1983 Molde Internasjonal Jazz Festival. In 1984 she made her solo recording debut with a 7" single, "One of These Mornings"/"My Funny Valentine," released on PolyGram. Several years later she signed a recording deal with Lifetime Records and made her full-length album debut with Tell Me Where You're Going (1990), the first of three English-language jazz-pop albums produced and co-written by
Richard Niles. The highlights of these early albums, the others being Silje (1991) and Cow on the Highway (1995), were later compiled on the best-of collection The Lifetime Years (2005). After parting ways with Lifetime Records,
Nergaard released a couple Norwegian-language albums on the label
Kirkelig Kulturverksted:
Brevet (1995) and
Hjemmefra (1996). Upon signing a major-label recording deal with
Universal Music,
Nergaard broke through to mainstream success in 2000 with
Port of Call, a full-length English-language effort comprised largely of cover material.
Port of Call was a Top Ten hit on the Norwegian albums chart and set the stage for her chart-topping follow-up albums,
At First Light (2001) and
Nightwatch (2003). Like
Port of Call, these two albums feature a quartet comprised of
Tord Gustavsen (piano, Rhodes),
Harald Johnsen (acoustic bass), and
Jarle Vespestad (drums), in addition to
Nergaard (vocals). Almost entirely self-composed,
Nightwatch was especially successful, earning
Nergaard a Spellemannprisen award for Musician of the Year. In the wake of this success,
Be Still My Heart: The Essential (2005), a best-of collection also featuring some new material, was released, along with the aforementioned Lifetime compilation. Subsequent albums
Darkness Out of Blue (2007) and A Thousand True Stories (2009), both Top Five hits, feature an expanded band and arrangements by
Vince Mendoza.
Nergaard moved to Sony for 2010's seasonal album If I Could Wrap Up a Kiss. Unclouded followed in 2012, featuring a cameo from
John Scofield.
Chain of Days appeared in 2015
For You a Thousand Times in 2017. ~ Jason Birchmeier