Although Sidsel Endresen could be called a jazz vocalist, her style is equally distant from Ella Fitzgerald as Sydney Bechet's is from Evan Parker. The Norwegian vocal artist, whose work can be found on the labels Jazzland and ECM, is continuously exploring the limits of her voice and those of the traditional song. On her album Merriwinkle, released in 2003, you can hear that her investigations go rather far. But Endresen doesn't just experiment in the studio. On stage she is regularly accompanied by electronics wizard and sample artist Jan Bang. He has demonstrated that electronics aren't cold and distant. Bang has a very personal and individual style, and the intimate interaction between Bang and Endresen is the same as in the relationship that exists between a singer and her pianist. However, the result is completely different and transports the listener to a faraway future.
