Lisa Is Back To Earth

Original released on CD BMG 74321.61463.2

(EU, 1998)

At first, Lisa Ekdahl's squeaky, girlish voice may seem inappropriate for the pop standards she has chosen to make her trade, but given some time, her voice and laid-back style become endearing. True, she occasionally seems mannered and borrows heavily from her inspirations (most notably Billie Holiday), but she shows signs of developing her own style throughout her second American album, "Back to Earth". Like its predecessor, "When Did You Leave Heaven", "Back to Earth" was recorded with the Peter Nordahl Trio and has a charming mellow vibe. Nordahl has an elegant turn of phrase and his rhythm section - drummer Ronnie Gardiner and bassist Patrik Boman - has a light touch that keeps the focus on Ekdahl. It is true that her voice may strike some listeners as odd, but it's girlish, not thin, which means she can nail the emotions of the songs. There may be a few missteps here and there, but she delivers ballads ("What Is This Thing Called Love?," "The Laziest Gal in Town," "Now or Never") as well as swing ("Down with Love," "I Get a Kick Out of You"). Yes, the selections are a little predictable and Ekdahl is a bit of an acquired taste, but ultimately, "Back to Earth" is quite charming. (Stephen Erlewine in AllMusic)

LISA EKDAHL - "When Did You Leave Heaven"

Original released on CD Arietta adcd 4

(SWEDEN, 1995)

Lisa Ekdahl is a Swedish singer and song writer, born in 1971, in the city of Stockholm. Her voice has been described as "child-like" and "soft, supple and smooth". In the winter of 1994 Lisa Ekdahl was brought into superstardom over night in Scandinavia. Lisa’s debut album sold quadruple platinum and gave her three grammy awards. Her laid back style, matched with her fragility and sensitivity has dazzled fans and critics alike. Several European countries and especially France has fallen for her understated way of performing jazz standards, bossanova and original songs. Lisa got her first record deal with EMI when she was hired by singer/songwriter Toni Holgersson to sing background vocals on his album. 

The background singing didn’t turn out well but instead Lisa was discovered by EMI’s head of A&R and offered to make her own record, which became the debut album “Lisa Ekdahl” (EMI). At the age of 19 Lisa Ekdahl started to perform in small jazz clubs with swedish jazz trio “The Peter Nordahl trio”. Lisa has sometimes referred to the years playing smaller clubs with this great trio as a form or “musical education.” Lisa & the trio played a series of concerts at club La Villa in the Saint Germain area of Paris which was the starting point for Lisa’s career in France. Lisa Ekdahl & Peter Nordahl Trio released two albums together: this “When Did You Leave Heaven” & “Back To Earth”, later in 1998. See her complete discography here. For this first english album several editions have been made, with two more covers: