Bjork Gling-Glo CD

Sings Standards In Icelandic W/Her Father.

Personnel: Bjork Gudmundsdottir (vocals); Trio Gudmundar Ingolfssonar.
Personnel: Björk (vocals); Gudmundar Ingólfsson Trio (piano, tambourine); Pordur Hognason (bass guitar); Gudmundur Steingrimsson (drums, percussion).
Recorded in 1990, while Bjork Gudmundsdottir was still a member of the Icelandic alt-rock band the Sugarcubes, GLING-GLO provided the eccentric vocalist with one of her first moments in the solo spotlight. Solidly backed by Trio Gudmundar Ingolfssonar, Bjork settles into a spare, upbeat set of bop-influenced jazz tunes, allowing her exuberant, dynamic voice to carry each melody. While the buoyant title track could easily serve as the theme song for a sophisticated children's TV show, the following number, "Luktar-Gvendur," settles into a classic lightly swaying jazz groove. The majority of tracks are performed in Icelandic, with Bjork's delivery so charming that listeners will barely notice the language difference. However, those pining for songs in English will be pleased by the disc's final tracks--"Ruby Baby" and "I Can't Help Loving That Man"--two gently swinging takes on standards that directly point to elements of Bjork's later work, most notably her gorgeous reading of "Like Someone in Love" on DEBUT and her brassy take on "It's Oh So Quiet" off of POST.
Björk's elastic, somersaulting voice is right at home delivering these traditional Icelandic and jazz tunes. Happy songs performed by Björk with the Icelandic jazz group Gudmundar Ingólfssonar Trio really showcase her voice and reveal how her unique singing style shares some common ground with scatting. The trio consists of pianist Gudmundar Ingólfsson (who, contrary to popular rumor, is not Björk's father), Gudmundur Steingrímsson on drums, and Thórdur Högnason on bass. Björk performed with this trio a few times before they recorded Gling Glo, and everyone must've had a good time, because the album captures the group moving through a mixture of jazz numbers and Icelandic songs with a free and easy feel. When Gling Glo was first released in 1990 on the Smekkleysa (Bad Taste) label, it went platinum, becoming the label's best seller. The first 14 songs are from this original issue, while the last two tracks (and the only songs sung in English -- "Ruby Baby" and "I Can't Help Loving That Man") are drawn from a rehearsal recording made a year prior to the album. ~ Joslyn Layne

Rolling Stone (10/2/03, p.120) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A rare chance to hear the pure art in her voice, without a shred of artifice."