One Evening in July is an album of pure jazz, from the masterful composer, and delightful singer, Marina Osk.
Hailing from the capital of ice and snow, Reykjavik, the music on this album feels just as magical, mythical, and haunting as the place they were birthed in. With the writing done in most part by Marina, and with a band of outstanding backing players, this album manages to sound masterful and calculated too. Add to this that half the songs are written and sung in Icelandic, for an end result that’s captivating.
An album that’s arranged with stark, elegant simplicity, no songs feature any more than Marina’s charismatic vocal presence, the wonderfully inventive guitar improvs from the Icelander Mikael Mani Asmundsson, and the sweet, snappy, melodic trumpets and fragile, ornamenting drums of the Swedish brothers Erik, and Johan Tengholm, respectively.
This album dropped in August, making it a few months old at this point, and during that time, it managed to gain reasonable traction, selling almost all of its physical copies, and receiving hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify. So let’s take a look at some of its highlights. Samtal Vid Solu is a playful, quirky starter. With a plucky guitar motif in the introduction that quickly develops to incorporate the traditional, bouncing, jazzy upright bass. The smooth, modal sound that persists throughout this whole album is a massive pointer to the quality of the composition, continually modulating and discovering new territories, effortlessly, without a hint of drama or excess. The lengthy solos on the first cut are also clear enough indicators to the quality of the musicians on this record. The sophomore song, Einsemd, fully utilizes the magical, foreign sounds of Icelandic, with a stellar, sensual performance from Marina Ost. The composition is more vintage, paying homage to the modal jazz sounds of the 50s, with the modulations feeling smoother and even more effortless. Silky soloing from Asmundssen is just as captivating and inventive as Marina’s delivery, resulting in a jazz cut of the highest standard. Following that is ‘Hey Love!’.
As the name suggests, this playful, ballroom jazz number is jubilant and cheerful. With major tonalities and a giggling trumpet solo, it has amazing rhythm chops, melodic, sweet, and tasteful. The Moon and the Sky is restrained and down-stated. The tender, provocative, and minimal soundscapes are equally warm, and chilling, with a persistent vintage vibe. The trumpet solo that lives in the middle of this song is seductive and haunting, creating an immaculate atmosphere of pure jazz goodness. Vid Tjornina has an inspired, melancholic composition. Again, utilizing the captivating vibes created by the Icelandic language, this piece is a lilting, colorful waltz with poignant sorrow. The instrumentation is exceptionally sweet and delicate.
Marina Ost’s One Evening in July is an outstanding jazz album. Filled with inspired, provocative performances from all members of the roster, this album’s songs are one haunting composition after the other. With hints of quirkiness, playfulness, sorrow, and romance, it’s a full package of beautiful music.