Ida Jenshus released her third CD Someone To Love a couple of weeks ago. Now she is on a club tour to promote the CD, and yesterday she played the Crossroad Club in Oslo. The concert was sold out, and the expectations were high.

Ida Jenshus has come a long way since her debut five years ago. She won the Norwegian Grammy, Spellemannprisen, for both her first and second CD. With her third CD she has gone in another direction, less country, more rock and with a darker mood than before. The songs on the CD are not as easily accessible as on her first CDs, and I was curious about how they would sound live.  I had no reason to worry. First of all, her band is still great. They work both as a backing for Ida, but also as an extension of her, with great emphasis on the delicate details and dynamics in her music. The set list contained a mix of new and old songs. Played by the same band, the difference between the new and old songs disappear, making them part of an organic whole.Ida Jenshus’  songwriting has always impressed me, and she and lyricist Martin Hagfors are a great team. She played all the songs from the CD except one, together with the best songs from her other CDs. To me the more introvert songs on the CD actually work better live than on the CD. Her up-tempo songs are also great live songs.The club was packed with an enthusiastic audience who loved what they heard, and Ida and her band obviously enjoyed themselves. I am certain that this tour will be a success, and I am looking forward to seeing them at a larger venue, rather sooner than later.

All pictures are © Per Ole Hagen and must not be used without written permission.