Since the 1960s, her musical expression has made up a unique space in Swedish music history where jazz, groove rock and folk music meet. Throughout her career, Merit has moved forward with a strong sense of independence and sensitivity to music, and she has collaborated with both The Ark and Beppe Wolgers, played on the major jazz stages in New York as well as toured around Sweden and Norway many times over.
50 years ago, Merit released her classic album Huvva, closely followed by Trollskog and Bergtagen. In the isolation that numbed us all in 2020, a window opened where time could suddenly be questioned and processed – and half a century later, she lifts her music and shakes it up again. The following year, the new album Huvva! As time goes by, cam out – being an interpretation of the material from her three earlier albums but based on who she is today. The result at hand is music that has been wewritten, songs have been given new names, the stories have been set to music differently and in many ways have been reshaped into something new and unique. It is clear how her artistry and musical expression have developed over the decades. Merit shows us the feeling of wanting to reach out and turn over stones that have lain untouched since beginning of time, just to catch a glimpse of what now lies beneath as time passes and drags us along in its undercurrents. The organ roars like the sea, it sweeps over rocks, stones and underwater mountains and shapes them into something new.
Merit Hemmingson – organ,
Ola Winkler – drums,
Anders Norudde – mora harp, bagpipes
About Stockholm Jazz Festival
Stockholm Jazz Festival is one of Sweden’s largest and oldest festivals and takes place between 11 and 20 October 2024. This year’s festival presents big names such as Bill Frisell, Sona Jobarteh and The Headhunters. Stockholm Jazz Festival is an indoor festival that houses over fifty stages every year and is visited by around 30,000 Stockholmers during its ten days. Read more about the festival at stockholmjazz.se
