You Must Believe In Spring

Many a great artist likely has been convinced to do an album which he or she later curses the Jazz Gods for ever letting it happen. Such must be the case for the fine Norwegian singer Karen Krog with regard to You Must Believe in Spring. What musical purpose this album is designed to serve is a mystery. Maybe that's why there are no liner notes. No one could think of anything to say. Here are a group of very good European musicians with many outstanding recording sessions under their respective belts taking part in an effort to transform Michel Legrand's music into a combination of pop, rock and fusion. Every electronic gimmick ever invented by an engineer is used here. There's an electric bass, piano, echo chambers and some devices I don't recognize, all laid on top of saccharine strings with Krog's voice sounding like it's coming from a cave. The best cut on this session is "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life" where there is some nice trumpet work by Palle Mikkelborg. The rest of the cuts are maudlin and dull. When there's only 35 minutes of music on a CD that's usually reason to complain. Here, it's a blessing. ~ Dave Nathan|