Various Artists Højbystævnet 2009

Every September in Højby Stævnet in Denmark there’s a festival for dancers. The one-time village is now part of the city of Odense but for a few days it returns to its rural roots. This double CD, recorded at the 2009 festival, captures dance music played by musicians from Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Unsurprisingly, the Danes predominate, with Jensen and Bugge (and Kristian Bugge seems to have been everywhere in Danish music in 2010) and Bøg, while Norway offers the twin fiddles of John Ole Morken and Jørgen Nyrønning and Sweden has Gässbiköllor. While there’s delicacy to the Norwegian contingent, the others are much more about the people out of the dancefloor for a rollicking good time. While most of the pieces are short, Bøg do offer one lengthy set – at over 12 minutes, guaranteed to tax all but the hardiest dancers, who seem to love it. Overall it’s an object lesson in the different ways the Nordic nations make music. Norway is introspective, Sweden a bit more shadowed but still able to kick up a leg, while Denmark is ready, smiling and eager to cut a rug. In the trust sense of the word, this is folk music. Not for everyone, admittedly, but most definitely Nordic roots.