Johanna-Adele Jüssi – Kiilid

Johanna-Adele Jüssi is a busy woman, a member of several bands, although this is the first disc to come out under her own name and she’s backed by the members of her eponymous band, one member from most of the Nordic countries (two from Estonia, and although none of the musicians are Finnish, the recording engineer is. So it’s a very mixed recording, reflecting Jüssi’s own experiences in the Northlands. The material is a mix of traditional Danish pieces, including Mahlane, which could only be a Rasmus Storm tune, along with traditional Estonian and a handful of originals. The dual fiddles on five of the tracks offers a beautiful chance for unison and harmony playing, and the backing of bass and guitar is sparse, letting the bows take centre stage. There’s an understated elegance to Jüssi’s playing. It’s very sparse in that way Norse fiddlers manage (indeed, at times she seems more Swedish than Danish), although she brings glowing rhythms to the dance pieces, including the odd rhythm of the Hopsa. There’s also plenty of elegance, best shown on Tiirud, which almost glows. She definitely makes the violin sing in several different ways. Very much a player who’s going to go places.