Malene Mortensen - born 23th May 1982 -
www.malenemortensen.com
2002. A virtually unknown high-school student, Malene sang her way into Danish hearts when she won the Danish song Contest February 2002 with the song,"Tell Me Who You Are". By that time, however, she had already drawn a lot of attention on the Danish Broadcasting Corp's song contest, "Stjerne For En Aften," (akin to the British "Pop Idol") in December 2001 when she was first runner-up with the song, "Sing It Back."
She was continuously exposed in the Danish media. She participated in The Eurovision Song Contest in Tallinn, her MGK and high-school exams had to be passed, and there were concerts and a CD project.
September 2002 jazzpianist and -producer Niels Lan Doky heard Malene sing at their common old school, SAG, and immediately he approached her.
2003 "Paradise". Medio January Malene rehearsed a couple of days with some of Denmark's finest musicians, Niels Lan Doky, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Alex Riel at NHØP's. Ultimo January and Primo February the recordings took place in Focus-studio. Malene's debut solo album, "Paradise", was released September 1th 2003.
Niels Lan Doky:
". I feel that we've managed to create an album that shows and confirms the fact that Malene is a vocalist of international class and a talent of the highest order."
"Beforehand, Malene had already demonstrated (via extensive media exposure in connection with the Eurovision Song Contest) that her personality has natural mass-appeal."
"I think that these qualities compliment each other incredibly well and that their combination equals more than their sum, and it will therefore be very exciting to follow Malene's career from now on. "
" NLD 2003
Thus Malene has a strong voice and output allowing her to penetrate over and above e.g. a bigband, as well as she can throw the mike away and fill up a room acoustically ad libitum.
2003-09 ALBUMS.
Since the song contests in the winter 2002-03 Malene has contributed to quite a few album-releases, starting with the actual competitors and subsequently compilations.
January 2004 Malene and Kasper Villaume Trio contributed to the Danish jazz- gala-success at Midem in Cannes. Peter Littauer, general manager of record company "Sundance", heard Malene sing at this event, and in the light of this experience he had - as a provisional plan - a standard-jazz-album, when he signed Malene and Kasper August 2004.
"Date With A Dream", Malenes second soloalbum, is also a jazzalbum. With Kasper Villaume p and Morten Lund dr, the level once again is high Danish jazz top élite, here with a lower average age than concerning "Paradise" , and once again with a famous bassist: here the Israel/American Avishai Cohen, especially known from Chick Corea's "New Trio".
The recordongs took place January-February 2005.
With "Date With A Dream" released April 2005, distributed to 20 countries and with 30 000 sold albums Malene is reaching her international breakthrough.
"MALENE" - the third soloalbum. Released on the 16. of November 2006. Malene wrote some personal songs as well as adding some cover songs. Jhon Mayers irresistible ”City Love”, Brandford Marsalis jazz classic ”Another Day” and the famous ”Desperado” by The Eagles. Producer Chris Minh Doky, musicians: Chris Potter, Mike Stern, Adam Rogers, Kasper Villaume, Jacob Christoffersen, Rasmus Khielberg.
”To all of You” Malenes Christmas Album, released in November 2007, also released in Europe. The album contains some of the good old classic Christmas songs like; Last Christmas, Warm December, Silnet Night, Santa Claus and many others.
”Ecstacy and Agony”, her fifth solo album is now recorded and will be released in september 2009. This album is very special because all the songs are written by Malene herself, and some songs are co written with the musicians in her band. The genre of the music is a fusion between pop, rock and jazz. The musicians on the album are young extremely talented boys from sweden and norway. Calle Mörner - guitar, Petter Eldh – bass, Magnus Hjorth – piano and Snorre Kirk - drums
Tha band has been playing concerts in Germany, France, Polen, Thailand, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Holland
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