 Singing is destiny for Sissel, and it makes perfect sense that the winsome Norwegian-born singer's debut recording for Decca Records is self-titled. For the name "Sissel" is a Norwegian form of Cecilia - the patron saint of singers and singing - and the radiant, crystalline beauty of her voice more than fulfills that promise. The entire world discovered her when she dazzled audiences at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, where she was already a star. And now Sissel is making her long-awaited solo debut in the U.S. with the release of Sissel. Forget the labels, though. Sissel moves happily and effortlessly beyond them, with a voice she imagines as being "like a grand piano," a solid, finely tuned instrument capable of an infinite range of music. For Sissel, that could be anything, from classical to folk. "I like music that I think is beautiful, music that touches me," she says simply. "When the music touches me, I want to do it." That simple formula explains the seemingly effortless charm of Sissel. Its selection of songs seems to grow out of those "grand piano" possibilities in the singer's remarkably expressive voice. To create the perfect chemistry for Sissel, the album is co-produced by Elliot Scheiner and Rob Mounsey. Scheiner is a 16-time Grammy nominee and one of the industry's most sought-after producers and engineers, whose eclectic list of credits includes projects with Steely Dan, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor, Lenny Kravitz, Etta James, Diana Krall and most recently, Faith Hill. Three-time Grammy nominee Mounsey has worked with Paul Simon, Donald Fagen, Lyle Lovett, Keb' Mo' and the aforementioned Steely Dan and James Taylor. From the traditional American classic "Shenandoah" to a luminous new song Sissel co-wrote, "Sarah's Song," named for her daughter, Sissel showcases the singer in performances with a natural grace and lilting beauty that would seem to be the very definition of music itself. "It's all very basic, down-to-earth, very simple," Sissel describes the album. Sissel also features a couple of fascinating covers. The traditional American song "Shenandoah" takes on a fresh radiance in Sissel's new version, one that resonates later in the album with the haunting Norwegian song "Lær meg å kjenne." The album concludes with the voice alone, wordless, in the lyrical "Molde Canticle," a wistful tune that might be Scandinavian, Celtic or Appalachian - universal, in the end, and mesmerizing.
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