Nordic folk-jazz chanteuse Rebekka Bakken was the most successful exponent of a new generation of Scandinavian jazz singers who also included Silje Nergaard, Sidsel Endresen, and Solveig Slettahjell. Born in Oslo in 1970, Bakken studied violin and piano as a child, and in 1995 relocated to New York City to pursue a professional music career. There she paired with Austrian-born guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel, and together they toured the local nightclub circuit as a duo. In time, Bakken also befriended German pianist Julia Hülsmann, with whom she recorded the 2003 album Scattering Poems. Upon completing the project Bakken returned to Europe, settling in Vienna and signing a solo deal with the Universum label. ~ Jason Ankeny