Today I'm sharing my favorite song from one of the most sadly unknown and underrated records I've ever heard: Ice Age Paradise, by Sienna Dahlen.
I learned of Dahlen when I spent a semester working in Edmonton, Alberta, and hung out at a fine jazz club called Yardbird Suite. Don’t get me started on how well Canada supports its musicians (and this club is a piece of that puzzle) as compared to the shame of the US in this regard.
I heard several world class musicians at the Yardbird, flown into the bitter Alberta winter from far and wide—but probably Dahlen’s set was the very best I heard. Canadians seemed to know her at least a little—she won a Juno award, which is like a Grammy—but she wasn’t even a top headliner at the Yardbird, nor was the club full.
Then there's the fact I've never met anyone in the US who has even heard of her when I (quite often) rave about this record, except perhaps my long-suffering spouse who is tired of me complaining about it.
To my mind this neglect is shocking and immensely damning. So for day five, here is “Ice Age Paradise,” and peace out to the great Sienna Dahlen, hoping she can get more recognition south of the border.
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