Porgy & Bess
With Konkova, Jaksjø
Hot Club Records, 2001

"Recordings of Porgy & Bess are numerous. Happily, Magni Wentzel and her band come out with flying colours. Not only because Magni Wentzel handles these demanding songs in a brilliant manner, with an opulent and personal deliverance, vocal confidence and with great authority, but also because she is in good company. The musicians make this recording into a first class instrumental jazzversion. Wentzel's new harmonizations and Jaksjø and Konkova'a arrangements are fresh and attractive. Many great jazzversions of Porgy & Bess have been recorded. Now it's Magni Wentzel's turn and the result is sensational. With her versatile skill as an intepreter of both classical music and jazz, Magni of course has the best qualifications"
Roald Helgheim, Dagsavisen (N)

 

"With her presentation of 14 melodies from Porgy & Bess, vocalist and guitar player Magni Wentzel demonstrates that she posseses all qualities necessary to create an extraordinary beautiful and exciting musical product: Intense feeling and spirit, a deeply felt musicality, exquisite vocal control and a well-equipped fantasy. In addition she can lean on excellent musicians."
Stein Kagge, Aftenposten (N)

 

"Magni Wentzel made a most personal version of Porgy & Bess. In case Magni Wentzel had anything else she wanted to prove (as an artist), she has unquestinably done so with this recording. Up through the years she has been telling us, through her recordings and performances, why we should lend her an ear. This time it is more obvious than ever before."
Tor Hammerø, Puls (N)

 

"This must be the best recording Magni Wentzel has ever recorded. She sings these well-known songs in a manner that compares favourably with any interpreter of Porgy & Bess. Magni Wentzel is now 56 years old, but on this CD she demonstrates that she is in constant progress. The extra weight that age has given her voice becomes her and she performs with a superior confidence, even when the demands are great. With her musical skills, she is one of the few singers who can handle all the technical challenges in this opera. She performs with great rythmic and harmonic freedom. Her diction is superior and the songs are performed with great respect for the lyrics. The interpretations are personal and creative. The musicians contribute through a series of excellent soloes, adding to the variety of the performances. One assumes that Olga Konkova has made an important contribution in making such a beautiful record."
Kjell Moe, Nordlys (N)