sun|never|sets|on|music

Tomorrow's Yesterday

KARIN KROG
ROB LUFT, JOHN SURMAN,

ERLEND SLETTEVOLL, ROB WARING

Released 2 February 2026

Meantime Records

*****

A quietly radiant collaboration shaped by time, respect and empathy, produces an unhurried late-career gem.

​​

Karin Krog occupies a singular position in European jazz history. In 1964, she released By Myself, Norway’s first jazz solo LP, helping to establish her reputation as a vocalist unafraid of risk, abstraction, and reinvention. Over six decades, Krog has navigated standards, free jazz, electronics, and avant-leaning collaborations with unwavering artistic curiosity, working with figures such as John Surman, Dexter Gordon, and Archie Shepp. Now, 62 years after her recorded debut, Tomorrow’s Yesterday arrives as a distilled statement of intent: a collaborative, contemplative album that values listening as much as expression. With the possibility that this may be her final physical release, it stands as both continuation and quiet summation.

Tomorrow’s Yesterday unfolds with the patience and clarity of artists who trust silence as much as sound. Across nine pieces, Karin Krog leads two exquisitely balanced ensembles, each shaped by deep musical empathy rather than display. Side A pairs her with sublime English guitarist Rob Luft and long-time collaborator, )another Englishman), John Surman, whose saxophone and bass clarinet lines drift and coil with restrained authority. The interplay here feels conversational: Krog’s voice, captivating in it's unevenness, moves with brave but calm assurance through spaces carved by Luft’s translucent guitar and Surman’s unmistakable tonal gravity. On Side B, pianist Erlend Slettevoll and vibraphonist Rob Waring introduce a cooler, chamber-like atmosphere, where harmonic shimmer and rhythmic suggestion gently support Krog’s phrasing. Almost all songs on the album are selections from the American Songbook from 1935-1945, with the exception of 7  the title track, "Tomorrow's Yesterday", and "Jubilee" which are new songs by Surman and Krog & Surman, respectively, that slip seamlessly into the mix. The album resists drama or nostalgia, favouring poise, texture, and shared intent, but there is none of the experimental daring of Krog / Surman's 2025 release "Electric Element."

This album serves another purpose and audience entirely and is perhaps best appreciated alongside other classic late-in-career masterpieces such as Marianne Faithfill's "Broken English" (1979), Johnny Cash's "American III: Solitary Man" (2000) and Leonard Cohen's "You Want It Darker"(2016)

​

Read more...

Karn Krog Home Page

Spotify

YouTube

​