American Smooth Jazz Award Nominee to Perform At The Nordic Summer Jam July 14, 2011

NORDIC SUMMER JAM PRESENTS SWEDISH SINGER/SONGWRITER AND
AMERICAN SMOOTH JAZZ AWARD NOMINEE, ANDERS HOLST

“His (Anders) honest and original love songs can give romantic music a brand new chance. Do your heart a favor and check him out.” - QUINCY JONES
“In addition to having an emotionally mature take on the nature of relationships; Holst has an equally advanced take on music… It’s not inconceivable that Holst could become a massive star with this album [SoHo Suite]...classy chanteuse Adele tops the charts repeatedly...Josh Groban continues to sell albums and pack arenas, and the adult audience has finally spoken – they want their own music, that speaks to their own experiences. And Holst can be the one to give it to them.”
- CORTNEY HARDING, MUSIC EDITOR AT BILLBOARD MAGAZINE

“SoHo Suite is the perfect follow-up to Anders Holst’s very successful ‘09 release, Romantika. It’s simply a top-notch collection of memorable songs...This one is highly recommended!” - SCOTT O'BRIEN, SMOOTHJAZZ.COM
(NEW YORK, NY) June 30, 2011 – Celebrating Swedish Midsummer, the ‘Sting of Stockholm,’ Anders Holst, is poised to perform at American Scandinavian Foundation’s annual summer music festival, Nordic Summer Jam. The event will take place Thursday, July 14th in the Volvo Lounge at the Scandinavia House at 7pm. The audience will have the chance to enjoy the beauty of the garden terrace while listening to Anders’ captivating voice.

Surrounded by the beauty of the Volvo Lounge’s “garden terrace” atmosphere, Anders will perform selections from his recently released album, SoHo Suite (just released June 7th), and tracks from his previous releases, Romantika, and Five. Stripping his larger set-up down to an intimate trio, the audience will enjoy an evening of smooth romantic music, amongst the lush summer foliage.

SoHo Suite is meant as an ode to his New York neighborhood and the emotions it inspires. The album blends smoky, emotive vocals with Anders’ signature velvety sound; sonically reflecting an emotionally mature take on the nature of relationships while exhibiting a new approach to adult contemporary composition and romantic music.

After the release of his critically acclaimed EP, Five, Anders released his first full-length album, Romantika, in January of 2009, which was touted by Smooth Jazz.com as “a grand success;” moreover, Chuck Taylor of Billboard Magazine heralded Holst to “become the new crowned prince of contemporary romantic music.” The ten songs on the album capture Holst's remarkable fondness for penning songs that are truly from and of the heart, enhanced by a genuine and refined pop sensitivity and an incomparable elegance. Following the success of Romantika, Anders secured multiple performances at the prestigious Feinstein’s at the Loews Regency, an appearance on WNBC’s Weekend Today and in 2010, a nomination at the American Smooth Jazz Award in the International Male Vocalist category, among the likes of major label artists, Michael Bublé, Seal and Matt Dusk.

Most recently, Anders made an appearance on FOXNews Live, and SoHo Suite was featured on AOL Music’s Listening Party and Napster’s Jazz Releases page. In addition, Holst just helped to kick off Sing For Hope’s Pop Up Piano’s program by donating two performances, one of which was held at the legendary Louis Armstrong House Museum in Queens.

For additional information about Anders Holst, visit www.andersholst.com.
Nordic Summer Jam Event Details:
Thursday, July 14th
Doors 6:30 pm / Concert 7:00 pm
$10 ($8 for ASF Members)
Volvo Lounge
Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America
58 Park Avenue (at 38th street)
New York, NY 10016
For concert reservations, call 212.847.9740 or email event_reservation@amscan.org

ABOUT ANDERS HOLST

Soulful Swedish singer/songwriter Anders Holst blends smoky jazz with the adult contemporary melodicism of Sting, Seal, and Leonard Cohen. Born in Gothenburg Sweden, Anders grew up in a home filled with music. Not only from the thousands of choirs for which his nation is known, but also his father’s diverse record collection – Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, and later The Supremes, Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach. Following his influences and passion, Anders wrote his first song at age eleven. After years in the consulting business, Anders released his first EP, Five in 2005, which All Music Guide heralded as, “deftly weaving pop, jazz, and classical into a smooth style all its own.” The great reception encouraged the 2009 release of his second album, Romantika – a collection of songs that ponder love, separation and redemption. Romantika’s release lead to a multitude of shows at the prestigious Feinstein’s at the Loews Regency, a northeast tour of Botanical Gardens as part of his “Love Blooms” tour, a performance on WNBC’s Weekend Today in New York, and a nomination for International Male Vocalist of the Year – alongside Michael Buble, Seal and Matt Dusk – in the 2010 American Smooth Jazz Awards. His third album, SoHo Suite, was just release on June 7th, 2011.

ABOUT SCANDINAVIA HOUSE

Scandinavia House—celebrating a decade of cultural programming—is home to The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF). Offering a wide range of programs, Scandinavia House presents contemporary Nordic culture that encompass the visual arts, music, and literature along with business, finance, and technology. These programs include art, design, and historical exhibitions as well as films, concerts, readings, lectures, symposia, language courses, and children’s programming that illustrate and illuminate the modern-day vitality of the Nordic countries.

###