Leading Norwegian guitarist Johan Tobias Bergstrom, best known for his Django Reinhardt-style of playing, presents his second album, Stella, a heady mix of jazz, Irish and Norwegian folk, flavours from North and South America, and much more.

"There's a myth about second albums - that they're difficult, even "cursed." but for me, Stella felt like a walk in the park compared to my debut solo album Nova'(LOS3081 2024).The process was intense and overwhelming, but I'm deeply proud of the result.

Interestingly, the seeds for Stella were planted while I was still working on Nova. After composing a debut that leaned heavily on minor keys and melancholic moods, I began writing songs that felt brighter and more uplifting. The new album has more major sounds, Irish/Norwegian folk-like melodies, and a touch of flavour from both North and South America. Still, I remain rooted in jazz, with musical nods to Django Reinhardt, African music, and influences from the Middle East.

I was thrilled to reunite with the musicians from Nova and honoured to welcome multi-instrumentalist Knut Hem as a guest on slide guitar for two tracks. During the writing process, some compositions needed vocals - without lyrics - to fully come alive. I sang a few myself, and my band joined in to form a small choir on several songs." - Johan Tobias