Hvit soul

Under the headline "Hvit soul" ("White soul"), Lofotposten (11 April 1997) announces Jackie Leven's concert on Saturday at Præstengbrygga in Kabelvåg. He is "a musician's musician, Scotland's finest supplier of white soul, a bandless edition of Van Morrison". The writer (the byline is legible only as "Refs") says he had the pleasure of seeing Leven with Doll by Doll in a dreary venue far out in east London in the summer of 1977, an experience that still stays with him.

Then the outline: after four "genius" records with Doll by Doll between 1979 and 1982, Leven was working on a solo record when he was nearly killed by a street gang in 1983. He lost his voice and entered a period of depression and drug abuse, though also one in which he wrote a lot of poetry. In 1985, the article says, he opened a drug-rehabilitation centre, and later, ironically, he appeared as producer of his own whisky, "Levens Lament". After 13 years of musical hibernation he returned as an artist in 1994 and has several critically acclaimed albums behind him. The latest CD is about to enter the Norwegian charts, and he is on a solo tour of Norway.

Tor-Harald Bergsrud, a music enthusiast from Kabelvåg now living in Tromsø, heard Leven the previous weekend and is full of praise: Leven, whom he has seen before, was in top form and delivered a really good concert for a full house at the "Blå Rock Café". Between the songs he tells crazy stories, and a brilliant guitarist and an artist with great charisma is coming to Kabelvåg.