With MY ONE AND ONLY LOVE, Marie Mørck reminds us the standards album doesn’t need reinventing, just care, taste, and a voice like hers.
Zack’s Music
Marie Mørck – Vocals; Magnus Hjorth – Piano; Lasse Mørck – Bass; Snorre Kirk – Drums
On MY ONE AND ONLY LOVE, Danish vocalist Marie Mørck sets her pen down and reaches for the well-worn pages of the Great American Songbook. It’s a short, focused set—just six tracks—all hand-picked. This is a singer who knows her voice, and now she’s using it to step into the tradition, and honoring it with a gentle twist of her own.
We’ve heard Mørck’s own compositions—smart, sensitive songs on SONGS TO COMFORT, and on FOOLING AROUND, which earned her a Danish Music Award for Best Vocal Jazz Release in 2020. But here, there’s something quietly bold about setting authorship aside and leaning into interpretation. The expectations shift. These standards have been done—and done well—by countless legends. Mørck doesn’t try to outsing or imitate them. She simply adds her voice to the tradition, in her own way.
Mørck’s voice moves effortlessly from a Blossom Dearie-like airy charm to a darker, more sultry, smoldering tone. On the title track, she pulls back on the phrasing, letting the lyrics breathe. That light, airy quality is still there when she wants it, but now there’s a deeper vibrato and more emotional shading.
Pianist Magnus Hjorth is emotionally right there with her—when her singing is light and playful, he matches her bounce; when she turns inward, he softens the edges. Bassist Lasse Mørck and drummer Snorre Kirk are just as responsive, making this trio feel less like a backup band and more like a close-knit conversation.
Mørck’s light, girlish tone sets the mood on ‘Look for the Silver Lining,’ while the bass lingers just behind the beat, adding a gentle undercurrent of tension.
On ‘Are You Havin ’Any Fun?’ Mørck’s vocal turns a little darker, almost conversational—like she’s about to tell you a joke. The piano skips along, but with more weight, more intention behind each phrase.
‘Like Someone in Love’ is playful and lighthearted—Mørck sounds like she’s having fun, tossing in a bit of scat. The piano and the rest of the trio swing right along with her.
‘Young at Heart’ is more laid-back. Kirk’s brushwork is subtle, and the rest of the trio leans into Mørck’s tone and the song’s easygoing mood. There’s a lovely bit of vibrato at the end of her phrases.
By the time the record closes with ‘My One and Only Love,’ it feels less like a torch song and more like a quiet confession—just a voice, a trio, and a melody treated with real tenderness. Mørck makes the tune her own in a way that feels honest and unforced, and that’s more than enough.
