An admirable public service, this compilation, pulling together a judicious selection across over three decades of Norwegian jazz vocalist Karin Krog’s career. ‘Jazz vocalist’ seems a limited description of what Krog does with that voice; while yes, she’s always somehow situated within jazz, she’s equally comfortable with standards and the outer boundaries of improvisation. The latter makes for some of the most exciting moments on Don’t Just Sing – the multi-tracked fantasia of Krog’s setting of a Gertrude Steim poem “As A Wife Has A Cow”; the synaesthetic surrealism of “Images In Glass”; the dappled, spaced-out meandering of “Tystnaden.” Some of the strongest moments come with her collaboration with husband John Surman, such as the electronic vistas of “Cloud Line Blue” and “Don’t Just Sing,” and there are some lovely selections from her lush, verdant jazz songs classic, We Could Be Flying – the title song, and “Raindrops, Raindrops,” are swooning joys. It’s an excellent compilation, pulled together with smarts and wisdom by Pat Thomas.