Sunna Gunnlaugs – piano
Ohad Talmor – sax
Matt Pavolka – bass
Scott McLemore – drums

Originally from Iceland, now living in New York City, Sunna has found a way to make music that people on both sides of the Atlantic can relate to. Highly influenced by such American pianists as Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, and Scandinavians like Bobo Stenson, her music has developed its own charming brand of romantic lyricism, riding atop a driving American rhythm section.

She came to America in 1993 to study jazz at William Paterson College, where she was taught by, among others, pianist Pete Malinverni, and bassist Rufus Reid. While in school she formed a trio with bassist Dan Fabricatore and drummer Scott McLemore, which she recorded upon graduating and self-released on a CD entitled Far Far Away. The trio toured Iceland in 1997 (which was the first major tour of Iceland by a female musician) and continues to perform in America.

In December 1999 she recorded the CD Mindful with a quartet that featured bassist Drew Gress, saxophonist Tony Malaby and again drummer Scott McLemore. This quartet toured Iceland in March 2000 and the states in April 2000 as well as local NYC performances at the Knitting Factory and Cornelia Street Cafe. In August 2001 she toured the states again with a quartet featuring saxophonist Peter Hess, bassist Matt Pavolka and McLemore which included a stop at Blues Alley in DC. She brought a quartet with Pavolka, McLemore and Ohad Talmor to Europe for a three week tour of six countries in March 2002. Currently she is touring Canada with a quartet featuring Pavolka, McLemore and Quinsin Nachoff on the major jazz festivals.

Sunna’s radio career began in 1998 with her show on RAS 1 [Icelandic Public Radio] called Jazz Gallery New York. Her concept was to expose Icelanders to jazz by giving them a behind the scenes look into the music and the people who make it. She interviews one artist per one hour show and plays their music. So far she has hosted 17 shows which featured: Dave Douglas, Ben Monder, Mark Turner, Marc Johnson, Ethan Iverson, Kurt Rosenwinkle, Maria Schneider, Larry Goldings, Guillermo Klein, Matt Wilson, Chris Cheek, Jim Hall, Ellery Eskelin, Jason Moran, Drew Gress, Frank Kimborough, and Chris Potter. To listen over the internet with a Windows Media Player click here. If you want to download Media Player click here.

Sunna has also been pursuing a project with Icelandic singer Kristjana Stefánsdóttir for which she has been writing music to Icelandic poetry. The group will tour Iceland in Oct/Nov of 2002, which will include a performance at the Reykjavik Jazz Festival and the recording of a new CD. Joining Sunna and Kristjana this time will be Sigurður Flosason, Drew Gress, and Scott McLemore.

– Her various credits and awards include: an endowment from the American Culture Center
– a concert at the American Embassy in Iceland
– a cultural award from the American Scandinavian Society
– an artist salary from the Ministry of Education in Iceland
– and a concert at the prestigious Cosmos Club in Washington DC presented by the Icelandic Embassy