The Icelandic Poetry Project::
Sunna Gunnlaugs - piano • Kristjana Stefánsdóttir - vocals
Sigurður Flosason- alto sax • Drew Gress - bass • Scott McLemore - drums
"You do not need to understand Icelandic to appreciate the magnificence of Kristjana’s voice. In addition to her singing, Fagra Verold also showcases Gunnlaugs’ highly sophisticated and articulate pianism as well as her lyrical and thoughtful compositions, which range between simple statements of melody and more complex platforms for exploration. But they always always exhibit logic and beauty." — All About Jazz Read the whole review

Read a review in Nordische Music (German)

Read a review in JazzDimensions (German)
The recording, entitled Fagra Veröld (Icelandic for Beautiful World), features Gunnlaugs' compositions to the poertry of two of Iceland's most beloved poets Tómas Guðmundsson and Steinn Steinarr along with an up and coming poet, Sigurbjörg Thrastardóttir. Gunnlaugs also wrote some of the lyrics on the album, one of which her mother Sofia Thorarensen co-wrote. Gunnlaugs' music up to now has been exclusively instrumental, but the music on Fagra Veröld is sung entierly in Icelandic. While the melodic quality of this music is front and center, there is no lack of the interaction that earned Mindful such critical acclaim.
   
Below are brief explanations of what each song is about.

Tómas Guðmundsson (1901-1986) one of the most beloved poets in Iceland. These 3 poems are from a book that was first published in 1930. He was a classic master of style and diction, who became the city poet of Reykjavík and represents traditional poetry in the 20th century
  #1 Frá lið;nu vori/A Past Spring
This poem is about a man's memories of a girl he was in love with a long time ago. He would walk past her house in hopes of catching a glimpse of her. When spring arrived, in May, she gave him a kiss down by the pier and the world was theirs.

#3 Fagra veröld/Beautiful World
This poem is about a person looking back and remembering the good times, the hard times, the love that didn't last.

#8 Lestin mikla/The Great Train (or caravan)
In this poem the Great Train is a metaphor for life itself. We don't know from where we depart, nor who leads the caravan but generation by generation, step by step we all come closer to death.

Steinn Steinarr (1908-1958) was a controversial poet who wrote with modernist expression. He often critisized or made fun at society and government in his poems.
  #4 Sumar við sjó/Summer by the Sea
This is a tricky one. Some say it's about love others say it's about life. The last line reads "and she, whom I loved, laughed and said. I do not exist"

Sigurbjörg Þrastardóttir (1970- ) is a rising star on the writer/poetry scene in Iceland. A nice coincidence is that Sigurbjörg received an award dedicated to Tómas Guðmundsson for her first novel.
  #9 Skipaskagi/Boat Peninsula
Skipaskagi is a nickname for the town Akranes where the poet is from. It describes the area and says that it is better to stay in Akranes, than to come and go.

Lyrics by Sunna Gunnlaugs (#6 written with her mother Sofia Thorarensen)
 

#2 Ég leyfi mér að dreyma/I Allow Myself to Dream
This is sort of a take on Gershwin's The Man I Love. She hasn't found the love of her life yet but allows herself to dream about the one and the only.

#5 Margar nætur/Many Nights
This is a song about how a person leaves a loved one for the winter and the loved one will wait many nights until the sign of spring will predict them reuniting.

#7 Ég mun takast á við heiminn/I'll Take on the World
This song is about a person who realizes that her life is in her hands and she's the only one that can change her situation. So she decides to take on the world and make her dreams come true.

#6 Heim nú reikar hugurinn/My Mind Wanders Home
In this song a person's mind wanders home and reminisces about the happy moments of childhood and how life's promises carried her on the wings of happiness.

 
The Recording Session ::
This album was recorded at Salurinn, a performance space in Kópavogur, Iceland. We rehearsed in Hafnarfjörður, an adjacent town, and then performed at the Reykjavík Jazz Festival. A crew from the American TV channel BET, lead by guitarist Leni Stern, stopped by the session. We had a lot of fun!

After a rehearsal in Hafnarfjörður.

Sigurður Flosason

Scott McLemore

Kristjana Stefánsdóttir

Drew Gress

Ari Dan, the engineer

Sunna and Leni Stern

...who put that one in here?