Shop Sunna

Selected Quotes

"★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ...erschafft sie vollkommen kitschfreie und harmonisch wie melo- disch eigenständige Klaviertrio-Musik."
— Martin Schuster, Concerto Magazine, Austria

"Wow, wow, WOW! So damn pretty. This song [Long Pair Bond] has the restrained ambiance of a typical ECM-label piano trio, but with the buoyant soulfulness that makes Keith Jarrett's 70's American Quartet such a joy to listen to. Highly recommended."
AllAboutJazz.com, (editor's comment on the free download of the tune.)

"music characterized by tranquility and thoughtfulness"
— Ole Nimand, JazzSpecial, Denmark

"Gunnlaugs has a sense for melodic lines and she delivers it with willful elegance..."
— Arild Andersen, Afternposten, Norway

"...an absorbing and powerful album, and it should appeal to admirers of Keith Jarrett and the late, lamented EST alike."
— Chris Parker, LondonJazz

"Too much spaciness can wreck a good album, and too much earth can, too. Long Pair Bond gets pretty darn close to the perfect balance."
Jon Wertheim, Rehearsing the Blues [Full review]

"Her new album, Long Pair Bond is phenomenal."
— Stephan Moore, Jazzwrap [Full review]

"... Sunna Gunnlaugs' Trio whose cool atmospherics and meditative quality draws on Icelandic folk melodies and brooding soundscapes, yet internally has an unhurried Bill Evans-like swing and an appetite to explore the inner soul."
—Jon Newey, Jazzwise, UK

"[Long Pair Bond] There is a crystalline beauty to the music that upon further examination unfolds its secrets slowly like the narrative of a well written novel."
— Tim Niland, Music and More [Full review]

"Hun har et kærligt og fortroligt forhold til den melodiøse, smukke og følsomme triojazz. [ ] Det er jazz af den den slags der fylder."
— Niels Overgård, JazzNyt, Denmark (about Long Pair Bond) [Full review]

"[The Dream] vielschichtiges Album von Sunna Gunnlaugs, die den Hörer auf eine musikalisch anspruchsvolle und doch kurzweilige Reise mitnimmt."
— Andreas Geyer, Jazz Podium, Germany

"[The Dream] ...überrascht aber immer wieder durch gedankliche Details und konveniert als scheuklappenlose, flexible Pianistin."
— Andreas Felber, Concerto, Austria

"...there is an underlying philosophy that makes melody paramount. Much has been written recently about making jazz more accessible to a broader audience. With Live in Europe , Gunnlaugs proves that jazz can have a wider appeal without losing integrity."
AllAboutJazz.com [Full review]

"impressive newcomer..."
— Jim Macnie, Village Voice

"Her articulate touch alone should endear her to fans of Evans and Jarrett, as should the intimate and seemingly intuitive rapport sustained by her quartet throughout 'Mindful.' ...elegantly bridges soul-searching passages with uncluttered swing."
Washington Post [Full review]

"Fine musicians seem to be among Iceland's most visible exports these days, and pianist Sunna Gunnlaugs is proof that jazz is as much a part of the picture as the pop of Björk or Sigur Ros."
Time Out New York

"a stunning quartet."
AllAboutJazz.com [Full review]

"Gunnlaugs combines a unique blend of jazz piano and Icelandic folk music. ...branches out into the avant garde making for a great listen for jazz and experimental music fans."
Jazziz

"Gunnlaugs may be the best jazz pianist you've never heard."
Virginian Pilot

"... a pianist with Evans-like tendencies and a rock-solid jazz sensibility. Her compositional sense comes more from Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea than Evans, but the combinations work out well. To call Gunnlaugs a thoughtful player is not faint praise. She thinks, but she swings too."
Hartford Advocate

"...challenging and enjoyable material. Sunna is a great young musician worth checking out."
Dave Douglas

"... a distinctive, lyrical pianist, grounded in jazz's swinging tradition but unfettered by it. ...an artist thoroughly immersed in her personal art..."
Ottawa Citizen

"... a fertile Mindful of compelling ideas."
CDNow.com

"...an excellent statement of thoughtful, emotionally satisfying jazz, a true find"
Jazzmatazz

"A subtle storm unfolds and pearls pop through the morning dew."
Downtown Music Gallery

"This disc of original material showcases her mastery of composition as well as her highly lyrical playing … a tight, talented quartet … fiery, impassioned playing. Mindful is a thoughtful, exciting ensemble disc, fronted by an excellent young pianist and composer."
Creative Loafing

"...great polish and flow, plus originality..."
Audiophile Audition [Full review]

"Mindful" is a beautiful piece of work."
The Jazz Scene [Visit the site]

"This pianist, from Iceland, is beginning to make some noise on the downtown scene"
Time Out New York

"Blessed with a knack for warm, lyrical expression... Whatever she plays, whether in her mindful original compositions or in her fresh interpretations of standards, her expressive phrasing and classical harmonies sound rooted in some sort of narrative element."
Hartford Courant

"FAR FAR AWAY is a charming CD. Ms. Gunnlaugsdóttir plays with conviction and swing. The interaction with Scott and Dan is thoughtful and provocative. The trio has an open, transparent sound and a oneness. Repeated listening will be desired."
Rufus Reid, Bassist

"Listening to each other, providing imaginative shadings, and sensitively handling dynamic levels are obviously priorities for this group."
Cadence Magazine