Hi all,
I hope this is not regarded as a too inappropriate OT-message for the list, but I just
can't help mentioning that a dear friend of mine has been featured in two articles in
the New York Times.
It's about this girl, Johanna Gr�ssner, now resident in New York, teaching music (an
ex Berklee student) in a Bronx school, and leading a gospel choir there. She decided
to bring the kids to visit her home in �land, Scandinavia (my home country) (in the
Baltic sea right between Sweden and Finland) during this week and the NYT obviously
found it an interesting story.
(As have the ABC Network who sent a film team along, shooting on location during this
week. Two publishing houses have offered to buy the rights for a book on the story
about her and the choir. A film company has also approached them for a possible film
project.)
If anyone cares to read it (the two articles published so far) you can find them here
(you will have to register, unless already done so):
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/11/nyregion/11FINN.html?searchpv=site06
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/17/nyregion/17FINN.html?searchpv=nytToday
There actually i s a Pentax connection too, in that I have probably shot maybe close
to a hundred shots of her (some of them published), in private or performing as a jazz
singer at her own concerts or at jazz festivals. (I have also reviewed/written about
her recordings and concerts for local newspapers as well as for a Swedish jazz
magazine.)
(Actually, some six or seven years ago, I arranged (as well as recorded) her first own
jazz concert under her own name (I booked a place and had my friend and piano player
(whom I had played with as a bass player for almost ten years) getting his band to
accompany her).
She has since released two CD:s under her own name (of mainly jazz standards plus some
Scandinavian numbers in a jazz tone.) When she gets all the pieces in the right place
(the right song, in the right key for her, in the right arrangement - like for
instance in her version of "My One And Only Love") she's got such a heavenly beautiful
voice that can bring tears in your eyes for the sheer beauty of it.
She is definitely an unusual person in many respects, and someone I care for a lot.
Apart from being happy for her getting all this attention, I am of course proud to
have my home country, �land, and "my people" the Alanders, featured in such a positive
fashion.)
One thing about the articles though. We Alanders, usually do not use the word Finland,
or Finnish for our country (that's another long and interesting story), normally we
say �land or Alandish etc.)
Hope this wasn't too OT or personal for the list (and as I said - Pentax has been at
least to some degree instrumental in her career as well...:) ).
Thanks,
Lasse
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