Known primarily in Scandinavian jazz circles, Elise Einarsdottir is a melodic pianist who is as comfortable playing standards as she is writing memorable songs of her own. Born and raised in Sweden, Einarsdottir listened to jazz extensively growing up and was influenced by such American pianists as Bill Evans and Dave Brubeck, although she is also capable of more avant-garde experimentation. When she was 18, Einarsdottir moved to the U.S. in 1973, where she spent some time in New York and studied composition and arranging at Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music. Einarsdottir returned to Sweden after four years in the U.S., and played with various Swedish artists before forming her own group, the Elise Einarsdottir Ensemble, in 1984. One of the members of that group is Einarsdottir's husband Olle Steinholtz, a bassist who has played with such American visitors to Sweden as Woody Shaw, Thad Jones and Charlie Mariano. Einarsdottir recorded five albums with her group (including Senses on Caprice) before forming a piano/bass duo with Steinholtz in early 1998 for Sketches of Roses on Touche Music. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi