Biography
Having established herself in America after immigrating from Finland in 1991, Sofia Laiti revealed considerable potential both as a jazz vocalist and as a nuanced lyric interpreter. Born in northern Finland and later based in Helsinki, she had already performed alongside numerous local musicians before traveling to New York in September 1989 to cut her first album for the Finnish arm of CBS. Titled Manhattan Memories, that session included saxophonist Scott Robinson, pianist Larry Ham, bassist Ray Drummond, and drummer Klaus Suonsaari. She remained in Finland until 1991, at which point she relocated permanently to New York and began working the city’s club circuit. The singular singer’s Scandinavian accent lends an extra layer of smokiness to her phrasing. After Manhattan Memories she issued two further albums on her Midnight Sun imprint: 1994’s Inspira, which featured pianist John Hicks, and 1995’s The Midnight Sun Will Never Set. The latter project was tracked while Laiti was seven or eight months pregnant with her daughter Susan, produced by tenor saxophonist Houston Person, and prominently showcased his playing.
Albums
