The Swedish singer Viktoria Tolstoy was born in the small town of Sigtuna, near Stockholm, in 1974, but she has Russian blood in her veins. Her great-grandfather, the son of the world-famous writer Leo Tolstoy, grew up in Tsarist Russia. He suffered from a nervous illness, sought medical help from a famous Swedish specialist, fell in love with the specialist’s daughter, married her and settled in Sweden at the end of the 19th century. Since then the ancestors of Viktoria, the great-great-granddaughter of the legendary novelist, have lived in Sweden. The ACT Signature Edition, released in April 2011, gives an impressive overview of Viktoria Tolstoy’s artistic career to date: two CDs with a total of 24 tracks document her path as one of the most defining and successful artists of European jazz. Her latest studio album “Letters to Herbie”, released in September 2011, is dedicated to one of Viktoria Tolstoy’s greatest inspirations: the music of American pianist and composer Herbie Hancock. Its soulful grooving songs, particularly from the 80s, gives Viktoria Tolstoy, together with producer Nils Landgren, a totally new and unmistakable sound between jazz, soul and pop.