At eighteen, with no jazz program available in her small Slovak hometown, Ester Wiesnerova started emailing strangers across the country, until enough of them said yes to fund her way to Berklee College of Music. It worked. Today, the Slovak vocalist and composer divides her time between New York City and Slovakia, writing colorful, intimate music built around unconventional instruments. Her 2022 debut, Blue Journal, landed on the Grammy ballot in two categories — and that’s just where the story starts.