Nicole Zuraitis

Nicole Zuraitis is a Grammy-nominated American jazz vocalist, pianist, songwriter and arranger.[1][2][3]

Nicole Zuraitis
BornWaterbury, Connecticut
GenresJazz, Pop
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsVoice, Piano
Associated actsDan Pugach Nonet, Melanie Safka, Tom Chapin, Thana Alexa, Birdland Big Band
Websitewww.nicolezmusic.com

Biography

Early life

Zuraitis grew up in Connecticut and had an early gift for athletics, but suffered a hip flexor injury while playing youth soccer in France with the Olympic development soccer team. She began to shift her focus towards singing as well as playing trombone and percussion. She attended Litchfield public schools as well as Holy Cross High School in Waterbury, Connecticut.[4] Zuraitis began to sing jazz with a local community college big band after being encouraged by her high school music director. She also frequently attended Litchfield Jazz Camp, which she attributes to her early interest in jazz.[5][6][7]

Zuraitis studied classical voice at New York University. After a brief period performing opera professionally after graduation, she moved back to the New York City to pursue songwriting and jazz in 2009.[8][9][10][11]

Music career

Zuraitis released her first album Spread the Word in 2008, featuring Luques Curtis, Zaccai Curtis and Winard Harper. Her most recent album All Wandering Hearts released in July 2020.[12][13] Recent touring projects have included Generations of Her, featuring songs by female composers from 1924 to the present.

Zuraitis performs regularly with the Dan Pugach Nonet. In 2019, she and Pugach received a co-nomination for a Grammy Award for their arrangement of Dolly Parton's "Jolene." She has also been prominently featured with the Birdland Big Band in New York City. Her groups have performed regularly at Greenwich Village's famed 55 Bar jazz club.[14][9][15][7] She is a member of the Sonica trio, alongside Thana Alexa and Julia Adamy. She has performed or collaborated with Tom Chapin, Livingston Taylor and Melanie Safka, Cyrille Aimee, Dave Stryker, Livingston Taylor, Omar Hakim, Helen Sung, Rachel Z, Tim Palmieri, Elise Testone, and Bernard Purdie, among others.[9][16][17] Zuraitis has taught songwriting and jazz vocal workshops worldwide, including the Swamabhoomi Academy of Music in India, Israel Embassy, Australian consulate, Williams College, Miami Arts Charter School and the Berklee College of Music in Boston.[16][18]

Forbes magazine featured Zuraitis' Covid crisis pivot project Virtual Piano Lounge Plus One in October 2020. Produced with Dan Pugach, the project offered performances through Facebook Live and featured a rotating cast of guests.[19]

Awards

Zuraitis received a Grammy Award nomination in 2019 for her performance of Dolly Parton’s Jolene in collaboration with the Dan Pugach nonet. She was hosted as a guest of honor by the WOW! forum in fall 2019.[20]

In 2020, Broadway World nominated Zuraitis for five Cabaret Awards. Additionally, she was the 2016 Coffee Music Project New York Songwriting Project winner and 2015 runner-up in The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Zuraitis was named in Connecticut Magazine's "40 under 40". She received the IMEA Best Jazz Album award, the Johnny Mercer Award in the American Traditions Competition and the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer award.[1][9][2][21][22][23][6]

Personal life

Zuraitis married drummer and composer Dan Pugach in 2018. They currently live in Brooklyn, New York.[9][16]

Her album Hive Mind (DotTime Records) explores the nature of creativity and its associated challenges. The album is dedicated to her grandfather who has lived with schizophrenia for the majority of his life. In conjunction with this project, Zuraitis offered a portion of concert ticket sales to various mental health organizations with missions aimed at ending the mental health stigma.[24] Additionally, her album Pariah Anthem depicts the plight of rescue animals, specifically pit bulls. She has performed at animal shelters across America to help raise awareness and spread education about the breed through music.[25]

Discography

As leader
  • All Wandering Hearts (DotTime Records, 2020)
  • Live at Two-Headed Calf - with Brandon Scott Coleman (2018)
  • Hive Mind (DotTime Records, 2017)
  • Long Meadow Vine (The Wine Song) - single (DotTime Records, 2017)
  • No Ban, No Wall - single (2017)
  • For the Lonely - single (2014)
  • Pariah Anthem - (2013)
  • Spread the Word (2008)

As guest
  • Ona – Thana Alexa (Independent, 2020)
  • All About Love – Elise Testone (2020)
  • Plus One – Dan Pugach Nonet (Unit Records, 2018)
  • Day Dream – Carmen Staaf Sextet (2017)
  • Wishes on a Neon Sign – Abbie Gardner (2017)
  • Come to Paradise – Suzanne Dean (2016)
  • Sealine Woman – With Nikki and The Riot (2016)
  • Right Here – Andrea Daly (2016)
  • Take Some Air – EVA (Independent, 2015)
  • Something New – Jennifer Sullivan (Independent, 2014)

References
  1. "Artist: Nicole Zuraitis". Grammy. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  2. Lynch, Joe. "Grammys 2019 Nominees: The Complete List". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  3. "Grammys 2019: See All the Winners". Time. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  4. McNally, Owen. "Jazz Singer Nicole Zuratis To Perform At Atheneum". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  5. Montebello, Joseph. "Singer/songwriter Nicole Zuraitis gets nod from the Grammys". Litchfield County Times. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  6. Ofgang, Wollschlager, Yuravich, Cohen, Goncalves, Brown. "40 Under 40: The Class of 2020". Connecticut Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-02.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. Burke, Debbie. "A Lilt, a Bounce". Debbie Burke Jazz Author. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  8. Nyberg, Ann. "Nyberg: Nicole Zuraitis, Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, composer". News 8. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  9. "Newlywed jazz artists Nicole Zuraitis and Dan Pugach are dually GRAMMY® nominated for their arrangement of Dolly Parton's "Jolene"". ArtVoice. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  10. "25 NYU'ers Nominated for 37 Grammy Awards". NYU. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  11. "Events in Connecticut for Nov. 2-8, 2014". New York Times. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  12. Hunter, Brooke. "Nicole Zuraitis". Girl. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  13. Cohen, Aaron. "Nicole Zuraitis: All Wandering Hearts". Downbeat. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  14. "Nicole Zuraitis - Generations of Her: Women Songwriters and Lyricist of the Last 100 Years". Essex County Creates. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  15. Friedwald, Will. "New Year's at Birdland: Marilyn Maye, The Birdland Big Band with Nicole Zuraitis, and The Billy Stritch Trio". Citiview. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  16. Olson, Emily. "Torrington Symphony welcomes jazz singer, Grammy nominee Nicole Zuraitis Saturday". The Register Citizen. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  17. "Sonica with Thana Alexa, Nicole Zuraitis, Julia Adamy!". Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  18. "WOW! Forum speakers, 'Unstoppable Women' announced". The Register Citizen. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  19. Goldsmith, Margie. "Streaming The Music During Covid-19". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  20. Glanzr. "Jazz pianist Nicole Zuraitis, a Waterbury native, shares story at WOW! Forum // WITH VIDEO". Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  21. "2019 Grammy Awards: Complete list of nominations". Los Angeles Daily. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  22. "Here Are the 2019 Grammy Winners". GQ. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  23. Orten, Maddie. "NJPAC Honors Sarah Vaughan with Annual Jazz Vocal Competition". NJ Spotlight News. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  24. "Nicole Zuraitis performs "Sugar Spun Girl"". This Is My Brave. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  25. "Bianca Brooklyn NY". I Am Not A Monster. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
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