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Singer, songwriter, pianist Nicole Zuraitis attended Litchfield Jazz Camp for the first time when she was 12 years old, dragging her trombone along. The following summer it morphed into a piano. As she matured she literally found her voice. Nicole continued at Jazz Camp for years, returned later as a teaching assistant, and is now our head vocal teacher. She went to college at NYU and studied classical voice, but all the while maintained her love of jazz.
Nicole became a close friend of many of us—no one could resist her authentic charm—including my daughter Lindsey at whose wedding Nicole sang 8 years ago. Someone sent me a cell phone bootleg of that performance, and it got me thinking. What I had heard at the wedding and liked a lot, on rehearing, I loved. Meanwhile trying to break into classical vocal performance became a dispiriting struggle for the young singer. So, I gave her a call and asked if she were able to chose one path or the other for her life work which would it be. She said jazz. I made a deal with her then and there: get a band together, play anywhere you can get a gig for a year, and I will present your festival debut. She knew we did not work with pick up bands and she did not intend to be one.
Nicole made her debut in 20…, dancing around a bucket set out to catch rainwater right in the middle of the stage—the first and last time we ever had that misfortune—while riggers crawled over the roof to fix the problem. She literally never missed a beat. It was a triumph.
Nicole is today a very active, world travelling jazz vocalist, recording artist and educator. We are delighted with what and who she has become and gratified to have her as a permanent member of the Litchfield Jazz community. Nicole will appear with her mentor Dave Stryker on guitar, Jon Michel on bass, Carmen Staaf on piano, Caroline Davis on saxophone, and Dan Pugach on drums, LJF 2016, August 6, 5:15PM.
Warm regards,
