The 2024 Litchfield Jazz Festival’s Sunday Jazz Brunch celebrates “A Century Of Jazz.” We’ll begin with a delicious brunch and move on to a musical journey that will take us from the 1920s to Today. Our blue-ishbon band stars 2024 GRAMMY winner for Best Jazz Vocal Album, Nicole Zuraitis & saxophonist extraordinaire, Albert Rivera. They will be backed by GRAMMY-nominated drummer Dan Pugach, up-and-coming bassist Matt Dwonszyk and world-renowned guitarist Paul Bollenback.
This is Nicole Zuraitis’ first GRAMMY win. That is a remarkable achievement because she was up against a powerhouse of artists almost all of whom were previous GRAMMY winners. She was the lone outlier, and she wrote, arranged, sang, produced and independently released her winning album, How Love Begins. This is unheard of, but she did it. Join us to congratulate our long-time Litchfield Jazz Camp vocal instructor, former jazz camper—Nicole joined us at age 12, touring and recording artist, college instructor, and now GRAMMY winner NICOLE ZURAITIS!
Albert Rivera is one of the busiest saxmen in the metro area and beyond who fits some 150 gigs a year around a career that also involves a faculty position at SUNY Purchase Conservatory and the role of Operations Director for Litchfield Jazz Camp. Awards for his work include the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, a Chamber Music America Residency Grant and a New York City Artist Corps Grant. His collaborators have included Don Braden, Jimmy Greene, Claudio Roditi, Avery Sharpe, Rachel Z, and legendary pianist Junior Mance. He often appears with his own group and Litchfield faculty stars like Matt Wilson, Paul Bollenback and Dave Stryker. He is proud to be a mentor to many budding jazz musicians he both educates and provides performance opportunities.
Drummer Dan Pugach leads The Dan Pugach Nonet who perform his original music and arrangements. The Nonet plays festivals and Performing Arts Theaters across the nation and abroad. Among Dan’s awards and honors are a GRAMMY nomination (with Nicole Zuraitis) for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals for Dolly Parton’s Jolene, two ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Awards, and the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency.
Matt Dwonszyk has become one of the top call bassists in the New York metro area. He has collaborated with Harold Mabern, Larry Willis, David Hazeltine, Anthony Wonsey, Rick Germanson, Hal Galper, Dave Kikoski, Steve Wilson, Abraham Burton, Javon Jackson, Gary Smulyan and many others. Others. Matt teaches at Litchfield Jazz Camp and performs with his own group, the Dwonztet..Wallace, Wayne
Guitarist Paul Bollenback has appeared on the Tonight Show, Good Morning America, the Today Show, and Entertainment Tonight, and has played with an impressive list of artists including Joey DeFrancesco, Stanley Turrentine, Gary Bartz, Paul Bley, Charlie Byrd, Terri-Lyne Carrington, Herb Ellis, Geoffrey Keezer, Joe Locke, Jack McDuff, James Moody, Jeff “Tain” Watts, and Shunzo Ohno, and his own trio, to name a few.
In 2011 he received a Grammy nomination for co-production on Joey DeFrancesco’s Never Can Say Goodbye (Hi Note). His long career as an educator includes teaching jazz at Columbia University, Peabody Conservatory, Prince Claus Conservatory and Queens College, as well as the Litchfield, Skidmore, Prague and Bobby Durham summer jazz workshops.
