08/31/2026
The COTA JAZZ FESTIVAL is right around the corner. Bring your family,your chairs or blanket , and have an amazing day or weekend.
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT!
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13th, 2026
DEER HEAD INN STAGE
6:00PM NICOLE ZURAITIS
Nicole Zuraitis is a 2X GRAMMY® winning and 4X GRAMMY-nominated jazz singer songwriter, pianist and arranger, New York-based bandleader, and winner of the prestigious American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal. With a “heart as big as her remarkable voice,” (Jazz Police), Nicole is a trailblazing artist who is redefining vocal jazz and jazz songwriting, which she coined “modern songbook”, earning her a place as one of the top artists and "prolific songwriters" (Broadway World) to watch in jazz and beyond.
As a recording artist, Nicole has released seven albums as leader, and her sixth album How Love Begins, co-produced with nine-time GRAMMY-winner Christian McBride, features all original music and was awarded the 2024 GRAMMY for BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM. Nicole is the only artist ever to have won this award who wrote and arranged the entire album herself. In addition to leading her quartet, Nicole performed and recorded with the Birdland Big Band as premier vocalist before taking off as a large ensemble leader of her own, co-producing the Dan Pugach Big Band and guesting for major European big bands. She has headlined at Newport Jazz Festival, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, and Tanglewood, along with iconic NYC jazz clubs like Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, the Blue Note, the Carlyle, 54 Below and the late, great 55 Bar. She also has appeared as a featured soloist with the Savannah Philharmonic, Asheville Symphony, Danish Radio Big Band and Macon Pops. She wrote the closing track “Always” on Teyana Taylor’s 2025 album Escape Room (Def Jam Records).
Nicole is a featured artist and producer on her husband, renowned drummer, bandleader, and composer Dan Pugach’s 2025 GRAMMY-winning album, “Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence” (Best Large Ensemble) for which they composed the GRAMMY-nominated song, “Little Fears” (Best Jazz Performance). Nicole is a vocalist on the GRAMMY-winning “Last Sunday in Plains: A Centennial Celebration” alongside Jon Batiste, Keb’ Mo’, and LeeAnn Rimes. In 2024, Broadway World honored Nicole with the “Best Big Band Show” Award. Nicole's arrangement of Dolly Parton's Jolene, co-written with renowned drummer and bandleader Dan Pugach, was nominated for a 2019 GRAMMY®, springboarding her career and making her a household name in the modern-day jazz landscape. Nicole has collaborated with an extensive list of luminaries, including Christian McBride, Larry Klein, Tom Scott, Keyon Harrold, David Cook, Gilad Hekselman, Donny McCaslin, Veronica Swift, Benny Benack, Stephen Feifke, Cyrille Aimee, Antonio Sanchez, Dave Stryker, Omar Hakim, Rachel Z, Helen Sung, Melanie, Morgan James, Scott Sharrard, Darren Criss, Livingston Taylor, and Bernard Purdie. She is a proud educator and currently vocal faculty at NYU
www.nicolezmusic.com
