“…the type of album that can transform a career, winning over new fans and causing longtime observers to re-evaluate their estimation of the performer.”
– Bobby Reed, DownBeat Magazine
“…a wondrous, questioning, atmospheric and rhythmically diverse brew of jazz, folk-rock and art song…”
– Paul DeBarros, The Seattle Times
“A powerful, epic-yet-intimate collection of largely original songs and a few choice, at times surprising, covers. The overarching feeling and lyrical content reflect Gazarek’s recent romantic tumult, and her commitment to grow from the experience and re-evaluate who she was as an artist and a person.”
– Abe Beeson, KNKX
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Press
Downbeat Features Sara + Eastman
WROC Features Sara + Eastman
WRTI/Nate Chinen Features “Vanity”
Downbeat Magazine Features Sara on “The Orville”
KNKX/NPR Features Sara + In-studio Performances
Broadway World Reviews Sara’s NYC Performance
The Seattle Times Previews Sara’s Seattle Shows
London Jazz News Features + Interviews Sara
WBGO/Nate Chinen Previews “Thirsty Ghost”
WRTI Features “Thirsty Ghost” + Interviews Sara
Press Kit
Biography
Sara Gazarek Short Bio / 172 words.
Born and raised in Seattle, 2× GRAMMY Award®–winning and 6× GRAMMY®-nominated jazz vocalist Sara Gazarek has become one of the most distinctive and expressive artists of her generation.
Sara Gazarek Short Bio / 154 words.
Born and raised in Seattle, 2× GRAMMY Award®–winning and 6× GRAMMY®-nominated jazz vocalist Sara Gazarek has become one of the most distinctive and expressive artists of her generation. The Los Angeles Times called her “a singer who may well turn out to be the next important jazz vocalist.” With collaborators that include Fred Hersch, Billy Childs, Kurt Elling, and many others, and with six acclaimed albums released by the age of 40, Gazarek has earned an international reputation for her fearless artistry and emotional depth.
She tours widely as both a soloist and bandleader, and as co-founder of the vocal collective säje, whose debut album won GRAMMY Awards® in 2024 and 2025 for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals. A 2023 Chamber Music America New Jazz Works recipient, Sara also serves as a National Trustee of the Recording Academy and works as an Associate Professor of Jazz Voice at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, where she designed and now leads the school’s new jazz voice program.
Her full-length nonet project, expanding on her EP Vanity, is scheduled for release in Fall 2026.
Sara Gazarek Medium Length Bio / 465 words.
By the time she arrived at Seattle’s renowned Roosevelt High School, Sara Gazarek was already drawn toward performing. But it was the school’s celebrated jazz program, and her discovery that she could “swing instinctively and hear improvisational shapes long before I knew what middle C was,” that set the course for her career.
Sara Gazarek Medium Length Bio / 447 words.
By the time she arrived at Seattle’s renowned Roosevelt High School, Sara Gazarek was already drawn toward performing. But it was the school’s celebrated jazz program, and her discovery that she could “swing instinctively and hear improvisational shapes long before I knew what middle C was,” that set the course for her career. After winning “Best Vocal Soloist” at the Essentially Ellington competition, she realized that jazz allowed her to reveal “the human behind the song.”
Gazarek went on to study at the University of Southern California with mentors John Clayton and Tierney Sutton. After receiving a DownBeat Student Music Award in 2003, she recorded her debut album, Yours, at age 23, followed by Return to You (2007), Blossom & Bee (2012), and Dream in the Blue (2016). Each project broadened her presence in the jazz world and showcased her ability to balance clarity, warmth, and emotional honesty.
In 2016 she stepped into a new artistic phase, opening herself to a wider range of collaborators, including Billy Childs, Geoffrey Keezer, Helen Sung, Alan Ferber, Kurt Elling, and Fred Hersch. This period culminated in her breakthrough album Thirsty Ghost(2019), which earned two GRAMMY® nominations and marked a shift toward deeper storytelling and greater emotional risk.
Her EP Vanity continued this evolution, pushing her vocal palette further and featuring her first original composition. The project highlighted a growing artistic confidence and an increasingly personal musical voice.
A 2× GRAMMY® Award winner and 6× nominee, Gazarek tours internationally as both a soloist and as co-founder of säje, whose debut album earned GRAMMY Awards® in 2024 and 2025 for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals. She is also a 2023 Chamber Music America New Jazz Works recipient.
Sara serves as a National Trustee for the Recording Academy and works as an Associate Professor of Jazz Voice at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, where she designed and now leads the school’s new jazz voice program.
Her full-length nonet project, an expansion of the EP Vanity, will be released in Fall 2026.
Sara Gazarek Full Length Bio / 1521 words.
A creative journey is a movement toward deeper truth, clearer voice, and greater artistic purpose. By that measure, Sara Gazarek’s path has been remarkable. She is a 2× GRAMMY Award® winner and 6× nominee, and she is recognized as one of the most fearless and expressive vocalists of her generation.
Sara Gazarek Full Length Bio / 1502 words.
A creative journey is a movement toward deeper truth, clearer voice, and greater artistic purpose. By that measure, Sara Gazarek’s path has been remarkable. She is a 2× GRAMMY Award® winner and 6× nominee, and she is recognized as one of the most fearless and expressive vocalists of her generation. Her most recent work suggests that her evolution is ongoing and that her artistic voice continues to gain power and clarity.
Gazarek grew up in Seattle, where performing felt natural from an early age. Her discovery of jazz came through Roosevelt High School’s respected jazz program, where she learned to trust her ear, explore improvisation, and embrace the expressive freedom of the music. Winning “Best Vocal Soloist” at the Essentially Ellington competition confirmed that this was her artistic home. She has often said that jazz allowed her to reveal “the human behind the music.”
She went on to study at the University of Southern California with mentors John Clayton and Tierney Sutton. Soon after receiving a DownBeat Student Music Award, she recorded her debut album Yours (2005) at just 23 years old. Produced by Clayton and mixed by the legendary Al Schmitt, the album launched a national tour and placed her firmly on the radar as a rising voice in jazz. She later joined the USC faculty as one of its youngest instructors.
Her subsequent albums, Return to You (2007), Blossom & Bee (2012), and Dream in the Blue (2016), continued to build her career. During this time she performed widely, strengthened her musical foundation, and began to explore new creative opportunities.
A turning point came in 2016 following significant personal and artistic shifts, including the end of an 11-year musical partnership and the near death of her mother in a devastating car accident. These events forced a reexamination of her artistic identity and encouraged her to seek greater emotional truth in her music. Advice from Kurt Elling during this period inspired her to trust her own creative instincts and to allow her full experiences, both light and dark, into her work.
This transformation culminated in Thirsty Ghost (2019). By producing the album herself and pursuing a more vulnerable form of expression, Gazarek reached a new artistic peak. The album earned two GRAMMY® nominations and marked a shift from singing with polish to singing with intention and depth.
Her EP Vanity expanded on this development and included her first original composition. The project showcased her growing command of her vocal instrument and her evolving artistic perspective.
Gazarek is also known for her collaborative spirit. During the pandemic she joined with vocalists Amanda Taylor, Erin Bentlage, and Johnaye Kendrick to form the ensemble säje. Their acclaimed work led to a GRAMMY® nomination in 2021 and GRAMMY Awards® in 2024 and 2025 for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals. The group continues to earn praise for its innovative writing, emotional clarity, and intricate vocal work.
Beyond performance, Gazarek has emerged as a respected educator, advocate, and leader in the music industry. She serves as a National Trustee for the Recording Academy, contributing to national governance, strategic planning, and artist advocacy. She also holds the position of Associate Professor of Jazz Voice at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. At Eastman she designed and now leads the school’s new jazz voice program, which focuses on improvisation, stylistic fluency, individual expression, and a modern approach to vocal training.
Gazarek continues to tour internationally as a soloist, bandleader, and member of säje. She collaborates with some of the most visionary musicians in the field, including Fred Hersch, Billy Childs, Geoffrey Keezer, Helen Sung, Alan Ferber, and Kurt Elling. Her work remains rooted in curiosity, vulnerability, craft, and emotional honesty.
Her next chapter arrives in Fall 2026 with the release of her full-length nonet project, an expansion of the EP Vanity. Featuring new material, original writing, and some of the most ambitious arrangements of her career, the project represents the continuation of a decade-long creative transformation.
As her journey continues, one thing is increasingly clear. Sara Gazarek has claimed a voice that is direct, intimate, deeply expressive, and committed to truth. That voice continues to grow stronger with each new chapter.