Two-Time GRAMMY® Winner Nicole Zuraitis Dances With THE DEVIL I KNEW

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15 hours ago

2 min read

“A masterwork, a crowning achievement from arguably the most creative

female jazz vocalist today.”

— PostGenre

Nicole Zuraitis has never been afraid to put some truth into a song, but on The Devil I Knew (La Reserve Records), she goes considerably further. The two-time GRAMMY® winner turns the unraveling of a relationship into an ambitious 20-track concept album that unfolds across five interconnected movements, moving through heartbreak, accountability, grief, healing and, eventually, self-discovery. Produced by Larry Klein, the album pulls from jazz, blues, soul, pop and the singer-songwriter tradition while giving its story an almost cinematic scale. Poetry from writers including Dorothy Parker, Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Sara Teasdale appears throughout, acting as connective tissue between the songs and widening what begins as one woman’s story into something much more universal. It’s a big idea for an album, but Zuraitis has the voice—and, just as importantly, the storytelling instincts—to carry it.

“I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)” brings Zuraitis together with Christian McBride, Gilad Hekselman and Dan Pugach for a fresh take on the Hoagy Carmichael standard, while “All That’s Left,” featuring Hekselman, slows things down with one of the album’s most vulnerable vocal performances and lush string orchestration by Vince Mendoza. Elsewhere, “He’s a Demon, He’s a Devil, He’s a Doll” brings Zuraitis’ signature wit and playfulness into the mix with an unmistakable horn arrangement by Jerry Hey. Together, the songs capture what The Devil I Knew does so well: heartache and humor, confession and release, all within a larger story about the choices, warning signs and complicated truths that come with loving—and losing—someone. It’s an album that rewards your attention and proves just how fitting Jazz Police’s description of Zuraitis is: “A heart as big as her remarkable voice.”

Nicole Zuraitis is a two-time GRAMMY®-winning vocalist, pianist, songwriter and bandleader whose work bridges contemporary jazz and the singer-songwriter tradition. Known for both her remarkable vocal range and deeply personal writing, she has built a career around original music that values storytelling as much as virtuosity. Her work has earned recognition across the jazz world, while her performances reveal another important part of her artistry: an ability to create genuine connection between the musicians, the songs and the people in the room. With The Devil I Knew, Zuraitis brings all of those strengths together—singer, songwriter, pianist, storyteller and community-builder—in one of the most expansive creative statements of her career.

For more information on Nicole, and The Devil I Knew, visit nicolezmusic.com.