Sax Diva Suzanne Grzanna

Our jazz group will come early and set-up. The band usually comes about an hour before the performance unless there is something else decided when the gig is booked. Every performance is different so we will take care of all of the details once we are in contact. The musicians are entitled breaks throughout the performance. Jazz band sets are usually 45-50 minutes long with a 10-15 minute break between sets. The short break between sets gives them time a chance to catch their breath , re-tune, and ultimately keep the music going longer. Everything varies and it depends on the hours of the performance. We are looking forward to your event!

SUZANNE GRZANNA BIO

A brilliant saxophonist, sultry jazz singer and Grammy Award voting member, Suzanne Grzanna is a world-class artist who has traveled the world during her productive career. The recent release of her CD Daybreak and her single "Spring Waltz" is just the latest accomplishment in a career full of highpoints.

“For the new CD,” says Suzanne, “I wanted to showcase my father’s original song ‘Daybreak’ along with a few of my favorite standards that I get a lot of requests to play. I used the musicians who I regularly perform in Milwaukee. All three are a joy to play with and masters of their instruments.” Keyboardist Ray Tabs, Scott Currier (Daybreak), bassist Hal Miller, and drummer Andy LoDuca form a tight trio, and while they are quite familiar with Suzanne’s music, their communication with her is intuitive, spontaneous and full of subtle surprises.

Daybreak has three vocal numbers and three instrumentals which, taken as a whole, are a perfect showcase for Suzanne Grzanna’s musical talents. On “Fever,” she gives the piece a sly and sensual treatment with a vocal that builds as it goes. On Donald Grzanna’s “Daybreak,” his daughter’s dramatic alto playing brings out the beauty of the melancholy ballad. A swinging rendition of “It Had To Be You” which has a longing vocal full of desire is followed by Suzanne caressing the soulful melody of “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.”

“Almost Like Being In Love” has one of Ms. Grzanna’s best vocals of the CD along with some fine scat-singing and excellent piano and bass solos. Daybreak concludes with a passionate saxophone solo on “Black Orpheus” that perfectly wraps up the memorable effort.

Suzanne also released a single titled "Spring Waltz" - recorded LIVE in Los Angeles, CA during Grammy week 2017. Her father Don Grzanna wrote this song and Suzanne wanted to share it with everyone. She performed the song at Kulak's with Alex Otey on piano. "I love the balance between the sweet, sing-a-long melody line and the rich, luscious tone on the sax in SPRING WALTZ. The aged sound of the piano adds warmth to the piece. Beautifully done!" a review by Grammy Winner Woulter Kellerman.

Recently, Suzanne’s original composition Simply Sunday has been featured in the film “Wild Honey” that was released January 2019 (Director - Francis Stokes) and in the film short “A Different Direction” (Director - Colleen Ann Brah). Suzanne will also be working on “Western Conviction” (Director - Colleen Ann Brah) and Suzanne composed a song that is featured on the new Feature Film coming out in December 2019 called Seaper Powers (Director - Kim Cameron)

Suzanne has collaborated with Two-time Billboard Top 20 Artist, Kim Cameron and performed saxophone on her new single “Fearless Lovers” to be released in 2018. She is also a part of her new music video “Fearless Lovers.” “I had such fun playing on Kim’s single and an amazing time in Miami recording her video. She is an amazing artist and I was honored to be part of her project.”

Suzanne also performed on Robert Brewer’s song “If I Could” (Release Date TBA 2019) and Cynthia Haring & Sue Sisters “Happy Birthday Mooey” (Release Date TBA 2019).

Other collaborative projects are “Together in Peace,” with Grammy-Winning producer Kevin Mackie, and Rupam Sarmah. It was number one on the Billboard charts for World Music 2017.

In 2016, Suzanne was a part of “Forever” composed/arranged by notable musician, Dr. Kobi Arad and also arranged by (Grammy-Winning) Al Walser & (Grammy Nominated) Armand Hutton. This song was written as a tribute to Prince. Co-Producer and Lead Vocalist - Suzanne Grzanna (Other Collaborative artists: Catherine Duc, Roman Johnson, Diana Lee Dilee, Armand Hutton (Lead) Stephanie Spruill (Lead) and Kristin Hoffman(Lead), Aaron Nigel Smith, Betsy Walker, Catie Waters, Devin Leigh, Frank Cisco Anderson, Kelly Triplett, Kerani Erika Kele, Kerry Bery, Madi Das, Mia Moravis, Natalie Jean, Oran Etkin, Rondi Marsh and Trevor Sewell).

Ms. Grzanna has also been a part of David Longoria’s original song “We Are One” and performed with David and his band (April Diamond) at the National Day of Peace in Washington DC (2017). The message of this song is to unite everyone in peace and harmony -- We Are One.

Suzanne Grzanna was born and grew up in a small suburb of Milwaukee. Her parents Don and Maureen Grzanna are professional musicians and she started piano lessons with her mother when she was five. While Suzanne continued playing piano during her teenage years, performing at many competitions, she began doubling on the clarinet when she was nine so she could play in her school bands. Suzanne switched her main focus to alto-sax in seventh grade. In addition to jazz and hearing her father perform, she enjoyed classical and pop music of the era. A performer from a very age, Suzanne sang and played piano in her family band, playing jazz, rock and dance music. She gained further experience playing in her high school band and singing in her high school choir. While in college she not only performed with the jazz band but the school’s symphonic orchestra and a Christian rock group. She also sang with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus for many years, starting at the age of 18. After attending Wisconsin Lutheran College and earning a music degree from Carroll University, she formed her jazz quartet. Suzanne immediately started a busy performance schedule, and she has not slowed down since.

Suzanne Grzanna began to record as a leader in 1994, starting with The Cat’s Meow. “I was really happy to release my first jazz album. Recording that CD was a dream come true. It includes a lot of my originals. I always incorporate the many different styles that I have played in my life into my music.”

She has recorded six CDs and two singles thus far including The Cat’s Meow (1994), Fly Me To The Moon (1999), My Santa Baby (2003), Simply Sunday (2006), Christmas Night (2008), Wedding Day (2016), Daybreak (2016), and Spring Waltz (2017).

The recordings (and the video of “The Cat’s Meow”) gave Suzanne fame far beyond Milwaukee and resulted in her performing throughout the United States. They also led to her making acting appearances in films and on television including as a singer and a saxophonist in the band that appeared in The West Wing, and working on such films as Path To War, Wishtaker and La Surprise Party. Suzanne co-produced and was one of the singers on Kobi Arad’s Prince tribute song “Forever” for the Grammys. She also was a part of David Longoria’s “We Are One” (Vocalist), and recorded her new album Daybreak and single “Spring Waltz.”

In her career thus far, Suzanne Grzanna has worked at many notable clubs and festivals including Milwaukee’s Summerfest, the Blue Note, Birdland, Feinstein's - 54 Below, and The Bitter End in New York, Preservation Hall in New Orleans, Los Angeles’ The Baked Potato, El Ray Theater, Roxy Theater, and Kulak's, Chicago’s Pops For Champagne, Sharon Lynn Wilson Center in Waukesha, W and The Hollywood Bowl. Her music has also been performed in Russia, Japan and Paris and she shared the stage with such notables as Jeff Goldblum, fellow saxophonists Frank Morgan and Charles McPherson, trumpeter Brian Lynch, pianist Dave Hazeltine and singer Betty Carter. “I have been fortunate to perform at so many places. I love to play at festivals because it is fun to be on a large stage, reaching as many people as possible. But, I also love performing at more intimate club settings because I enjoy talking to the audience.”

Among the many awards that Suzanne has won are Carroll University’s Graduate Of The Decade, the Indie Music Channel’s Awards for Best Jazz Video (The Cat’s Meow) and Best Jazz Song (Latin Nights), a silver medal in the Global Music Awards (The Cat’s Meow) (Latin Nights), Best Original Song (Simply Sunday) from the Hollywood Music and Media Awards, World Art Celebrities Magazine’s Diva of the Year and, from the Indie Music Channel Radio Awards, Best Jazz Song (Simply Sunday), Best Jazz Producer (Fever) and Best Female Jazz Artist (for Daybreak). Semi-Finalist in the UK Songwriting Contest for Best Video (The Cat’s Meow). Suzanne received a silver medal in the Global Music Awards (Daybreak) (Wedding Day), and won four awards at the 2017 Indie Music Channel Awards. Best Jazz Instrumentalist (Daybreak), Best Female Instrumentalist (Daybreak), Best Jazz Producer (Daybreak) and Best Contemporary Christian Song (Wedding Day). Suzanne was nominated for two Josie Music Awards that was held in Nashville, TN. for Song of the Year (Daybreak) and Artist of the Year in Jazz/Blues category. Suzanne Grzanna had a double win with the Clouzine Awards for Best Christian Song and Best Instrumental Track. She was also nominated for the Hollywood Music and Media Awards (My Santa Baby) and finished 2017 with four Indie Music Channel Radio Awards winning with Don Grzanna's composition "Spring Waltz" for Best Live Jazz Performance, Best Jazz Producer, Best Instrumental Artist and Best Instrumental Live Performance. In March 2018, Suzanne and her father won with the Global Music Awards with Best Composition and Best Jazz Song for Spring Waltz (Studio Version), nomination for Atlas Music Awards (Spring Waltz), won an Indie Music Channel Awards for Best Instrumental Recording (Spring Waltz), 2018 Clouzine Awards (Jazz - Spring Waltz), Josie Music Awards (won Best Female Artist), nominated for the 2018 Hollywood Music and Media Awards, (Spring Waltz), won 2018 Indie Music Radio Awards (Best Jazz Artist - Love In The City), won 2018 Akademia Award (Best Jazz Song- Spring Waltz), won three 2019 Indie Music Channel Awards (Best Jazz Song - Moonsands, Best Jazz Producer - Love In The City, Best Jazz Songwriter - Love In The City), won American Songwriting Awards (Jazz - Simply Sunday), won 2019 Clouzine International Music Award for Best Jazz Song, won 2019 Josie Music Award for Artist of the Year (Jazz) and 2019 nomination for the Hollywood Music and Media Awards (Jazz - Daybreak) and Indie Music Channel Radio Awards (Best Female Jazz Artist (By the Fireside), Best Jazz Song (By the Fireside), and Best Jazz Producer (By the Fireside).

With the release of Daybreak and Spring Waltz, the pace in Suzanne Grzanna’s career is picking up even more. “I have been working on many projects. For the future I want to continue my musical life, connect with as many audience members as possible, to push myself and my creative side. I love jazz and I hope to share my love for music with many others.”

Diva Records LLC
Grzanna Jazz Productions LLC

This information will depend on the event. We will need requirements for stage, lighting and sound. We will take care of this information once we are in contact. We are looking forward to your event!