Singer, composer, arranger, and producer Grazyna Auguscik has won the praise and admiration of music critics, jazz enthusiasts and even non-jazz audiences with a singular voice that speaks a universal language. She is one of the most intriguing contemporary vocalists on today’s world jazz scene. Her elusive style challenges traditional definitions of jazz and shows a vocalist and musician without boundaries. Her unorthodox approach to rewriting classic works pays tribute to their authors and at the same time is an adventure into uncharted territory. Her original music gives a fresh taste of uncanny flavor.
She began her professional music career in Europe, and then completed her studies at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1992. Since then she has become a prolific collaborator shearing the stage with such jazz notables as Michael and Randy Brecker, Jim Hall, John Medeski, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Robert Irving III, Michal Urbaniak, Urszula Dudziak, Patricia Barber, John McLean, Matt Ulery, Paulinho Garcia, Jarek Bester. Andrzej Jagodzinski and many others. Grazyna has recorded, produced and distributed 20 albums, 11 of which were under her own record label, GMA Records, and has appeared as a guest on as many projects.
Her album Pastels was chosen one of the best of 1998 by National Public Radio listeners. Her 2002 release River placed her as one of the hottest young jazz talents in the country. In 2003 Grazyna received Twirlie Nomination for Top 15 FEMALE VOCALISTS and was nominated for Best Female Vocalist of 2002 by 22nd Annual Chicago Music Awards. She was named Best Jazz Vocalist of 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 nad 2016 by a prestigious European Jazz Forum Magazine. In 2002 Fujitsu Concord Jazz Festival awarded her with the TOP VOCALIST title, and the album Homage - Three for Brazil recorded for Pony Canyon Records in Japan was on a TOP 20 JAZZ ALBUMS list in Asia.
The Grazyna Auguscik Orkestar Universale Project, presented at Millennium Park in Chicago in 2006, received a standing ovation, reaffirming that music can communicate across boundaries of language. Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune said about her performance: “Auguscik and her ensemble sound like nothing else you ever heard; they are out of this world. This must-see performer is one of the best voices to be heard today.” Her concert Chopin World Sound at Millennium Park in Chicago on July 25, 2010 with 14 musicians on stage, gathered over 10,000 people in the audience and was chosen one of the 10 most important performances during last three decades in Chicago area, next to Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Wynton Marsalis Septet, Frank Sinatra, Marcus Roberts, Tropicana Orchestra, Danilo Perez, Oscar Brown Jr., and Igor Butman.
In 2011 she received the Outstanding Pole Aboard award from the Teraz Polska foundation, and the annual award of the Polish Ministry of Culture.
In 2016 she established “Sound and Notes” non profit foundation and will bring first time to Chicago “Chopin IN the City” festival dedicated to Chopin music for any age and style of music.
“Grazyna Auguscik is emerging as an individual voice in a world of sound-alike singers ... Auguscik approaches the art of jazz singing with fervor and intensity. She treats even the most well-worn fare with a spirit of adventure.” – Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune
In 2011 she received two awards: Outstanding Pole in Aboard and award from Ministry of Culture in Poland as a best performer and jazz musician and award from the Mayor of the city of Slupsk, for outstanding achievements, in 2017 she was awarded the Gloria Artis silver medal by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Since 2017, her foundation "Sounds and Notes" has been organizing the Chicago festival "Chopin IN the City".
"One of Chicago's hidden treasures, singer Grazyna Auguscik is a jazz-rooted, genre-blurring provocateur.” – Michael Wojcik, Illinois Entertainment
Discography:
Solo albums:
2019 Bossa a Outras Nova, GMA Records
2019 Bossa a Outras Nova, Muzak Records
2016 Never mind the rain, GMA Records
2016 Koledy , MTJ Records
2016 Szeptem MTJ Records
2015 The Beatles Nova, Muzak Records
2014 Grazyna Auguscik Orchestar Inspired by Lutoslawski, Four tune Records
2012 Man behind the sun-Songs of Nick Drake GMA Records/EMI
2011 Personal Collection, MTJ Records
2011 The Beatles Nova, MTJ Records
2008 Andanca, GMA Records
2007 Sounds Live Sounds, GMA Records
2005 Lulajze - The Lullaby for Jesus, GMA Records
2005 The Light, GMA Records
2003 Past Forward, GMA Records / Jazz Institute of Chicago Sound Archive and Recordings
2002 Homage -Three for Brazil, Pony Canyon Records (Japan)
2001 River, GMA Records
2001 Don't Let Me Go, GMA Records (Remastered Release + BT featuring Michal Urbaniak)
2000 Fragile, GMA Records
2000 To i Hola, Selles Records
1998 Pastels, GMA Records
1997 Koledy, Voice Magic Records
1996 Don’t Let Me Go, GMA Records
1989 Sunrise Sunset, Polskie Nagrania
Featuring as a guest (selected projects):
2020 Bester Quartet: Bajgejman. Get to tango - ANA Clasisc Records
2014 In the Ivory - Matt Ulery - Greenleaf Music
2012 By a Little Light - Matt Ulery - Greenleaf Music
2011 Muzyka Polska - Andrzej Jagodzinski Trio - SRMT Records
2010 My very life - Paulinho Garcia - Jazzmine Record
2010 Kobiety i Jazz- Trio Inspiracje - GRAMI Records
2010 Komeda Inspiration - Jan Bokszczanin, ARMS Records
2009 Krzysztof Komeda - Agora
2008 Music Box Ballerina - Matt Ulery’s Loom -Woolgathering Records
2007 Better Angels - John McLean - Origin
2005 John McLean - Welcome Everything Guitar Madness - JohnMcLeanMusic
2005 Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass - Cracow Klezmer Band - Tzadik
2003 -Bereshit Cracow Klezmer Band - Tzadik
2003 Batizado Scottinho - Scott Anderson
2003 Widow's First Dawn Rope - Family Vineyard
2000 Gephart Long Quartet - Corners Gephart, Long Records
2000 The City of Strangers,-Sepia Records
2000 The Surrender- Sepia Records
1999 Primordial Passage – vinyl, Peacefrog Records, London
1999 Primordial Passage – CD, Peacefrog Records, London
1999 The Sacred Spaces Epî-Underground Evolution Records
1998 Fernando Huergo Living these Times, Browstone Records
1998 Women Who Swing Chicago- Big Chicago Records