Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra Present: The Big Easy Holiday Bash 2025! Celebrate the joy of the holiday season with Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra at the Big Easy Holiday Bash 2025, a festive showcase of New Orleans greatest music and musicians! Experience an evening filled with holiday classics, New Orleans R&B, and a jazzy rendition of Duke Ellingtons Nutcracker Suite. Created to spotlight the vibrant artistry of New Orleans, the Big Easy Holiday Bash unites exceptional vocal and instrumental performances with dazzling jazz dance. Adrienne Hawkins whimsical choreography honors tradition while infusing modern energy and flair. The celebration features: NEA Jazz Master Delfeayo Marsalis, Grammy Award winning vocalist Nicole Zuraitis, and Choreography by Adrienne T. Hawkins. Prepare for a musical odyssey that carries you from the streets of New Orleans to the nightlife of New York and all the way to the grand concert halls of the old country!
Nicole Zuraitis is a GRAMMY® Award-winning (2024) jazz singer-songwriter, pianist and arranger, New York-based bandleader, and winner of the prestigious 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal. With a “heart as big as her remarkable voice,” (Jazz Police), Nicole has positioned herself as one of the top artists and “prolific songwriters” (Broadway World) to watch in jazz and beyond.
As a recording artist, Nicole has released five albums as leader, and her sixth album How Love Begins, co-produced with eight-time GRAMMY-winner Christian McBride (2023), features all original music and was awarded the GRAMMY for BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM. In addition to leading her quartet, Nicole is the premier vocalist for the Birdland Big Band and frequently headlines iconic NYC jazz clubs like Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center, Birdland, the Blue Note, the Carlyle, 54 Below and the late, great 55 Bar. She has appeared as a featured soloist with the Savannah Philharmonic, Asheville Symphony, and Macon Pops, and has supported iconic singers like Melanie, Morgan James, Darren Criss, and Livingston Taylor on piano and vocals.
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. In 2020, she was named in the top 40 under 40 for 2020 in Connecticut Magazine, and her weekly livestream during the Covid-19 crisis, “Virtual Piano Lounge,” was featured in Forbes Magazine. Nicole has collaborated with an extensive list of luminaries, including Christian McBride, David Cook, Gilad Hekselman, Veronica Swift, Benny Benack, Stephen Feifke, Cyrille Aimee, Antonio Sanchez, Dave Stryker, Omar Hakim, Rachel Z, Helen Sung, and Bernard Purdie. She is a proud educator and currently vocal faculty at NYU and SUNY Purchase.
An ardent activist with a decade-long track record of giving back, her 2023 album release coincided with a self-produced music festival and day of activism for Save the Sound.Org. In 2024, Post University awarded Nicole an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters. For more information, visit www.nicolezmusic.com or tag @nicolezmusic.