Gracie Terzian’s a beguiling singer and modern song stylist with an astute sense of swing: Video

16.05. – Happy Birthday !!! Ted Gioia, jazz critic and author of History of Jazz, calls her “a genuine talent” and ICON Magazine says “she’s a beguiling singer and modern song stylist with an astute sense of swing.”

A native of the Washington, DC area, Gracie Terzian is a singer, songwriter, ukulelist and actor now living in New York City. She recently gained attention in the jazz world with the release of her debut EP, Saints and Poets, co-written with pianist Wells Hanley and produced by Mike Tynan. The EP debuted at #23 on the Billboard jazz charts and quickly became the #3 jazz album on iTunes. As an ukulelist, she is known for playing unusual instruments, including the harp ukulele and electric ukulele.

Saints and Poets showcases a rhythm section made up of Hanley (piano), Trey Pollard (guitar), Randall Pharr (bass) and Brian Caputo (drums), it also features her playing harp ukulele. The songs, written over a period of a year, reveal Gracie as an assured vocalist, singing with a clarity and precision that never obscures her genuine warmth.

Terry Teachout, jazz critic and author of Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington, says, “Don’t let the cool, sophisticated surface of Saints and Poets fool you: Gracie Terzian is a deep- dyed romantic who tells her tales of modern love with quiet delicacy and an inborn musicality that’s impossible to overlook. Of such debuts are great careers made.”

A member of Actors’ Equity Association, Gracie has worked extensively in theatre and film as an actor, singer, dancer/acrobat and composer. She has performed at many theatres including The Kennedy Center, Ford’s Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Folger Theatre and the American Theatre of Actors. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia.