Suzanne Grzanna

Suzanne Grzanna is an American songwriter, saxophonist, vocalist, arranger, and producer. She won a Hollywood Music in Media Award for "Best Jazz Song," a Global Music Award for "Best Instrumental," and has been nominated for several other awards including a Hollywood Independent Music Award. She has shared the stage with such artists as Frank Morgan, Brian Lynch, Betty Carter, and Ray Brown Jr., and has performed at Birdland, Blue Note, the Hollywood Bowl, and Jay Leno's "Grand Slam Charity Event".

Early life and education Suzanne Grzanna was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to parents Don and Maureen Grzanna, who are both professional musicians. She began taking piano lessons from her mother when she was five years of age and started playing the clarinet when she was nine so she could play in her school bands. In the seventh grade she switched her main focus to alto-sax. She sang and played piano in her family band, playing jazz, rock and dance music. She played in her high school band and sang in her high school choir. While in college she performed with the jazz band, the school's symphonic orchestra, and a Christian rock group. She also sang with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus starting at the age of 18. After attending Wisconsin Lutheran College, she graduated with a bachelor's degree from Carroll University in 1991 where she was the recipient of the "Graduate of the Last Decade," Award in 2000.

Career Grzanna is a composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist (saxophone, piano, clarinet, accordion), arranger, and producer. She has released six studio albums, The Cat's Meow (1994), Fly Me to the Moon (1999), My Santa Baby (2004), Simply Sunday (2005), Christmas Night (2008), Daybreak (2016), and The Cat's Meow Anniversary Album (2023). In 1997, she won a WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry Award) for Best Jazz Group/Artist Contemporary. In 1999, her single, "Fly Me to the Moon," received a fair amount of airplay on jazz radio stations and Billboard magazine wrote, Grzanna displays both melodic saxophone playing and a knack for making standards" Also that year, Billboard's Jazz /Blue Notes wrote, "Claire Daly and Suzanne Grzanna debunk myths about female jazz musicians."

In 2016, Grzanna released, "Daybreak," which received favorable reviews. In 2023, she released "The Cat's Meow Anniversary Album," which also received positive reviews.

Selected filmography Source: 2023 – Miami's Listening Party – composer, saxophone performance 2023 – Seaper Powers: Mystery of the Blue Pearls – composer, saxophone performance 2021 – Seaper Powers: In Search of Bleu Jay's Treasure – composer, saxophone performance 2019 – Wild Honey – composer, saxophone performance 2015 – A Christmas Horror Story – composer, vocals 2005 – Dare to Dream: The Alan Kulwicki Story – composer, saxophone and vocal performance 2003 – Harold Buttleman, Daredevil Stuntman (6 songs/soundtrack) – composer, saxophone performance 2001 – The Cure for Boredom – composer, vocals

Discography Source: 2016 – Daybreak 2008 – Christmas Night 2005 – Simply Sunday 2004 – My Santa Baby 1999 – Fly Me to the Moon

Awards Year Nominated work Category Award Result