In 1984 she won the first prize at the International Meeting of Jazz Vocalists in Zamość.
From 1988 she cooperated with one of best acoustic jazz formations - New Presentation.
With this group she released two records: "Lonesome Dancer" (recognized as The Jazz Record of the Year 1989) and "You’ve Changed" (1993). In her vocal career Lora Szafran doesn’t limit herself to jazz only. She often participated in international pop song festivals, winning: Sopot '90 – the Grand Prix and the Amber Nightingale, Bregenz- Austria '90, Cesme – Turkey '91. The result of her activity in pop music are two records: "W górę głowa" (1991)
and "Tylko Chopin" (1994).
In 2003 she released "Śpiewnik Nahornego", where one can find the most popular compositions of the famous jazz composer and pianist Włodzimierz Nahorny. In 2005 Lora started working with the Big Stars vocal trio, appearing at the Opole and Sopot Song Festivals, winning the third prize in Sopot (2006). The album “Droga do Ciebie” was released in November 2007. It is a jazz interpretation of some Polish standards created by a brilliant duet Wasowski & Przybora and in an arrangement by Bogdan Hołownia.
In January 2012 Lora released a new project - „Sekrety Życia Według Leonarda Cohena”(eng:„The Secrets Of Life By Leonard Cohen”). The CD contains 12 songs - written by the famous Canadian bard - in Polish translations, created by Maciej Zembaty, Daniel Wyszogrodzki and Paweł Orkisz. This project, arranged by Miłosz Wośko, is Lora's personal look on Cohen's creation.
„Nad Ranem”(eng. ”In the early morning”) - Lora's latest record, released in October 2013, presents 13 premiere songs. It is stylistically the most diverse record, taking into account 30 years of her career. Songs are created specially for Lora by two Polish Giants: Seweryn Krajewski i Michał Urbaniak and two young talents: Miłosz Wośko (who also produced this record) and Tomek Krawczyk (Bisquit, Zakopower). Lyrics are written by Jonasz Kofta, Andrzej Poniedzielski, Adam Nowak (Raz Dwa Trzy), Dariusz Dusza
(Shakin Dudi, Dżem) and Piotr Brymas.
FESTIVALS AND PRIZES
1981 - OMPP - "The Golden Ten"
1987 - 1990 - The Best Jazz Vocalists - the "Jazz Forum" readers plebiscite
1988 - The Journalists Award - Polish Song Festiwal - Opole
1989 - Mateusz Święcicki Prize from the 3 Programme of the Polish Radio for achievements in vocalism
1990 - Amber Nightingale Award and Grand Prix of the International Song Festival - Sopot
1991 - Intertalent Festival - Bregenz (Austria) - 3rd prize
2006 - Festival Jedynki in Sopot - 3rd prize with Big Stars
Discography:
As A Leader:
"Lonesome dancer" – with New Presentation (1989 Polskie Nagrania)
"W górę głowa" - pop songs (1991 Polskie Nagrania)
"You have changed" - with New Presentation (1993 Power Bros) the best jazz record of the year
"Tylko Chopin" – arr. B. Maseli , lyr. Justyna Holm (1994 Polskie Nagrania Edition)
"Wspomnienia" – with Eljazz Big Band (2002) - Polish songs from archival films, evergreens in swing version
"Śpiewnik Nahornego" - with Włodzimierz Nahorny band (2003 Confiteor)
"Droga do ciebie" - Wasowski & Przybora (2007 4ever Music)
"Sekrety życia według Leonarda Cohena” (2012 Sony Music)
"Nad Ranem” (2013 Sony Music)
RECORDS – SPECIAL GUEST
"Kolędy na cały rok" - Christmas Carols by Wł. Nahorny (1995 Polonia Records)
"Fazi Quinted Moonship" (1995 Quazar )
"Poetycje Jazzowe" – composed by Jacek Niedziela (2002 WA Records)
"Walk Away" (2004 Pomaton EMI)
"Rendez-Vous on the Jazz Boulevard vol. 4” (2005 Universal Music Polska)
"Święta, święta 2" (2005 Polskie Radio)
"Święta, święta 3" (2006 Polskie Radio)
"Muzyka jest świętem" - Christmas Carols by Bernard Kawka (2006)
"Seweryn Krajewski Smooth Jazz" (2007 Polskie Radio)
"XV Przystanek Woodstock” (2009 Złoty Melon) "Chopin Pod Cieniami“- Wojciech Gogolewskiego Trio & Lora Szafran (2010 Muzeum Rzemiosła w Krośnie)
"Struny na ziemi“ – Włodek Pawlik (2011 Polskie Radio)
"Przybora – Piosenka jest dobra na wszystko" (2011 Magic Records)
"Osiecka o miłości" (2012 Magic Records)
Colatoration with:
Ewa Bem, Elżbieta Adamiak, Mieczysław Szcześniak, Grażyna Łobaszewska, Andrzej Jagodziński, Wojtek and Jacek Niedziela, Włodzimierz Nahorny, Piotr Wojtasik, Henryk Miśkiewicz, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Wojciech Zieliński, Janusz Muniak, Bogdan Hołownia, J. Jarosław Dobrzyński, Bernard Maseli, Justyna Holm, Jacek Cygan, Wojciech Młynarski, Włodzimierz Nahorny, Bogdan Hołownia, Michał Tokaj, Andrzej Jagodziński, Wojciech, Gogolewski, Włodek Pawlik, Zbigniew Jakubek, Adam Kowalewski, Daniel Biel, Adam Cegielski, Jacek Niedziela, Dariusz Szymańczak
drummers: Sebastian Frankiewicz, Adam Lewandowski, Czesław Bartkowski, Cezary Konrad, Krzysztof Zawadzki, Janusz Muniak, Maciej Sikała, Jan "Ptaszyn" Wróblewski, Henryk Miśkiewicz, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Robert Majewski, Piotr Wojtasik,
Contact:
www.loraszafran.pl
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© 2014 Lora Szafran. All rights reserved.