Over the past decade, the New Jersey born, now New Orleans resident vocalist/writer/musician/producer has been bestowed with many awards and praises, including being named the Female Songwriter of the Year by the National Academy of Songwriters.  Norah Jones and Bonnie Raitt have raved about her in interviews, and she’s performed on such high-profile radio shows as World Cafe, Mountain Stage and NPR’s Morning Edition and Tell Me More.  She’s toured and opened for the likes of Elvis Costello, Richard Thompson, Mavis Staples, Rufus Wainwright, B.B. King, Dr. John, Richie Havens, Keren Ann, Chris Whitley, and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

Dayna’s new CD, Secret Canon Vol. 2 (MC Records), recorded in New York and New Orleans, has her once again mining lost and/or underappreciated songs from mid-20^th century vaults, with a few self-penned songs mixed in.   “I love finding brilliant songs that no one’s put their stamp on in awhile.  It’s the next best thing to writing a song yourself.  I love well-worn standards as well as the next fan, but I’m not sure I can take “My Funny Valentine”  or “At Last” anywhere it hasn’t been before, you know?  And some of these gems were just as great.”

“When Kurtz sings, one of two things typically happens. Either she lets out a deep, husky croon that seems to bubble up from her toes, or she unleashes a full-throttle roar that’s more inviting than imposing…There’s no logical reason why Dayna Kurtz is not a full blown star.”  James Reed, Boston Globe

“Dayna Kurtz is the kind of artist who inspires wild-eyed zealotry among her fans, and there are three reasons for it: One, she’s an artist’s artist, one whose whiskeyed, determined alto often earns her comparisons with Nina Simone; two, while Europeans adore her, she’s obscenely underappreciated in her own country; and three, her songs, which straddle a difficult space between jazz, rock, and folk, are pure poetry. Her latest release owes its artist instant stardom. If that’s unattainable, it should at least earn her the one descriptor all serious artists strive for: important.” – Tammy La Gorce ALL MUSIC GUIDE

“Dayna Kurtz’s diverse vocals feel both old and new, recalling Nina Simone of yesteryear…hypnotically haunting” – New York Post

“Kurtz’s voice is a potent thing. She projected that voice like a stage actress; the occasional glint of grit made it all the richer.”  Keith Spera, Times-Picayune (Jazzfest 2012 review)

Website:  www.daynakurtz.com