Urszula Dudziak -

Urszula Dudziak (born Oct. 22, 1943) is a Polish jazz vocalist who first recorded in the late-1960s jazz combo Urbaniak’s Orchestra with then-husband Michał Urbaniak. In 1973, the couple migrated to the U.S. and backed each other on numerous jazz-rock albums over the ensuing decade. Her profile peaked with the 1975–1977 Arista releases Urszula and Midnight Rain.

She was born Urszula Bogumiła Dudziak on October 22, 1943, in the Straconka district of Bielsko-Biała, Poland. As a teenager, she initially studied piano but started singing in the late 1950s, inspired by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. In 1967, she married jazz violinist and saxophonist Michał Urbaniak.

The couple settled in Norway, where in 1968 they recorded the album Urbaniak’s Orchestra, released on Atlas Records. Their recording of “Misty,” credited to Urszula Dudziak & Michał Urbaniak Quartet, appeared on the 1970 multi-artist comp JJ 69 – New Faces In Polish Jazz, released on Polskie Nagrania Muza.

In 1972, Urbaniak produced Newborn Light, a duet album between his wife and electric pianist Adam Makowicz. During 1973, Dudziak sang on four of her husband’s projects: two released as the Michal Urbaniak Group (Paratyphus B and Inactin, both on the German Spiegelei label) and two released as Michal Urbaniak Constellation (Super Constellation and In Concert). That same year, they appeared on the MPS release We’ll Remember Komeda, which also features trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, guitarist Attila Zoller, and violinist Zbigniew Seifert.

In late 1973, the couple moved to the United States, where Dudziak sang three tracks (“Strollin’,” “A Sunday Afternoon Feeling,” “Forms”) on arranger Arif Mardin’s 1974 Atlantic release Journey. Meanwhile, her husband signed to Columbia, which issued the Super Constellation album stateside as Fusion. They formed the band Fusion with fellow expat Polish musicians and released the 1974 album Atma.

In 1975, Dudziak secured a solo contract with Arista.

Discography:

Newborn Light (1972)
We’ll Remember Komeda (1973 • Michał Urbaniak, Tomasz Stańko, Attila Zoller & Urszula Dudziak)
Urszula (1975)
Midnight Rain (1977)
Future Talk (1979)
Sorrow Is Not Forever-Love Is: Vocal Summit (1982 • Lauren Newton, Urszula Dudziak, Jeanne Lee, Jay Clayton & Bobby McFerrin)
Ulla (1982 • Ulla)
Sorrow Is Not Forever…But Love Is (1983)
High Horse (1984)