“Maria is a wonderful singer:
a fine, musical treat.”
– Sheila Jordan, NEA Jazz Master
“Maria Guida sings with great passion and sensitivity to the story-telling of songs.”
– Fred Hersch, 17-time Grammy nominee;
jazz pianist/composer
Maria Guida is a singer who has performed at many venues in New York, including Kitano, Sweet Basil, The Cornelia Street Café, Metropolitan Room, Triad, The Bar Next Door, The West Bank Café, and The Duplex. In Amsterdam, Holland, Maria sang at Jazz Café Alto and Bimhuis. She has also been the opening act for Sir Roland Hanna.
Maria has sung with top instrumentalists on the jazz scene today, including James Weidman, Mark Soskin, Kenny Werner, Bruce Barth, Ron Horton, Freddie Bryant, Harvie S, Dean Johnson, Essiet Essiet, Tony Moreno, Tony Jefferson, and Jeff Hirshfield.
Maria began studying violin at the age of seven. Throughout her school years, she played violin in string quartets and in the All-State Young People’s Orchestra in New York; she also played mandolin, guitar, and piano. Always a young choral soloist, Maria began formal singing lessons as a teen, studying the bel canto style and singing the European classical repertoire in five languages. But her love of jazz soon pulled her to the Great American Songbook, and singing the standards has been her passion ever since.
Maria’s jazz teachers/mentors were Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, Janet Lawson, and Mark Murphy.
On Broadway, she sang with Linda Ronstadt and Maureen McGovern. Maria’s first CD, Soul Eyes, received excellent reviews and her upcoming CD will be released soon.