A native and resident of the New York Area, Barbara Sfraga is a risk-taking jazz vocalist and lyricist who has listed everyone from Betty Carter, Mark Murphy and Jon Hendricks to Joni Mitchell and Janis Joplin as influences. The singer was born and raised in Bay Shore, Long Island, and she attended Long Island University from 1974-76 before moving to Connecticut in 1976 and attending the University of Bridgeport from 1976-78. Sfraga majored in classical voice at Bridgeport, but after discovering the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Anita O'Day, she became seriously interested in jazz singing. Sfraga soon discovered the innovations of Mark Murphy, Betty Carter and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, and in the 1980s, she began singing jazz in New York clubs. In 1996, Sfraga founded In Concert with our Community (an organization whose initial goal was using cultural events to raise funds for children's organizations), and in 1998, she recorded her first album as a leader, Oh, What A Thrill. The album employed such noteworthy guests as Mark Murphy (who wrote the liner notes) and pianist Fred Hersch. In 2003, Sfraga's sophomore album, Under the Moon, was released by the Chicago-based A440 label. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide