Sara Gazarek is an American jazz musician and singer. Gazarek was born in Seattle, Washington and moved to Los Angeles in 2000 to attend the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. She won the Downbeat Student Music Award for Best Collegiate Vocalist in 2003. Gazarek released her first album, Yours, in 2005. The album was a critical and commercial success with a top 10 ranking in the Billboard Traditional Jazz Charts as well as being the top album download in iTunes for Jazz in Germany and France. In a poll by the JazzTimes, readers voted Gazarek as the 3rd Best New Jazz Artist. She released her second album, Return To You in 2007 and is currently living in Los Angeles. Don Heckman of the LA Times said Gazarek is "the next important jazz singer."