| Jazz |
A Voice Across Time: Mira Choquette’s ‘Hier Encore’ Evokes Elegance, Emotion, and Enduring Memory.
By all accounts, Mira Choquette is not just a singer, she is an interpreter. And in Hier Encore, her latest release, she embraces that role with disarming sincerity and stylistic fluency, offering a bouquet of multilingual renditions in English, French, and Spanish. It’s an album that doesn’t strive to surprise so much as to stir a quiet memory, to awaken a wistful echo of songs we may have once loved, now lovingly reimagined.
Her voice, warm, pliant, and imbued with a distinctive narrative sensibility, doesn’t merely revisit classics; it converses with them. Each interpretation bears the imprint of someone who has lived the music, who understands that the greatest challenge for any interpreter isn’t mastery, but meaning.
Choquette navigates an eclectic repertoire that spans Michel Legrand’s bittersweet romanticism, Blossom Dearie’s understated charm, the harmonic intricacies of Tadd Dameron and Thelonious Monk, and the melodic grandeur of Charles Aznavour. She even reaches across borders to the emotional balladry of Mexican composer Armando Manzanero. Though some of the lyrics, such as those in Sur les quais de Cherbourg, veer into the naïve or painfully simplistic, Choquette’s elegant phrasing and lyrical poise elevate the material, turning potential liabilities into moments of quiet grace. It is a testament to her ability to transcend the words themselves, reminding us that great interpretation often lies in tone, not text.
This is not a solo effort in the narrow sense. Many of the tracks are intimate duets with Armenian pianist Samvel Gasparyan, whose sensitivity and lyricism provide the album’s heartbeat. On select pieces, the ensemble expands to include renowned bassist Dave Geodakyan, also a respected pedagogue and conductor, and drummer Arman Mnatsakanyan, best known for his work with jazz virtuoso Tigran Hamasyan. On Just Friends, a standout among the standards, Choquette is backed by some of Yerevan’s finest brass players, adding a dash of cinematic flair to the set.
Yet what sets Hier Encore apart is not its ambition, but its restraint. There is no attempt here to reinvent jazz, nor to dazzle with technical acrobatics. Instead, Choquette and her collaborators aim for something far more elusive: clarity, emotional resonance, and simple beauty. And in achieving that, they accomplish something quietly profound. The music flows with such natural grace that one almost forgets the level of skill it requires, an achievement that, in jazz, is perhaps the highest praise of all.
Following her previous releases, Something Cool, the EP It Felt Like a Fall Affair, and In Reel Time—Hier Encore feels like a natural progression: a confident, unhurried stride into more emotionally resonant territory. “Recording in Armenia with such extraordinary musicians was a beautiful experience,” Choquette reflects. “The rainy weather, the culture, the atmosphere, it all lent itself to songs filled with melancholy. I like to think of this as a jazz album for grown-ups.”
Is it the most groundbreaking album of the season? Certainly not. But in an era increasingly defined by overproduction and emotional detachment, Choquette offers a refreshing antidote: authenticity, elegance, and a gently lit path back to the songs that shaped us. Hier Encore may not shout, but it sings, quietly, deeply, and with conviction. And sometimes, that is more than enough.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, May 6th 2025
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