| Jazz |
Veronica could sing an entire dictionary, and we would remain filled with admiration for her vocalizations, which are, by the way, at the core of the creation of the first track of this self-titled album, “I am What I Am”. With Veronica Swift, the question of whether her art is contemporary or not doesn’t even arise, as every album she releases is essentially a part of herself, an instantaneous vision of the period she lives in, resolutely modern, with a profound respect for what jazz is, and an immense culture that makes her truly unique.
Let’s recall that Veronica Swift made a sensation in the jazz world with the critically acclaimed release in 2021, titled “This Bitter Earth”. She graced the cover of DownBeat, dominated end-of-year lists for vocal jazz, and mesmerized the audience with her eclectic performance at the Hollywood Bowl and beyond. For her new album – aptly titled “Veronica Swift” – she spreads her wings and embraces her wide range of influences to share who she truly is: an extraordinary singer with unapologetic confidence.
This album is a true success that will undoubtedly be one of the best albums of this autumn, when we are also anticipating the extraordinary new album from saxophonist Céline Bonacina. Veronica Swift has a passion for interpretation, which means that through her voice, she can perfectly contextualize a text and give it the desired dimension, allowing the listener to experience highly diverse atmospheres throughout the album. We can also appreciate a song in French, “Je Veux Vivre”, where the artist manages to be perfectly understandable, which is rarely the case with Anglo-Saxon artists.
Veronica Swift fully embraces all the tracks on this album – it’s good, it’s beautiful, and if English and French are not enough for you, you’ll also be treated to a track in Spanish, “Che De Saudade”, admirable, elegant, and unclassifiable. This album is full of delightful surprises, often featuring cinematic music reminiscent of black-and-white films from the 1940s and 1950s.
And let us salute the extraordinary work of the musicians: Veronica Swift • Adam Klipple • Philip Norris Alex Claffy • Chris Whiteman • Brian Vilgione James Sarno • Troy Roberts • David Leon, With Mariano Aponte • Benny Benack III • Ludovic Bier • Pierre Blanchard • Carolynne Framil Antonio Licusati • Felix Maldonado • David Mann • Javier Nero • Austin Patterson • Luisito Quintero • Samson Schmitt • Antoine Silverman Randy Waldma.
The question we ask ourselves in the end, Veronica? When will there be a musical? To tell you the truth, the editorial teams of Bayou Blue Radio and Paris-Move absolutely loved this album, we classify it as “essential,” because we haven’t seen such a masterful blend of jazz and storytelling in a long time.
The question we ask ourselves in the end, Veronica: when will there be a musical show?
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, August 8th 2023
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