Veronica Swift
Veronica Swift | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 14, 1994 |
| Origin | Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Website | www |
Veronica Swift (born May 14, 1994) is an American jazz and bebop singer.[1][2][3]
Early life
Swift was raised in Charlottesville as part of a family of musicians.[4] Her parents were late jazz pianist Hod O'Brien and singer Stephanie Nakasian.[1][4] At the age of nine, she recorded her debut album, Veronica’s House of Jazz (2004), featuring Richie Cole playing with her fathers rhythm section.[3] She began touring with her parents at this time as well.[4] At age eleven, she appeared in the series Women in Jazz at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola; At the age of 13, she released her second album, It's Great to Be Alive (2007), on which saxophonist Harry Allen also played.[4]
Swift earned her bachelor's degree in jazz voice in 2016 from the University of Miami's Frost School of Music.[4][5] While there, she composed a goth-rock opera entitled Vera Icon about a homicidal nun.[4] Swift says she "needed an outlet for the anger" she felt at her father's cancer, and needed a more dramatic genre to express the emotion.[4] Her 2015 album, Lonely Woman, includes two songs with her father at the piano and may represent the last recording by Hod O’Brien, who died in 2016. Swift placed second at the 2015 Thelonious Monk Competition.[4][6] Following graduation, she moved to New York City, where she played Saturday nights at the Birdland jazz club.[3][5][6]
Career
She also starred with Chris Botti, Benny Green, and Michael Feinstein.[6] She toured with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.[4] In the opinion of Bill Milkowski, she has a perfect pitch and phrasing.[2][3] In the field of jazz, Tom Lord counts four recording sessions in which she was involved between 2004 and 2018.[7] In 2019, she went on tour with the Benny Green Trio.[3][4]
Discography
Solo
- Veronica's House of Jazz (SNOB, 2004), with Richie Cole, Hod O'Brien, Pete Spaar, Ronnie Free, Stephanie Nakasian
- It's Great to Be Alive! (SNOB, 2007), with Harry Allen, Hod O'Brien, Lee Hudson, Neal Miner, Jeff Brillinger, Stephanie Nakasian
- Lonely Woman (2015), with Emmet Cohen, Benny Bennack III, Daryl Johns, Matt Wigler, Scott Lowrie
- You're Going to Hear from Me (2019)[6]
Appearances
- Jeff Rupert with Veronica Swift Let's Sail Away (Rupe, 2017), with Dan Miller, Christian Herrera, Saul Dautch, Richard Drexler, Charlie Silva, Marty Morell
- Benny Green: Then and Now (2018), with Anne Drummond, David Wong, Kenny Washington, Josh Jones
References
- ^ a b "Veronica Swift, Stephanie Nakasian, Hod O'Brien and Jeff Rupert". Heidi's Jazz Club. 2016. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
- ^ a b Milkowski, Bill (2019-01-04). "New Jazz Artists to Watch in 2019". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
- ^ a b c d e Birdland Jazz Club (2017-11-21). "Veronica Swift: She Bop Shares Her Story". Medium. Retrieved 2019-03-10.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Forman, Bill (6 March 2019). "Veronica Swift discusses jazz legacies, vocal technique, and her rock opera about a homicidal nun". Colorado Springs Independent. Retrieved 2019-03-10.
- ^ a b Weideman, Paul (9 November 2018). "Jazz's new It Girl: Singer Veronica Swift". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 2019-03-10.
- ^ a b c d Gilbert, Andrew (2018-02-28). "Jazz singer Veronica Swift a fast-rising star". Marin Independent Journal. Retrieved 2019-03-10.
- ^ Tom Lord The Jazz Discography (online, wisited 10 January 2019