by Sandi Durell . . .
It’s been quite a while since the young queen of all things jazz has been on the New York Scene. Veronica Swift – recording artist with debut album Confessions released in 2019, followed by This Bitter Earth in 2021 earning her a 5-star review in Downbeat and feature cover in JazzTimes. Yes, she’s a vocal phenomenon. Veronica Swift coined the term “TransGenre” for her last album to describe her recent evolution from bebop to a mixture of jazz and classical styles with rock, soul and funk returning to her roots with a rare all-jazz set for The 92nd Street Y’s Midsummer MusicFest. The star, whose flawless voice evokes Doris Day, with a delivery like Anita O’Day’s, made a stunning opening, singing what sounded like an obscure jazz standard a capella, and without a reference note to introduce her self-penned opener “If only someday (Why Not Now?). Ms. Swift’s unfiltered scat vocals slid up and down scales like water in a stream.
On July 13th, jazz buffs of all ages were treated to what I might call a mini-Las Vegas Jazz Revue showing off Ms. Swift outfitted in tight black bell-bottom style pants and a short striped collared shirt with tie, topped off with a bowler. This gal has style! Along with her five-piece band featuring Steven Feifke on piano, Alex Claffy on bass, James Sarno on trumpet, Troy Roberts on saxophone and Brian Viglione on drums, she moved on to an adventurous arrangement of “Getting to Know You” (Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I) featuring the extraordinary dance moves of Caleb Teicher as dancers from the Harkness Center flowed onto the stage adding their own interpretations.
An Ethel Waters tune “Guess Who’s in Town” (first recorded in 1928, w/James P. Johnson on piano) and “You’re Gonna Hear From Me” (Bill Evans) set the record straight giving generous solos to trumpet and saxophone and the dancers. Featured dancers were Brandon Barker, Nathan Bugh, Gaby Cook, Naomi Funaki, Laura Glaess and AJ Howard.
Swift performs with great emotion, where every phrase becomes a story unto itself. Hot swing of “Crazy Rhythm” (1928 by Irving Caesar with music by Joseph Meyer and Roger Wolfe Kahn for the Broadway musical Here’s Howe) had the dancers flying around the stage. Caleb is not only an unusually expressive dancer/choreographer, but shows fine musical skills around the keyboard accompanying Veronica on “The Breeze.” I’d be remiss not to mention, Ms. Swift looking very spiffy in her tap dance debut with Caleb.
If you love the art of scat, you can’t sit still when Veronica Swift is mimicking the various instruments on stage – they have their own language as they talk back and forth to each other!
The evening ended all too soon, with the perfect song by Jerry Herman “I Am What I Am” (La Cage aux Folles) putting the emphasis on Swift’s personal statement and jazz interpretation as only she can, with a big blues Finale including the entire cast. Her set containted some of her most performed numbers from her pure jazz days.
Oh what a night!!! Don’t stay away from New York so long Veronica Swift as you’re sorely missed by so many.
Photos: Richard Termine
