Vocalist Veronica Swift has announced her new self-titled album, which pays homage to musical greats including Duke Ellington, Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday, Beethoven, Queen and Nine Inch Nails.
The first single is a rendition of Jerry Herman’s “I Am What I Am,” an LGBTQ+ anthem immortalized by Gloria Gaynor’s 1983 rendition.
Swift took a big step in 2021 with her fifth album This Bitter Earth, which garnered plenty of acclaim, including being named one of JAZZ.FM91’s top jazz albums of the year.
With her latest effort, Swift looks to show that she’s more than a jazz singer. On this “transgenre” excursion, the vocalist explores French and Italian opera, European classical music, bossa nova, blues, industrial rock, funk, and vaudeville.
For the album, Swift enlisted drummer Brian Viglione of the punk cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls to perform on and co-produce the record alongside Swift and Mariano Aponte. The recording also features a long list of collaborators, including pianist, keyboardist and organist Adam Klipple; pianist and arranger Randy Waldman; guitarists Chris Whiteman and Samson Schmitt; percussionist Luisito Quintero; singer Austin Patterson; violinist and violist Antoine Silverman; violinist Pierre Blanchard; bassists Philip Norris, Alex Claffy, Antonio Licusati and Felix Maldonado; saxophonists Troy Roberts and David Leon; trumpeters Benny Benack III and James Sarno; trombonist Javier Nero; accordionist Ludovic Bier; vocalist Carolynne Framil; and woodwind player and orchestrator David Mann.
Here’s the track listing:
Veronica Swift’s self-titled album is out Sept. 15, 2023, via Mack Avenue
