Veronica Swift – This Bitter Earth

This Bitter Earth takes on the characteristics of song cycles from classics like Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, Kate Bush's Hounds of Love, and Mary J. Blige's My Life.

Accompanied by a team of like-minded people that includes pianist Emmet Cohen, guitarist Armand Hirsch and flautist Aaron Johnson, bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Bryan Carter, Swift curates material that spans multiple genres including jazz, American musicals, Vintage R&B and contemporary rock.

"I've been waiting to make this album for years," says Swift, before explaining that she usually designs her albums well in advance. She took in much of the material in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic brought the world almost to a standstill. But time allowed her to work with the songs in different places in her life. Finally she saw the link between them. The big challenge, however, was to create a cohesive narrative.

“I wanted this album to have two different approaches,” she explains. “I started with the position of women in today's society and how it is changing. In the second half I wanted to address other grievances in the world, be it racism or fake news. But I am not taking a political position. I and my audience are very aware that as an artist I address certain topics as an outsider who looks inside. "

Reviews

"Veronica Swift is convincing as one of the most irresistibly talented jazz singers of her generation." (DownBeat)

"On the current› This Bitter Earth ‹, the extremely versatile spectrum of the now 27-year-old charismatic vocalist is even more impressive. ) A superb concept album." (Stereo, July 2021)