{{Short description|American jazz and bebop singer (b. 1994)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Veronica Swift | image = | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank --> | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|5|14}} | birth_place = Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S. | genre = {{hlist|Jazz|bebop|straight-ahead jazz}} | occupation = Singer | years_active = 2004–present | label = Mack Avenue | associated_acts = Wynton Marsalis, Benny Green | website = {{URL|https://www.veronicaswift.com/}} }}
'''Veronica Swift''' (born May 14, 1994) is an American jazz and bebop singer.<ref name="HJC">{{cite web |url=https://heidisjazzclub.com/performance/20160226/veronica-swift_stephanie-nakasian_hod-obrien_jeff-rupert |title=Veronica Swift, Stephanie Nakasian, Hod O'Brien and Jeff Rupert |date=2016 |website=Heidi's Jazz Club |accessdate=2019-02-23 |archive-date=April 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417200941/https://heidisjazzclub.com/performance/20160226/veronica-swift_stephanie-nakasian_hod-obrien_jeff-rupert |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="paste">{{cite web |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/01/12-new-jazz-artists-to-watch-in-2019.html |title=New Jazz Artists to Watch in 2019 |last=Milkowski |first=Bill |date=2019-01-04 |publisher=Paste Magazine |accessdate=2019-02-23}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://medium.com/@birdlandjazz/veronica-swift-she-bop-21c071dfc226 |title=Veronica Swift: She Bop Shares Her Story |last=Birdland Jazz Club |date=2017-11-21 |website=Medium.com |access-date=2019-03-10}}</ref>
== Early life == Swift was raised in Charlottesville, Virginia, as part of a family of musicians.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |url=https://csindy.com/coloradosprings/veronica-swift-discusses-jazz-legacies-vocal-technique-and-her-rock-opera-about-a-homicidal-nun/Content?oid=18824040 |title=Veronica Swift discusses jazz legacies, vocal technique, and her rock opera about a homicidal nun |last=Forman |first=Bill |date=2019-03-06 |publisher=Colorado Springs Independent |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306152333/https://csindy.com/coloradosprings/veronica-swift-discusses-jazz-legacies-vocal-technique-and-her-rock-opera-about-a-homicidal-nun/Content?oid=18824040 |language=en |access-date=2019-03-10|archive-date=March 6, 2019 }}</ref> Her parents are late jazz pianist Hod O'Brien and singer Stephanie Nakasian.<ref name="HJC"/><ref name=":1" /> At the age of nine, she recorded her debut album, ''Veronica's House of Jazz'' (2004), featuring Richie Cole playing with her father's rhythm section.<ref name=":0" /> She began touring with her parents at this time as well.<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref name=":1" />
Swift earned her bachelor's degree in jazz voice in 2016 from the University of Miami's Frost School of Music.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |url=https://www.santafenewmexican.com/pasatiempo/music/in_concert/jazz-s-new-it-girl-singer-veronica-swift/article_0aa9b994-1c5d-5515-8546-951b7ff9b3ea.html |title=Jazz's new It Girl: Singer Veronica Swift |last=Weideman |first=Paul |date=2018-11-09 |publisher=The Santa Fe New Mexican |language=en|access-date=2019-03-10}}</ref> While there, she composed a goth-rock opera entitled ''Vera Icon'' about a homicidal nun.<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |url=http://www.marinij.com/arts-and-entertainment/20180228/jazz-singer-veronica-swift-a-fast-rising-star |title=Jazz singer Veronica Swift a fast-rising star |last=Gilbert |first=Andrew |date=2018-02-28 |publisher=Marin Independent Journal |access-date=2019-03-10}}</ref> Following graduation, she moved to New York City, where she played Saturday nights at the Birdland jazz club.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
== Career == She appeared with Chris Botti, Benny Green, and Michael Feinstein.<ref name=":3" /> She toured with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.<ref name=":1" /> She was involved in ten recording sessions between 2004 and 2019.<ref name="lord">{{cite web |url=https://www.lordisco.com/musicians/S44.html |title=Musician List |last=Lord |first=Tom |date=November 2019 |website=The Jazz Discography |publisher= |access-date=2019-12-10}}</ref> In 2019, she went on tour with the Benny Green Trio.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
She has also sung multiple songs with Postmodern Jukebox, including a cover of Aerosmith's "Rag Doll".<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=August 2025 |title=Rag Doll - Aerosmith (1920s Hot Jazz Cover) ft. Veronica Swift |url=https://postmodernjukebox.com/blog/rag-doll/ |website=Postmodern Jukebox |access-date=August 22, 2025}}</ref> Since 2024, she has been performing as part of the hard rock band called DAME.<ref>{{cite web |author=Veronica Swift Music |date=July 2025 |title=My original rock band DAME has arrived! |url=https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eGIJ5qA-xBA |website=YouTube |access-date=August 22, 2025}}</ref>
Bill Milkowski said she has perfect pitch and phrasing.<ref name="paste" /><ref name=":0" />
== Awards and honors == * 2019: Best New Artist and Best Vocal Release (for ''Confessions'') in ''Jazz Times'' Readers' Poll<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=2019 Readers' Poll Results |url=https://jazztimes.com/features/lists/2019-readers-poll-results/ |magazine=JazzTimes |location=Braintree, Massachusetts |publisher=Madavor Media |date=2020-01-30 |access-date=2020-03-04}}</ref>
== Discography == ===As leader=== * ''Veronica's House of Jazz'' (HodStef, 2004) * ''It's Great to Be Alive!'' (HodStef, 2007) * ''Lonely Woman'' (HodStef, 2015) * ''Confessions'' (Mack Avenue, 2019) * ''This Bitter Earth'' (Mack Avenue, 2021) * ''Veronica Swift'' (Mack Avenue, 2023)
===As guest=== * ''Let's Sail Away'', Jeff Rupert (Rupe, 2017) * ''Then and Now'', Benny Green (2018) * ''Themes of Romance'', James Sarno (2025)
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == {{Portal|Jazz|Biography}} * {{Official website|www.veronicaswift.com/}} * {{AllMusic|artist|id=mn0003734814}} * {{Discogs artist}} * [https://www.stephanienakasian.com/veronica-swift Portrait]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, Veronica}} Category:1994 births Category:Living people Category:American women jazz singers Category:American jazz singers Category:Musicians from Charlottesville, Virginia Category:Singers from Virginia Category:21st-century American women singers Category:21st-century American singers