First Rain (2009)
Groovin’ sister harmonies, guitar and stand up bass rooted in jazz/folk. Inga infuses her signature jazz style with a good helping of folk and finds herself right at home.
First Rain enters new territory with songs rooted in family, farm, nature and love. It’s an upbeat mixture of smoky, bluesy jazz and beautiful down-home folk, with acoustic layers that bloom like a flower. Deeply personal, most of the songs were written, arranged and produced by Inga and feature silky vocal harmonies with her sister, Britta. The instrumentation is warm and intimate, with electric and acoustic guitar, stand up bass, cello, violin and Inga’s signature scatting solos.
“This album is a departure for me musically and it feels very personal,” says Inga. “The lyrics are about the people, places and times that have been and still are most dear to my heart. The making of First Rain felt like a community barn-raising. Friends contributed and donated to the project adding another layer of gratitude to the music.”
A regular guest on “A Prairie Home Companion,” Inga has earned consistently high praise from audiences around the world for her effortlessly natural phrasing, infectious positive spirit and vocal gifts that allow her to juxtapose husky textures with silky lightness.
Reverie (2005)
Intimate, beautiful and strong… Inga sings and scats with the Bill Peterson Trio so comfortably that every note, chord, beat and breath will pull you in closer.
Reverie features the outstanding playing of The Bill Peterson Trio. The music consists of five originals by Inga and Bill and the compelling arrangements of eight standards. The texture of the music through out the CD changes from full rhythm section, to a cappella intros and duets that stretch Ingaʼs role as vocalist. “As well as being a story teller through interpreting the lyrics, I want to accompany the players at times and let them take the melody. This allows me to be a part of the fabric.”
Reverie opens with “Tiptoes,” which circles around you with a repeated bass ostinato and sparse hand percussion. The opening lyric, “Oh my darling close your eyes, the sky is as black as a crow. Close your eyes, you know we love you, make the dark earth your pillow,” pulls the listener into a story about losing a loved one, in this case, Ingaʼs horse of 22 years, Tiptoes. Her lyrics are honest and insightful – they relate to an audience who loves attention to detail and rich imagery. Following this opening tune is a driving rendition of Joni Mitchellʼs “Black Crow” with a hard swinging solo section.
The title track, “Reverie,” is a reflective tune in five, sung vocalese style exhibiting Billʼs strong melodic writing. Other highlights on Reverie include “Stompinʼ at the Savoy,” a joyful duet with Inga and Bill boasting an energetic stride piano. “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” begins with the rarely sung verse and moves into an upbeat latin feel. “Beautiful Love” is an arrangement that Inga wrote to be a part of the fabric, allowing her to sing a rhythmic accompaniment for the bass player to play the melody. Bassist Jeff Denson shines. The whole band tears it up on the burning tempo of “Just in Time” and then kisses you on the cheek with the last ballad, “My One and Only Love.”
Throughout the recording the band digs in on both the original compositions and the beautifully arranged standards with exuberance, and the kind of unified intent and virtuosity that is associated with jazzʼs most revered groups, making Reverie a must have recording – not only for serious jazz fans, but for listeners who just love great music.
Learning How to Fly (2003)
Inga revives the art of scat-singing, imbuing these jazz standards with a rare vitality. Few musicians can express a sweetness and honesty in every word that is sung. Inga’s vocal improvisation and stylistic breadth in the jazz tradition shine on her debut album, Learning How to Fly. Together with Trio 14 — Mike Raynor, Ryan Garcia and Clint Iwanicha along with Linda Vanasupa providing the subtle touches, Inga Swearingen embraces each song in a way all her own.