As one of the youngest and most influential artists reimagining the jazz and American Standard and American Songbook repertoire, how do you balance honoring the legacy of jazz in your performances while adding your modern voice and artistry to the mix? I think more and more, we ' re seeing artists who are directly referencing the music of the past, even if they’ re not in the jazz world. I ' ve been listening to Olivia Dean ' s new record a lot, and it ' s very“ Stevie Wonder” at points. You can totally hear those references. Raye is a great artist who has R & B, pop, soul, and hip-hop |
elements in her music. But she just performed at the NFL London Halftime Show with a big band, and her music has all these’ 50s and’ 60s references. With the way the industry is changing, I think it makes it easier to blend old school music with a modern twist. Younger generations are buying vinyl again. They ' re into the’ 50s aesthetic, and jazz is kind of cool and coming back. So, I would say I ' m arriving in a nice time in the industry. Personally, with my own work, I’ m not preoccupied with trying to make it new. I sing these songs how they were written and with presentation |
that ' s very classic, whether with a string orchestra or jazz piano trio. I think it ' s new just because I am a new person singing it. I also think that in my live performances, I ' m very much myself on stage. I tell a lot of dumb jokes, I talk a lot, and I try to keep it pretty unscripted and loose. I think that that adds a bit of a modern sensibility to it. I ' m a young person using modern social media platforms to push the music forward and keep the music alive.
You’ ve said in interviews that you wanted your most recent album, It’ s Magic, to sound like
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a classic record that transports listeners back to the magical era of old Hollywood and the Great American Songbook. What specifically inspired you to take that direction? It’ s the kind of music that’ s been my favorite type of music for a long time, especially since I got into this music through watching movies like Singin’ in the Rain or The Sound of Music. So, I wanted it to sound a bit like that. It felt different than what other people were doing, and it felt a little bit risky. I think there’ s pressure to keep it interesting and make it so it can be bite-sized for TikTok or Instagram and have a great |
8 // BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE Holiday 2025 |