The Art of Luxury speaks with Judith Owen about jazz without boundaries, reimagining classics, and finding confidence through music.
JAZZ, JOY & LIBERATION:
THE STORY BEHIND“ SUIT YOURSELF”
1.“ Suit Yourself” feels like a real statement of identity.
What does this album represent for you at this stage in your career?
That’ s a great description. It’ s a declaration of the hard-earned freedom I’ ve finally found, to be every aspect of myself as a musician and personality, without apology. It turns out that authenticity is the key to contentment. By being yourself, instead of trying to please others, you might just end up pleasing everyone, and yourself first! I’ m at that enviable point in my career where I’ m no longer searching for approval, and it feels so liberating.‘ Suit Yourself’ blends jazz, blues, my original songs, and arrangements of classics, at the piano, and up front and centre, from duet to Big Band. It has the dynamics of classical music and the heart and soul of New Orleans. My
US home is the place that gave me the confidence to rock a man’ s suit and fedora hat, and taught me how to find joy in the face of adversity. And that’ s the theme of this album. Badly needed in these scary times.
2. You’ ve built a reputation for reinterpreting lesser-known jazz and blues songs.
What draws you to a piece of music, and how do you know it’ s something you can make your own?
I have to love the music, but more importantly, in covers is finding the lyrics that speak of my experiences in life. When I sang the oft-forgotten Nellie Lutcher’ s‘ Fine Brown Frame’, or Julia Lee’ s‘ Spinach Song’, I thought of myself, hearing them for the first time as a young girl, feeling their joy, mischievous double-entendre sassiness, and musical prowess. On this album, I cover some classics like‘ Since I Fell For You’, where I really moved away from the stunning Etta James original, and took it to a bluesier, more heartbroken place, remembering a pre-marriage, onesided affair, where I was addicted to someone who really wasn’ t that into me! It almost destroyed me, and that’ s who I’ m singing it as. I’ ve re-imagined songs by Soundgarden, Deep Purple, Donna Summer and Drake, and they all sound like they’ re about me. I’ ve never understood doing covers like the originals( which are usually the best). I like to shine new light through wonderful songs.
3. Recording at Esplanade Studios must have been special. How did being in New Orleans influence the sound and feeling of the record?
I’ ve been recording with my coproducer, John Fischbach, for
THE ART OF LUXURY ISSUE 77 2026