At 25 years old, Veronica Swift possesses the cool confidence of a seasoned performer. Elegant onstage, the up-and-coming vocalist can slide seamlessly from a difficult syncopated rhythm to a wistful love song to a fresh arrangement of an old standard.
Swift’s jazz bona fides were evident from the start. Born in Charlottesville, Va., to renowned pianist Hod O’Brien and acclaimed singer Stephanie Nakasian—both jazz artists—she first appeared at New York’s Jazz Standard with her parents. She recorded two CDs as a child: one at age nine with saxophonist Richie Cole, her father’s rhythm section, and her mother, and one at age 13 with saxophonist Harry Allen. Swift’s first appearance at Jazz at Lincoln Center was at age 11, when she performed at the “Women in Jazz” series at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.
