Susie Arioli

Canadian vocalist Susie Arioli remained largely on the periphery of Montreal’s music circuit until she formed her Swing Band in 1998. That same year the ensemble opened for Ray Charles at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, after which she began appearing regularly at festivals and concerts, embarked on tours that included dates in Washington, D.C., and performed frequently in jazz clubs throughout Quebec. Having first studied flute and later taken private vocal instruction, she absorbed the work of Nina Simone, Chet Baker, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, the Staple Singers, Robert Johnson, and Billie Holiday while shaping her personal approach. Critics have drawn parallels between her independent stance and that of another distinctive vocalist, k.d. lang; the breadth of those influences accounts for her readiness to choose material according to her own preferences.

Her debut recording with the Swing Band, It’s Wonderful, appeared in March 2000. Although the group concentrates on swing of the 1930s and 1940s, it also moves comfortably into blues and Western swing, occasionally including numbers associated with Connie Francis and Joni James in the 1950s. The band’s instrumentation—two guitars, bass, and Arioli on snare—initially appears restrictive, yet well-crafted arrangements supply a firm yet adaptable base that allows her to proceed as she wishes. She has explained that she took up the snare not to keep time but simply to occupy her hands while singing.

Arioli delivers songs directly, forgoing scat and elaborate vocal effects. Her satiny timbre, precise phrasing, command of lyrics, and gift for narrative, joined with an infectious spirit of excitement, enthusiasm, and old-fashioned enjoyment, point toward a promising career as an interpreter of quality material. Once again Canada has contributed a strong talent to the jazz world. ~ Dave Nathan