Inga Swearingen is a dynamic singer-songwriter who infuses her signature jazz style with a good helping of folk. With her new release, First Rain, she ventures into new territory while staking a claim in what she knows best: music and song rooted in family, nature, love and human spirit. First Rain is a compelling mix of home grown folk, and soulful, bluesy jazz, with acoustic layers of guitar, standup bass, violin and cello that frame her clear, translucent voice. Whether putting her personal stamp on a jazz standard or combining the understated grooves of bossa nova with Swedish folk melodies, she captivates her audience with her gift of joyful melodic invention. “Inga has a gorgeous voice, very fresh and evocative and note‐perfect, and that’s the sort of person you want to sing harmony to”‐ Garrison Keillor, A Prairie Home Companion