Listen to this

If you live in the area, chances are you have heard of of our local vocal genius, Inga Swearingen. If you don't, you probably haven't...unless you are a faithful listener of Prairie Home Companion...she's been on the show several times, at least.

She's just about one of the best musical performers in the world, as far as I've concerned. I was going to write that she's one of the best I've ever seen, but I hardly ever go to live music...so that's not saying much. And this is a case where I really do want to say much, because she's amazing.

She does free form improvisational jazz vocalizations...and I bet she's pretty proud of herself in that area...she should be, anyway, because she's got to be the number one, very best person on the planet when it comes to "scat" and that sort of thing. But honestly, that's never my favorite part of her performances.

I love when she sings real words, especially when they fit together to make a story. As far as the recorded music of hers that I have at home, the one I listen to most is "Where Flamingoes Fly." It's just beautiful. Gorgeous. Delicious. Delicate. Powerful. Entrancing.

When I listen to Inga, I feel like I am being confronted with the true force of human intelligence, converted to sound waves. Yes, she shines on stage, but she also embodies a brilliance like that of Einstein and Hawking. She has a mental power, that she uses to create incredible beauty.

Her manager probably wouldn't like to hear her described in this way. The sound of crystal clear thinking just doesn't seem as marketable as the cry of a soulful siren. But the way I see it, our mind and our spirit are interlinked in a magical mysterious way, and listening to Inga sing reminds how to feel awe over this fact.

Or maybe her "beautiful mind" is one of her sell-able qualities. Perhaps we've finally reached a time in our culture when big brains are just as valued as big hearts, and men DO make passes as girls who wear glasses. We all seem to agree that education is desirable. (I know Obama's critics call him "professorial" but to me this quality is a big part of his charm, and why I feel compelled to trust him.) And, apparently, science is sexy. (Why else would the bible-thumping, chastity-pledge crowd resist it so strongly?)

But we don't have to worry about whether or not calling Inga's music "smart, incisive and perfectly calculated" will harm her image or help it. I'm sure she has very capable people in charge of that thing. After all, her summer tour is taking her all the way to Austraila this summer!

For us...the writer and readers of this blog...the only important thing is that she is well-known enough that we get to hear about her, and can listen to her music.

Here's here website:

http://www.ingaswearingen.com/

And you can buy her stuff on itunes, too. (I'm pretty sure.)

And if you are in the area, you can join us on Sat. June 11th to hear her perform at the Steynberg.