There can certainly be no fresher take on jazz than when an artist blends the rich experience of another culture with uniquely American music. Swami Iyer was raised in Bombay and Delhi, where he studied the precise tonality and melodic depth of North and South Indian classical music. At the same time, the delirious exuberance of Bollywood musicals instilled in him a strong sense of music as a source of playfulness and fun. He has blended both impulses into his jazz interpretations, balancing effortless vocal technique with a warm, lighthearted style.