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Deb Swiney: “You Taught My Heart To Sing” Album Release Show

10/16/26 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
$20

Deb Swiney: “You Taught My Heart To Sing” Album Release Show

The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Friday, October 16th, 2026
Doors open at 7:00 pm | Show starts at 7:30 pm
$20 in advance (plus fees) | $30 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Memphis-born vocalist Deborah Swiney is a soulful and captivating voice in jazz, bringing together the rich musical heritage of her hometown with an unmistakable warmth, elegance, and emotional depth. From her early years singing gospel and soul to touring internationally for several years as a background vocalist with the legendary Al Green, Swiney’s journey has been shaped by a lifetime immersed in great music. Now, with the release of You Taught My Heart to Sing, she enters an exciting new chapter, joining forces with her producer, legendary Memphis pianist, Donald Brown, to create a recording that is both deeply rooted in tradition and unmistakably her own.

You Taught My Heart to Sing is an intimate and expressive collection of beloved jazz standards, timeless ballads, and original compositions. Featured selections includeMcCoy Tyner and Sammy Cahn’s “You Taught My Heart to Sing,” “Angel Eyes,” “Never Let Me Go,” Tadd Dameron’s “Lady Bird,” and “No Regrets,” along with Swiney’s original “Oh Where Can My Man Be” and Gerard Harris’ thought-provoking “Someday Um Dia.” Together, the songs explore love, reflection, resilience, and the enduring power of music.
Swiney is joined by an exceptional ensemble of musicians, including legendary percussionist Ra Kalam Bob Moses, guitarist Gerard Harris, bassist Sylvester Sample, drummers Terry Saffold, Steve Potts, and Renardo Ward, pianists Alvie Givhan, Tony Thomas, T.W. Sample, and Ben Flint, and saxophonists Gary Topper and Donald Hayes, along with many other accomplished musicians who have performed and recorded with some of the greats of American music.
Deborah’s international work includes recording and touring with Ireland’s leading jazz and blues artist, Nigel Mooney and is a featured vocalist on Nigel Mooney’s upcoming album, Moody’s Mood, set for release later this year.

At home, Swiney has remained a passionate advocate for Memphis jazz, including through her successful Sunset Jazz at Court Square Concert Series, founded in 2018. Deborah’s contributions to music and the arts have earned her honors including the Memphis Black Arts Alliance Jazz A-Fire Living Legends Award, a W.C. Handy Heritage Award, the Women of Worth Award, the WYXR Dowd Award, the Jimmy Lunceford Legacy Award and a Downtown Memphis Vision Award. With You Taught My Heart to Sing, Deborah Swiney continues to build on a rich musical history while creating something distinctly her own—a soulful, sophisticated expression of jazz rooted in the spirit of Memphis.

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