International Jazz Day : Stephanie Bertrand Swing Quintet • OLD BUT NEW

The Stéphanie Bertrand Swing Quintet operates in that slightly dangerous territory where swing brushes up against nostalgia — without slipping into museum mode.

At the helm, Stéphanie Bertrand — singer and flautist — draws from a repertoire we all think we know (Mel Tormé, Benny Goodman…), yet here it’s very much alive. Nothing is set in stone, nothing too sacred to be nudged, twisted, or rethought. At times, there are hints of more contemporary influences — something along the lines of the Hot Sugar Band — but without overdoing it.

Around her, a tight-knit band: clarinet, saxophone, guitar, double bass and drums. A classic line-up on paper, but one that avoids autopilot and leaves space where it matters. They actually listen to each other — and it shows.

Between reworked material and original pieces, the group delivers music that doesn’t try too hard to please — and somehow ends up doing just that. Swing, yes — but with a bit of grit, a bit of tension, and just enough elegance not to apologise for it.