Mira Choquette’s voice has always had a kind of magnetic subtlety—warm, expressive, and rich with quiet intensity. On her new album Hier Encore, the multilingual vocalist delivers perhaps her most personal and mature recording yet. This is a jazz album that doesn’t shout—it leans in, reflects, and invites you to do the same.
Recorded in Armenia, Hier Encore finds Choquette in intimate musical dialogue with acclaimed Armenian jazz pianist Samvel Gasparyan, whose sensitive playing forms the emotional backbone of the album. Most tracks are spare, thoughtful duets, allowing Choquette’s vocal nuances and Gasparyan’s lyrical phrasing to shine in full. On select pieces, they’re joined by a seasoned rhythm section: bassist Dave Geodakyan (also a respected conductor and educator) and drummer Arman Mnatsakanyan, best known for his work with Tigran Hamasyan. A special highlight is the track “Just Friends,” featuring three of Yerevan’s top horn players, adding a brassy jolt of swing to an otherwise introspective album.
The repertoire on Hier Encore is as refined as the performances themselves. Choquette reimagines works by Michel Legrand, Charles Aznavour, Tadd Dameron, Thelonious Monk, Blossom Dearie, and Armando Manzanero—a tasteful blend of American and international jazz traditions. She moves gracefully between languages—English, French, and Spanish—with three tracks in French and a standout rendition of Manzanero’s “Contigo Aprendí” sung in Spanish.
Highlights include the hauntingly tender “If You Could See Me Now,” an elegant take on Monk’s ballad “Reflections,” and the aching nostalgia of Aznavour’s “Hier Encore (Yesterday When I Was Young),” from which the album takes its title. A bit of swing enters the scene with “Just Friends” and Blossom Dearie’s sly “Long Daddy Green,” offering a touch of playful contrast to the otherwise melancholic mood.
Following her earlier releases—Something Cool, the EP It Felt Like A Fall Affair, and In Reel Time—Hier Encore marks a new chapter in Choquette’s artistry. It’s thoughtful, quietly emotive, and deeply felt.
“Recording in Armenia with these amazing players was a great experience,” Choquette says. “The wet weather, the culture, and the atmosphere lent itself to melancholy songs and resulted in what I like to call a jazz album for grownups.”
Whether you're a longtime fan or discovering her for the first time, Hier Encore is worth a close listen. It's an album to sit with, to return to, and to feel your way through.
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