Melody Gardot Sunset in the Blue Rodeo

Melody Gardot
Sunset in the Blue Rodeo
Verve

While her roots are a jazz singer, Melody Gardot may be more accurately described as a vocal stylist. Her soft, sensual, smoky, sultry singing might remind listeners of Peggy Lee with a tinge of Billie Holiday. On her latest recording, she has reunited with arranger and composer Vince Mendoza and engineer Al Schmitt for this exploration of standards and originals set against lush orchestral settings. Trumpeter Till Bronner and guitarist Anthony Wilson are among the players.

Despite the orchestral backing on this album, there is an intimate quality to her vocals. This is heard on the opening "If You Love Me" with her plea to let her know. My download to review does not include full personnel, but there is a lovely trumpet solo likely by Bronner. There is a lovely duet, "C'est Magnifique," with Fado singer Antonio Zambujo, that mingles Portuguese with English and French with some soft Spanish guitar. The Spanish guitar is also present on the lively Bossa Nova, "Ninguem, Ninguem."

Her atmospheric, evocative singing is exquisite, particularly on "Ave Maria," which is not the religious song but a torch song. Then there is a dreamy interpretation of "Moon River," followed by a delicate, blue-tinged, "I Fall In Love Too Easily," with tasteful guitar accompaniment. It closes this sterling new recording from Melody Gardot.

I received a download to review from a publicist. Here is the duet with Antonio Zambujo, "C'est Magnifique."

Melody Gardot Live in Europe

Melody Gardot
Live in Europe
Decca Records

This new release by the singer-songwriter and instrumentalist is taken from several years of concerts across Europe which she calls a "a postcard from our tours around Europe." She initially listed to over 300 shows, initially looking for some of the more perfect performances, but at some point realized that what she needed to get at was something different. "it’s not about perfection or ego or demonstration - it’s just about what happens live - because live there is only one element that counts: heart." While tagged as a jazz vocalist, she is more of a stylist whose sensual, smokey singing might suggest to some a cabaret vocalist drenched in Peggy Lee's sound. With mostly spare accompaniment (including cello on a number of songs instead of bass), many of these are moody, atmospheric performances, most of which came from her pen.

The stark backing of guitar, cello and drums with subdued sax adds to the gloomy mood of her vocal "Our Love Is Easy," with Stephan Braun's cello accompaniment under her vocal along with Irwin Hall's very sober saxophone solo matching the mood engendered by her singing here. Then there is the soft vibrato of her vocal on "Baby I'm a Fool," with her slurs, slight variations in pitch and her scatting as if singing in French, set against sparse backing of her guitar with cello and drums on another haunting performance. Chuck Stabb's drums are more prominent on "The Rain," with cello and bass lending a mesmerizing feel before Hall enters with some riveting saxophone with a Middle eastern tinge followed by Gardot on piano mixing in some chords before she sings with a bit more volume and heat before Hall has a fiery solo. 

There are other performances that musically break out of the understated, restrained tenor of many of these performances such as Gardot's "March For Mingus," where she opens with a fragment of the spiritual "Nobody's Fault But Mine" and she  her bass player Sam Minaie who takes a taut solo as she adds chords or short single note runs. Drummer Stabb adds a light marching rhythm before she takes a brief piano interlude that transitions to some intense, driving playing from saxophonist Hall and trumpeter Shareef Clayton. The pair's unison passage evoking (to this listener) Rashaan Roland Kirk before Gardot returns and sings fervently. From this same 2016 Utrecht performance comes a dramatic, bluesy performance "Bad News," as she shouts a bit against horn riffs and biting guitar lines, with some impassioned sax. Other delights include the bossa nova tinged "Lisboa," with hints of Stan Getz in Hall's tenor, Devin Greenwood's guitar having a lovely Brazilian feel and a lovely flute solo from James Casey.

Repeated listening to the songs here brings out new facets of the performances and provides a sense of why Melody Gardot is such a moving and original musical voice.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review was written in 2018 and it was submitted but never published. She has a new recording out which review I will be posting in the near future. Here is a live performance of Melody Gardot.

Jazz Loves Disney

Various
Jazz Loves Disney
Verve

A new album offers jazz interpretations of songs associated with Disney Movies. **Jay Newland produced this album of mostly big band orchestral settings (including strings) for jazz vocals that was arranged and directed by Rob Mounsey. Such vocalists as Gregory Porter, Jamie Cullum, Melody Gardot, and Stacey Kent, lend their talents to this project that brings forth songs from such films as "Cinderella," "Lady and the Tramp," "The Jungle Book," "101 Dalmatians" and others.

Jamie Cullum gets things of with the playful "Everybody Wants To Be a Cat," with Mounsey's arrangements handsomely providing the setting for the first part before the band and Cullum erupts into a quasi Dixieland frenzy. Melody Gardot lends a smoky and sultry flavor to "He's a Tramp," with strings adding a lush, but not syrupy feel, with a marvelous saxophone solo. Stacey Kent is delightful singing in French, "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo," followed by Gregory Porter delivering a dreamy "When You Wish Upon A Star."

I am not familiar with China Moses whose rendition of the Lil Green classic "Why Don't You Do Right," is patterned on Peggy Lee's famous rendition, with the bass very prominent in the backing. I am also not familiar with Raphael Gualazzi but he delights on the latin rhumba groove of "I Wanna Be Like You." He and Melody Gardot duet on the peppy "The Bare Necessities." The Rob Mounsey Orchestra is featured on " A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes," opening with some atmospheric muted trumpet to play the lyrics.

Hugh Colman's vocal on "You've Got A Friend In Me" is suggestive of Harry Connick without being imitative. I found Anne Sila sort of out of place with her pop-flavored styling on "Let It Go," while Laika's romanticism sounds matched well with "Once Upon A Dream." Nikki Yanofsky delightfully transforms "Someday My Prince Will Come" into French on "Un Jour Mon Prince Viendra," while The Hot Sardines, only the only track without the Mounsey Orchestra, closes this thoroughly delightful recording with a spirited "I Wanna Be Like You."

I received a download from a publicist. This review appeared in the January-February 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 370).  Here is a sample of the album.