MELODY GARDOT - Some Lessons : The Bedroom Sessions (2005) EP / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

MELODY GARDOT - Worrisome Heart (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Melody Gardot's debut recording, released in 2006, came two years after she suffered a near fatal automobile accident, the differently able Gardot triumphing in accomplishing what many others, including her, could only dream of. This project has her singing and playing guitar and a little piano, but more so presenting this project of all original material. Gardot has an interesting personal story, but even more intriguing music that straddles the line between lounge jazz, folk, and cowgirl songs. She's part sophisticated chanteuse, college sophomore, and down-home girl next door. Her innocence, sweetness, and light are very alluring, much like the persona of tragic songbirds Eva Cassidy and Nancy LaMott. Feel empathy for Gardot, but don't patronize her -- she's the real deal much more that many of her over-hyped peers. "Quiet Fire" is definitely her signature tune, as it speaks volumes of where her soul is at, in a jazz/blues mode, yearning for true love. The title track follows a similar tack, a slow, sweet, sentimental slinky blues that will melt your heart. A finger-snapping "Goodnite" leaves you wanting that night to continue, but also exudes a hope that permeates the entire recording. She might be a bit down on men during the nonplussed "All That I Need Is Love," but her subdued optimism glows cool. "Sweet Memory" might possibly parallel Feist or perhaps KT Tunstall in a rural country mode, while "Gone" is clearly folkish, and the slow "Some Lessons" expresses a contemporary Nashville precept. The laid-back music behind Gardot is basically acoustic, incorporating hip jazz instrumentation, especially the trumpet of Patrick Hughes and occasional organ, Wurlitzer, or Fender Rhodes from Joel Bryant, but with twists including violin, lap steel, and Dobro. The concise nature of this recording and these tunes perfectly reflects the realization that life is precious, every moment counts, and satisfaction is fleeting. Likely to be placed in the Norah Jones/Nellie McKay/Madeleine Peyroux pseudo jazz/pop sweepstakes, Gardot offers something decidedly more authentic and genuine. She's one-upped them all out of the gate. by Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist :
1    Worrisome Heart     3:22
Melody Gardot
2    All That I Need Is Love    2:39
Melody Gardot
3     Gone    4:30
Melody Gardot
4    Sweet Memory   5:24
Melody Gardot
5      Some Lessons 2:55
Melody Gardot
6    Quiet Fire    4:13
Melody Gardot
7       One Day  4:23
Melody Gardot
8     Love Me Like A River Does 2:04
Melody Gardot
9       Goodnite  4:08
Melody Gardot
10     Twilight   3:06
Melody Gardot
Credits :
Bass – Ken Pendergast (pistas: 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 10), Paul Klinefelter (pistas: 9)
Cello – Krista Nielsen (pistas: 5)
Clarinet – Ron Kerber (pistas: 2)
Dobro – David Mowry (pistas: 4), Kurt Johnson (pistas: 5)
Drums – Charlie Patierno (pistas: 1, 2, 4 to 6, 8 to 10)
Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Joel Bryant (pistas: 2)
Electric Piano [Wurlitzer] – Joel Bryant (pistas: 3)
Guitar – Jef Lee Johnson (pistas: 2, 5, 10), Melody Gardot (pistas: 1, 3 to 7, 9, 10)
Lap Steel Guitar – Mike Brenner (pistas: 3, 9)
Organ [Hammond] – Joel Bryant (pistas: 1, 6)
Piano – Dave Posmontier (pistas: 1, 6), Melody Gardot (pistas: 8, 9)
Tenor Saxophone – Ron Kerber (pistas: 1, 6)
Trumpet – Matt Cappy (pistas: 1, 6, 8), Patrick Hughes (pistas: 9), Stan Slotter (pistas: 7)
Violin – Diane Monroe (pistas: 3)
Vocals [Vox] – Melody Gardot

MELODY GARDOT - My One and Only Thrill (2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Melody Gardot's 2006 debut, Worrisome Heart, was greeted with warmly enthusiastic reviews that never failed to mention Gardot's musical similarities to Norah Jones and Madeleine Peyroux, or her sadly compelling story of surviving a severe hit-and-run accident at the age of 19. The tragedy gave critics an irresistible hook, and the musical similarities -- which also include her vocal resemblance to Fiona Apple's smoky tones -- gave new listeners a familiar touchstone, but both merely provided an entry into a fine, accomplished debut. Released three years later, Gardot's second album, My One and Only Thrill, proves that the first was no fluke; it doesn't build upon the debut so much as it sustains its quality. Like before, My One and Only Thrill is built primarily on Gardot originals (a fine version of "Over the Rainbow" that closes the album being the only exception) that seamlessly blend sultry, late-night jazz blues, singer/songwriter introspection, and sophisticated pop melodies. If anything, My One and Only Thrill emphasizes Gardot's chanteuse qualities, feeling like more of a jazz album than its predecessor, thanks both to its languid atmosphere and also Gardot's phrasing, which elegantly elongates her melodies and slips into scat. These are slight, subtle progressions but what impresses is how thoroughly My One and Only Thrill lives up to the promise of her debut, offering another album that is as enchanting in its sound as it is in its substance. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine  
Tracklist :
1     Baby I'm a Fool 3:31
Melody Gardot
2     If the Stars Were Mine 2:50
Melody Gardot
3     Who Will Comfort Me 4:57
Melody Gardot
4     Your Heart Is as Black as Night 2:43
Melody Gardot
5     Lover Undercover 4:26
Melody Gardot
6     Our Love Is Easy 5:29
Melody Gardot / Calvin Harris
7     Les Etoiles 3:20
Melody Gardot
8     The Rain 3:23
Melody Gardot / Calvin Harris
9     My One and Only Thrill 6:12
Melody Gardot
10     Deep Within the Corners of My Mind 3:22
Melody Gardot
11     Over the Rainbow 4:34
Harold Arlen / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
- Bonus Tracks -
12     If the Stars Were Mine [Orchestral Version] 3:13
Melody Gardot
All Credits :
Vocals, Guitar, Piano – Melody Gardot

MELODY GARDOT - The Absence (2012) SHM-CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

If Melody Gardot's 2009 sophomore effort, My One and Only Thrill, sustained the sultry, atmospheric vibe of her critically acclaimed 2006 debut, her 2012 follow-up, The Absence, is a bit of a creative departure for the vocalist. Apparently inspired by her world travels, and specifically by a trip that brought her to the desert around the city of Marrakech, the album moves her away from smoky, small-group jazz and into a bright, if still bedroom-eyed, rhythmically exotic sound. Produced by guitarist/composer Heitor Pereira, the album is a lush, somewhat orchestral album that finds Gardot delving into various Brazilian, Spanish, and African-influenced sounds -- including bits of samba, tango, bossa nova, and calypso -- that evince her global journey. However, rather than simply making a standards album, Gardot continues her all-original approach, offering up new literate and passionately delivered compositions that bring to mind the work of such similarly inclined artists as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Paul Simon, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and others. Although there are a few name musicians who help add spice to Gardot's musical caravan here, including percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, drummer Peter Erskine, and bassist John Leftwich, primarily it is still Gardot's burnished and yearning vocal style that takes the helm on these tracks. by Matt Collar  
Tracklist :
1    Mira 4:16
Written-By – Gardot
2    Amalia 3:03
Written-By – Pereira, Gardot, Roy
3    So Long 3:50
Written-By – Gardot
4    So We Meet Again My Heartache 4:32
Written-By – Gardot
5    Lisboa 5:27
Written-By – Gardot
6    Impossible Love 3:49
Written-By – Gardot
7    If I Tell You I Love You 3:35
Engineer [Recording, Assistant] – Glenn Barratt
Written-By – Gardot
8    Goodbye 3:41
Written-By – Harris, Gardot
9    Se Voce Me Ama 4:56
Written-By – Pereira, Gardot
10    My Heart Won't Have It Any Other Way 2:24
Written-By – Gardot
11    Iemanja 4:00
Written-By – Gardot
12    The Willow (Bonus Track) 7:00
Written-By – Roy
Credits :
Backing Vocals – Alfie Silas Durio, Ali Witherspoon, Bill Cantos, Bill Maxwell, Louis B. Price, Phil Roy, Tata Vega
Bandoneon – Coco Trivisonno
Bass – John Leftwich
Clarinet – Ron Kerber
Conductor – Nick Glennie Smith
Drums – Jim Keltner, Peter Erskine
Flute, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet, Alto Flute – Dan Higgins
Orchestrated By – Ladd McIntosh
Percussion – Paco Arroyo, Paulinho Da Costa, Yolanda Arroyo
Piano, Melodica – Larry Goldings
Piano, Portuguese Guitar – Melody Gardot
Producer, Arranged By, Vocals [Additional], Guitar [All], Piano, Percussion – Heitor Pereira
Saxophone [Slide], Tuba – Doug Webb
Trombone – Andrew Lippman
Trumpet – Harry Kim, Ramon Flores

MELODY GARDOT - Currency of Man (2015) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On 2012's The Absence, Melody Gardot made her first shift away from the jazz-tinged ballads that drew such heavy comparisons to Norah Jones and Madeleine Peyroux. Lushly orchestrated, it was chock-full of songs inspired by Brazilian, Latin, and French forms. On Currency of Man, Gardot takes on a rootsier sound, embracing West Coast soul, funk, gospel, and pop from the early '70s as the backdrop for these songs. It is not only different musically, but lyrically. This is a less "personal" record; its songs were deeply influenced by the people she encountered in L.A., many of them street denizens. She tells their stories and reflects on themes of social justice. It's wide angle. Produced by Larry Klein, the cast includes members of her band, crack session players -- guitarist Dean Parks, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, Larry Goldings, the Waters Sisters, et al. -- and strings and horns. The title track is a funky blues with a rumbling bassline, dramatic strings (à la Motown) and fat horns. Gardot uses the lens of Sam Cooke to testify to the inevitability of change: "We all hopin’ for the day that the powers see abdication and run/Said it gonna come…." First single "Preacherman" is similar, employing a wrangling, smoldering blues that indicts racism in the 20st century by referring to the violent death of Emmett Till, a catalyst in the then-emergent Civil Rights movement. A driving B-3, saxophone, and menacing lead guitar ratchet up the tension to explosive. A gospel chorus mournfully affirms Gardot's vocal as a harmonica moans in the background. "Morning Sun" and closer "Once I Was Loved" are tender ballads that emerge from simple, hymn-like themes and quietly resonant with conviction. "Same to You" evokes the spirit of Dusty Springfield atop the punchy horns from her Memphis period, albeit with a West Coast sheen. The nylon-string guitar in "Don't Misunderstand" recalls Bill Withers' earthy funkiness. The song's a groover, but it's also a warning to a possessive lover. "Don't Talk" uses spooky polyrhythms (à la Tom Waits) as brooding, spacy slide guitars, B-3, and backing singers slice through forbidding blues under Gardot's voice. "If Ever I Recall Your Face" is jazzier, a 21st century take on the film noir ballad with glorious strings arranged by Clément Ducol that rise above a ghostly piano. "Bad News" simultaneously looks back at L.A.'s Central Avenue and burlesque scenes. It's a jazz-blues with a sauntering horn section, snaky electric guitar, and squawking saxophone solo. Vocally, Gardot is stronger than ever here, her instrument is bigger and fuller yet it retains that spectral smokiness that is her trademark. Currency of Man is a further step away from the lithe, winsome pop-jazz that garnered her notice initially, and it's a welcome one. by Thom Jurek  

Tracklist :
1    It Gonna Come    5:26
Melody Gardot
2    Preacherman    4:32
Melody Gardot / Chuck Staab
3    Morning Sun    5:06
Melody Gardot
4    Same to You    5:00
Melody Gardot
5    Don't Misunderstand    4:16
Melody Gardot / Jesse Harris
6    Don't Talk    4:18
Melody Gardot
7    If Ever I Recall Your Face    6:52
Melody Gardot
8    Bad News    4:39
Melody Gardot
9    She Don't Know    3:59
Melody Gardot
10    Once I Was Loved    4:49
Melody Gardot
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Irwin Hall
Arranged By [Horns] – Jerry Hey
Arranged By [Strings] – Clément Ducol
Backing Vocals [Bg] – Clydene Jackson, Heather Donavon, Julia Waters, Maxine Waters
Baritone Saxophone – Dan Higgins
Conductor [Horns] – Jerry Hey
Conductor [Strings] – Clément Ducol
Drums – Chuck Staab, Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Dean Parks, Jesse Harris, Melody Gardot, Mitchell Long, Reese Richardson
Organ – Larry Goldings, Pete Kuzma
Percussion – Pete Korpela
Piano [Prepared Piano] – Clément Ducol
Tenor Saxophone – Dan Higgins
Trombone – Andy Martin
Trumpet – Gary Grant
Piano, Songwriter, Vocals [BV & Ramblings] – Melody Gardot

MELODY GARDOT - Live in Europe (2018) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Singer/songwriter Melody Gardot's first full-length concert album, 2018's Live in Europe, is a gorgeously produced collection showcasing her emotive vocals in an organic, deeply atmospheric concert framework. Recorded at a series of shows between 2012 and 2016, the album finds the singer backed by her adept touring ensemble; a dynamic band replete with guitars, horns, drums, and percussion. Gardot curated the album herself, and included such longtime fan favorites as "Baby I'm a Fool," "Les Etoiles, "My One and Only Thrill," "Who Will Comfort Me," and more. Also spotlighted is her buoyant rendition of the classic standard "Over the Rainbow." These are warm, acoustic and electric performances that make the most of Gardot's yearning, poetic style. by Matt Collar
Tracklist 1 :
1    Our Love Is Easy 6:21
Written-By – Jesse Harris, Melody Gardot
2    Baby I'm A Fool 4:20
Written-By – Melody Gardot
3    The Rain 11:19
Written-By – Jesse Harris, Melody Gardot
4    Deep Within The Corners Of My Mind 6:54
Written-By – Melody Gardot
5    So Long 5:30
Written-By – Melody Gardot
6    My One And Only Thrill 7:30
Written-By – Melody Gardot
7    Lisboa 7:04
Written-By – Melody Gardot
8    Over The Rainbow 5:07
Written-By – E.Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen
Tracklist 2 :
1    (Monologue) Special Spot 2:11
Text By – Melody Gardot
2    Baby I'm A Fool 4:02
Written-By – Melody Gardot
3    Les Etoiles 3:19
Written-By – Melody Gardot
4    Goodbye 4:05
Written-By – Jesse Harris, Melody Gardot
5    (Monologue) Tchao Baby 0:22
Text By – Melody Gardot
6    March For Mingus 11:14
Written-By – Melody Gardot
7    Bad News 6:26
Written-By – Melody Gardot
8    Who Will Comfort Me 7:18
Written-By – Melody Gardot
9    Morning Sun (DVD AUDIO) 12:23
Written-By – Melody Gardot
Credits :
Backing Vocals – Devin Greenwood (pistas: 2-4, 2-7), Mitchell Long (pistas: 1-7, 2-4, 2-7, 2-9)
Baritone Saxophone – Korey Riker (pistas: 2-8)
Bass – Aidan Caroll (pistas: 1-3), Edwin Livingston (pistas: 1-7, 2-8, 2-9), Sam Minaie (pistas: 2-3, 2-4, 2-6, 2-7)
Cello – Stephan Braun (pistas: 1-1 to 1-6, 1-8)
Drums – Chuck Staab (pistas: 1-1 to 1-3, 1-6, 1-7, 2-2 to 2-4, 2-6 to 2-9)
Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Chuck Staab (pistas: 1-5)
Flute – Irwin Hall (pistas: 1-5, 1-7)
Guitar – Melody Gardot (pistas: 1-1, 1-2, 2-2, 2-7), Mitchell Long (pistas: 1-1, 1-5, 1-7, 2-2 to 2-4, 2-7, 2-9)
Organ – Devin Greenwood (pistas: 1-7, 2-9)
Percussion – Bryan Brock (pistas: 1-5), Devin Greenwood (pistas: 2-3, 2-7)
Piano – Melody Gardot (pistas: 1-3, 1-6, 1-7, 2-4, 2-6, 2-9)
Saxophone – Irwin Hall (pistas: 1-1, 1-3, 2-3, 2-4, 2-6 to 2-9), James Casey (pistas: 1-7)
Trumpet – Shareef Clayton (pistas: 1-7, 2-3, 2-4, 2-6 to 2-9)
Vocals – Melody Gardot (pistas: 1-1 to 1-8, 2-2 to 2-4, 2-6 to 2-9)

MELODY GARDOT - Sunset in the Blue (2020) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With 2020's Sunset in the Blue singer Melody Gardot sinks into a dusky and languorously produced album that builds upon her love of jazz standards, Brazilian music, and intimate balladry. The record finds Gardot surrounded by a production dream team, including longtime associate Larry Klein, who helmed 2009's My One and Only Thrill and 2015's Currency of Man, as well as equally acclaimed studio pros, arranger Vince Mendoza and engineer Al Schmitt. Together, they have crafted a showcase for Gardot's delicately nuanced vocal style. The album is an interesting dichotomy, at once intimate as if Gardot is singing to you in a small club, yet also widescreen, framing her hushed vocals in sweeping orchestrations that reinforce the romantic drama at play in the songs. The opening original "If You Love Me Let Me Know," sounds like something Dinah Washington or Abbey Lincoln might sing, but filtered through the half-lidded scrim of Gardot's bedroom intimacy. Equally evocative moments follow, as on the yearning "You Won't Forget Me," in which Gardot balances a wry cabaret theatricality à la Marlene Dietrich with a tangible sadness that never feels anything but real. Elsewhere, she gently wades into a handful of earthy bossa nova songs, including a gorgeously attenuated reading of the Ella Fitzgerald number "C'est Magnifique" featuring Brazilian singer António Zambujo and a crackling take of Marco Paulo's "Ninguem, Ninguem" that she sings in Portuguese. We also get a movie theme-ready version of "From Paris with Love," as well as memorable takes on classics like "Moon River" and "I Fall in Love Too Easily." From beginning to end, Gardot's Sunset in the Blue holds you in its deeply rapturous glow. by Matt Collar
Tracklist :
1    If You Love Me 4:35
Composed By – Dadi Carvalho, Melody Gardot
2    C’est Magnifique 4:53
Composed By – Dadi Carvalho, Melody Gardot, Pierre Aderne
Featuring, Vocals – António Zambujo
3    There Where He Lives In Me 5:49
Composed By – Melody Gardot, Philippe Baden Powell, Pierre Aderne
4    Love Song 3:58
Composed By – Lesley Duncan
5    You Won’t Forget Me 6:05
Composed By – Fred Spielman, Kermit Goell
6    Sunset In The Blue 4:33
Composed By – Jesse Harris, Melody Gardot
7    Um Beijo 4:06
Composed By – Melody Gardot
8    Ninguém, Ninguém 3:38
Composed By – Melody Gardot
9    From Paris With Love 4:47
Composed By – Melody Gardot, Pierre Aderne
10    Ave Maria 4:28
Composed By – Melody Gardot, Reese Richardson
11    Moon River 3:48
Composed By – Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer
12    I Fall In Love Too Easily 3:10
Composed By – Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn
13    Little Something 2:41
Composed By – Antoine Chatenet, Conor Blake, Dominic Miller, Hilda Stenmalm, Melody Gardot, Nora Abakar, Sting
Featuring – Sting
Guitar – Dominic Miller
Guitar, Bass, Synth [Synth Pads], Synthesizer [Synthetizer Pluck and Strings], Drums – Antoine Chatenet
Vocals – Melody Gardot, Sting
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar – Larry Klein (pistas: 9), Nando Duarte (pistas: 8)
Arranged By [Orchestral Arrangements] – Vince Mendoza
Bass – Chuck Berghofer (pistas: 11), John Leftwich (pistas: 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12), Larry Klein (pistas: 3, 7), Sam Minaie (pistas: 1, 4, 9)
Drums – Chuck Staab (pistas: 1, 4, 5, 9), Vinnie Colaiuta (pistas: 2, 3, 6 to 8, 10, 11)
Guitar – Anthony Wilson (pistas: 1 to 8, 10 to 12), Dadi Carvalho (pistas: 2)
Orchestra – The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (pistas: 1 to 7, 10, 11)
Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa (pistas: 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10)
Piano – Philippe Baden Powell (pistas: 3, 5)
Tenor Saxophone – Donny McCaslin (pistas: 5)
Trumpet – Till Brönner (pistas: 1, 7)
Vocals – Melody Gardot (pistas: 1 to 12)