I was recently alerted to a new talent on the music scene, and what a talent!
Melody Gardot is a young jazz singer from Pennsylvania, and the circumstances by which she came to prominence are indeed unusual. Following a catastrophic road accident which left her nervous system severely damaged, Miss Gardot created music while semi-paralysed in her hospital bed.
When these recordings came to the attention of the local university radio station, they went into publicity overdrive, and she soon landed a record deal. Her first album Worrisome Heart was hugely successful in the US jazz charts, and earlier this year - with the able assistance of musical arranger Vince Mendoza, who has worked with Robbie Williams, Björk, Elvis Costello, and Joni Mitchell - she released a brilliant second album My One and Only Thrill.
Here are two fabulous tracks from that album. Her voice, and the orchestral arrangements, are sublime! Enjoy...
Melody Gardot on MySpace
Sublime is an understatement. I hate it when I miss such greatness. Where the hell was I in 2009??? Oh yeah, my partner had just passed away....
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-Jon
You have my deepest sympathies, my dear - I feel the same about 1996. Melody's music is timeless, and I am sure that re-discovering her has brought some beauty back into your life. Jx
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