My One and Only Thrill [PA]

Performer: Melody Gardot
Engineer: Helik Hadar
Producer: Larry Klein
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Melody Gardot (vocals, guitar, piano). Audio Mixers: Al Schmitt; Steve Genewick. Although the plaudits for Melody Gardot's debut album, WORRISOME HEART, were entirely justified, it sometimes seemed as if the young singer-songwriter's compelling personal story--hit by a car and severely injured at the age of 19, the aspiring fashion designer began playing piano and writing songs as part of her physical therapy--overshadowed her music. Gardot's second album, MY ONE AND ONLY THRILL, dispells that sense entirely: this gorgeous collection of lavishly orchestrated jazz-pop ballads is the work of a genuinely talented singer-songwriter. Gardot's melodic sense is greatly matured: opening track "Baby I'm A Fool" and "Lover Undercover" have the feel of new standards in the making. Similarly, she's a more expressive and self-assured singer, with a canny sense of timing and a sultry lower register that's particularly suited to a Julie London-style kittenish purr, as on "Our Love Is Easy." MY ONE AND ONLY THRILL is one of 2009's best jazz vocal releases. 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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

JazzTimes (p.102) - "There's a film noir quality to Melody Gardot's latest....Sultry, mysterious, with a subtle touch of disdain built on a solid foundation of self-assurance." Q (Magazine) (p.98) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "With a warm voice and a sensitive way with a song, Phildelphia's Gardot mixes jazz and R&B with elegant string arrangements and acoustic guitar to beguiling, small-hours effect." Mojo (Publisher) (p.103) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Gardot's torch ballads smoulder intensely....'Our Love Is Easy,' 'Deep Within The Corners Of My Mind' and the title track are extraordinary performances..." Record Collector (magazine) (p.92) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[The album] represents a quantum leap forward both in terms of maturity and quality of her performances....[With] shimmering orchestral arrangements from Vince Mendoza..."

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