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My One and Only Thrill |  | Artist: Melody Gardot
Label: Verve
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy New: $7.41
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Seller: Innuendo_ent
Rating:  95 reviews
Sales Rank: 71
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 4.9 x 0.3
MPN: 001256302
UPC: 602517967823
EAN: 0602517967823
ASIN: B001NESPHC
Release Date: April 28, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| | Baby I'm A Fool | | | If The Stars Were Mine | | | Who Will Comfort Me | | | Your Heart Is As Black As Night | | | Lover Undercover | | | Our Love Is Easy | | | Les Etoiles | | | The Rain | | | My One And Only Thrill | | | Deep Within The Corners Of My Mind | | | Over The Rainbow | | | If The Stars Were Mine [Orchestral Version] |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
Amazing though it is, the story of how Melody Gardot overcame the effects of a near-fatal accident to become one of the vocal sensations of 2008 is not the most extraordinary thing about the 23-year-old Philadelphia singer-songwriter. It is simply that here is a voice in a million; one that touches the soul. Melody's debut album `Worrisome Heart' introduced, in The Sunday Times' words: "a remarkable talent by any measure", with songs of quiet, wistful poetry in arrangements that "ooze after-hours sophistication". Yet the follow-up, for release in April 2009, marks a substantial leap forward. `My One And Only Thrill' is an intensely creative milestone, transcending genre distinctions of jazz and blues to offer a haunting personal musical statement that will appeal to all music-lovers. As with her acclaimed live shows she captures and holds her audience in the palm of her hand. These eleven songs, covering a wide range of emotions, are all her own except for an irresistible, Brazilian take on Somewhere Over The Rainbow. It would take a heart of stone to remain unmoved by the poignant title track My One And Only Thrill. And when the album is finished (as Irving Berlin wrote truly) the song is over, but the Melody lingers on . . .
Album Description
2009 sophomore album from the Philadelphia-based singing sensation. Amazing though it is, the story of how Melody Gardot overcame the effects of a near-fatal accident to become one of the vocal sensations of 2008 is not the most extraordinary thing about the 23-year-old Philadelphia singer-songwriter. It is simply that here is a voice in a million; one that touches the soul. My One And Only Thrill is an intensely creative milestone, transcending genre distinctions of Jazz and Blues to offer a haunting personal musical statement that will appeal to all music-lovers.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 95
Intimate, enthralling, sophisticated. A new great jazz star is born. April 28, 2009
ippo77
66 out of 70 found this review helpful
Melody Gardot released her first album, "Worrisome Heart", just last year and a thing of rare beauty it is.
But a year ago, much of the discussion about Melody Gardot centered on the way she'd recovered from a terrible road accident and had used music as a therapeutic lifeline.
She was an inspiration to people both in and out of music.
Now it seems that although she is at times still referring to her traumatic feelings of the tragic accident some 8 years ago, the confidence is evidently beaming out even more in this album.
This follow-up has a lot to live up to - and it succeeds.
This time Gardot has strings to swell her romantic sound, but her vocals are as beguilingly intimate as ever.
Now just 25-years-old, Melody has expanded on the rich jazz and blues influences of Worrisome Heart to create an intimate second offering : Melody has written all of the songs on the album (a stunning version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" is the only non-original tune).
Again she shows a flair for catchy, haunting melodies, poetic lyrics and sounds much more worldly wise than her young age would suggest.
This record mixes the more classic form of crossing Jazz and blues ("Baby I'm a fool/your heart is as black as night") with some almost suttle samba like beats (i.e. "Les Etoiles/who will comfort me").
If anything, her vocal breadth on this glossy follow-up is even broader. She has the confidence to tackle a bold interpretation of a standard like "Over the Rainbow" (here given a flightly Brazilian treatment). It is produced as an acoustic undertone along with settled and relaxed saxophone. The South American sound certainly gives the song a refreshing tone and all the components make for a stunning vocal performance from Gardot.
Her scat singing is thoroughly convincing, when it could easily stumble on the mountain of clichés that accompany the style, but it's her breathy, almost lisping tones that will be most likely to establish her as a voice to be reckoned with.
If comparisons must be drawn to Gardot's smooth and seemingly effortless vocal, no current artist makes the cut and it's the classy, sad voices of Julie London and Peggy Lee that echo through the years. The vocal-to-instrumentation audio dynamic is perfect throughout, thanks to the fantastic job and the subtle talent of the producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Madeleine Peyroux, Herbie Hancock...).
Kudos to the shimmering orchestral arrangements from Vince Mendoza.
"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". -Q (Magazine)
"Creative, imaginative and a daring approach to her music gives Gardot's second album a pleasant listen with many poignant moments on the way. And despite maybe jazz not being to everyone's taste, it's certainly worth sacrificing some of your time to endure 45 minutes of smooth and at times magic pieces of music". - Sean Wright.
My favourite tracks: "My One And Only Thrill", "If The Stars Wew Mine", "Les Etoiles", "Our Love Is Easy" and "Somewhere over the Rainbow".
Have a pleasant listening experience.
Update: the abum debuts at # 2 of the The Billboard Top Jazz Albums.
Issue date:2009-05-16
Worrisome Heart
Half the Perfect World
Bare Bones
"Bigger" than Norah Jones? May 6, 2009
Rick Cornell (Reno, Nv USA)
21 out of 21 found this review helpful
Though not many agreed with me, I thought "Worrisome Heart" was the best disc of 2008, and one of the finest debut recordings in recent jazz history. I marvelled at Melody Gardot's heart and soul, and her ability to craft simultaneously simple and complex melodies.
But when someone starts off with something that good, then follows up with a sophomore release a year later, I worry. The last time I saw that happen was with Peter Cincotti, and the result wasn't good at all. I was worried: could the same thing happen to Melody Gardot?
Hints: the producer on this one is Larry Klein. The musical director is Kenneth Pendergrast. The strings were arranged and conducted by Vince Mendoza. The recording is mixed by Al Schmitt and mastered by Bernie Grundman. A "sophomore slump" is probably not possible with that lineup!
Though the disc sounds glorious, the glory enhances, rather than hides, the wonderful Melody Gardot. "Heart" was endearingly quirky; "Thrill" is lush.
"If the Stars Were Mine," track #2, is the catchy tune on this set, and for good measure she reprises it at set's end. And for good measure, Ms. Gardot does a French chanson, "Les Etoiles," that sandwiches the tune(s). These ought to be standards someday.
But they are far from the only delights on this album. Ms. Gardot displays a lot of heart and soul on the bluesy "Who Will Comfort Me" and "Your Heart is as Black as Night." And she swings whimsically on "Our Love Is Easy." The title track is haunting. And Melody Gardot wrote all of these songs. Except one:
There's one standard on this set, "Over the Rainbow." I counsel singers not to sing this song, since inviting comparisons to Judy Garland is generally a bad idea. But nothing in that counsel assumes a "country shuffle" version with a straightened out melody over the chord changes. This is the most anti-Garland version of the song ever - and I love it for that!
Recently, Jazz Times posited the question: could Melody Gardot end up as big as Norah Jones? Here's my answer: in a perfect world, bigger. In this world, let's just be thankful for her and pray that her health and her creativity stay with her for a long time, for our sake. This young artist is a gem. RC
p.s. -12/30/09: This and Jackie Ryan's "Doozy" are my favorite c.d.'s of 2009. Jazz Times agrees, in that their 3 top vocal jazz c.d.'s of 2009 are those two and Gretchen Parlato's "In a Dream." None of those 3 were nominated for a Grammy. Once again, "Boo!" to the N.A.R.A.! RC
For relaxing after a stressful day or quiet moments alone April 29, 2009
L. A. Ruffin (Annapolis, MD)
22 out of 24 found this review helpful
Melody Gardot is an amazing artist, her voice is pure and filled with emotions. This selection of songs reminds me of listening to great live music in a New Orleans jazz club, where the room is cool, dark and seductive. Her back story on how she came to music is tragic, she was hit by a car while riding her bicycle. Music therapy was recommended as a way to rebuild her cognitive and physical abilities. Her first CD, Some Lessons - The Bedroom Sessions was a product of her therapy sessions.(By the way I also highly recommend that album which can be found at CD Baby.)
This CD is a magnificent change from overproduced vanilla pop. The songs that she wrote for this third album have a more sophisticated feel that won't alienate the listener. For those who said her previous album was simply one continuous song, I think you'll feel differently about My One and Only Thrill. Simply listen to her version of Over the Rainbow, Judy Garland made it sound hopeful, Eva Cassidy's rendition was wistful and Melody gives it Brazilian soul!! Melody's road to becoming a musician was painful and cruel but she shows how an artist can't be held back by physical or mental limitations. I'm looking forward to hearing more from this wonderful singer/songwriter.
GIVE THAT GAL A SPOTLIGHT !!! May 4, 2009
Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
My One and Only Thrill is the newest album out from Melody Gardot. Melody sings unbelievably well; I'm extremely impressed. Indeed, Melody's voice is so special that it practically leaves me at a loss for words to describe it. She sings as beautifully if not more so than just about any songbird I've heard--ever. When she sings you really listen--and you listen closely, too, because she gives one heck of a performance! She infuses each song on this album with a great deal of emotion; just one listen proves it. She writes beautifully, too--these songs are lovingly and passionately crafted to become works of art--and then performed faultlessly. The quality of the sound on this CD is excellent; and I really like that artwork, too.
I'll list my favorite numbers here, although all the tracks stun me with their beauty.
"Baby I'm A Fool." - Melody sings this so very well. The lush, jazzy and bluesy musical arrangement uses the strings to great advantage but wisely the music never steals the show away from Melody--her vocals remain front and center. Her voice is as clear as a bell, too.
"If The Stars Were Mine" -- This gets a somewhat spirited treatment; and this chanteuse never skips a beat as she does this one up right!
"Who Will Comfort Me" -- Great percussion enhances this tune--beyond perfection.
"Your Heart Is As Black As Night" -- This uses the piano well as Melody delivers this with panache; I could never tire of hearing Melody sing this ballad. The jazz and blues mixture makes this a stand-out.
"Our Love Is Easy" -- This has another very lush musical arrangement. Melody handles the tempo and key changes as effortlessly as if it were all mere breathing--but of course we know it really wasn't all that easy. Melody's talent carries her through.
"Les Etoiles" -- Another gem. Melody sings this flawlessly. The drums work well for the musical arrangement and this somewhat Brazilian sounding ballad gets the royal treatment from Melody Gardot. Terrific!
"The Rain" - A powerful ballad--just like the others, Melody was born to sing songs like this one.
"Over The Rainbow" - Judy would be proud. This Brazilian flavored rendition never lets us down--but then again, after all, what can't Melody do? Nice musical special effects, guitar work and use of the drums, too.
In addition, there should be an extra bonus track which is an orchestral version of "If The Stars Were Mine." Check with Amazon to make sure you'll get this bonus track before ordering as the track list on this webpage doesn't mention it.
So here's my final word--run, don't walk--to get this album! Melody is fast becoming a talent that will never be forgotten. This CD is great for her fans; and it also makes a fine starter CD for people just discovering her incredible artistry.
Elegant but deserved a better production May 9, 2009
Ilovemusic (Spain)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
When I say a "better production", I mean the sound quality could have been way better. It sounds very dark and standard quality. I guess this recording would have deserved a more careful production. It's really a shame because it would have been almost perfect then. I give it 5 stars only for the music but if I have to rate the sound I would give it 2 or three stars only
Music *****
Sound **
Showing reviews 1-5 of 95
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