Melody Gardot
Regular readers of my blog know that I’m a big fan of Melody Gardot. She’s the kind of Jazz(ish) singer that is somewhat different to the many other singers. Let’s be clear, she’s no Cecile McLorin Salvant nor Lady Day, but she has a very particular style and voice, and I’ve praised a lot of her previous albums on this blog (see here and here among others).
So I was very excited when her latest album came out about a week ago.
Sunset In The Blue (Decca 2020)
The cover this time is simply abstract, not even any text on there, and presumably less controversial than the cover of her last live album.
On her previous non-live album, Currency Of Man from 2015, Gardot went to a much more soul influenced style. This new album now is nearly in its entirety a long list of latin ballads, including strings (real ones, not the synthesizer variety). On several tracks Gardot even sings in what is presumably Portuguese.
By the way, given the current Covid situation, it seems that putting this album together was the logistical nightmare you’d imagine with musicians stuck in different parts on the planet. Nevertheless, they pulled it off.
Now I must admit I do like my occasional latin and string inspired ballad (it’s clearly better in my opinion than Diana Krall’s recent But Beautiful), but it is not something that I’m super passionate about. There is the occasional faster samba-type track like Ninguém, Ninguém, or more traditional ballads like From Paris With Love; but you get it, I’m not blown away.
Gardot’s beautiful voice, many original compositions, and the well done arrangements still make this a worthwhile album, but it wouldn’t be my preferred Gardot album by far.
Until we come to the penultimate track, Moon River. I’ve admitted previously that I love this song, it makes me sentimental every time I hear it. So far, Sarah McKenzie’s version was my preferred one, but this could really become my new favorite.
My rating: 4 stars
You can find it here (Qobuz)
musicophilesblog - From Keith Jarrett to Johannes Brahms 
I agree, was expecting more too. But, what can you expect from the album that Sting sings in?
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I still like it. But even artists like Meldody Gardot can’t do 5 star albums every time.
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She got her start in Philadelphia, where I lived for many years (I now live a few miles outside that city). I was very glad for her when she began to make it nationally and internationally.
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She’s a great talent and musician.
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It’s a slow burner of an album – I get that the pace really slackens but still she’s got a beautiful voice and knows what to do with it. I especially like the Portuguese bits in the album
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Dont get me wrong, I still like it and gave it 4 stars which is a clear positive recommendation.
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