I mostly listen to R&B, but ever since I heard the beautiful anguish in Norah Jones’ voice on I Don’t Know Why, there’s been room on my iPod for sultry jazz vocals. By the time another friend hipped me to Diana Krall, I was hooked.
So that explains how I came to buy My One and Only Thrill, the latest album from jazz sensation Melody Gardot. Wow. Five Stars. No wonder it’s number one on iTunes for the genre. A focused collection of Gardot’s trademark ballads with a couple of bassa nova and blues tracks thrown in, it’s a must-have for anyone who appreciates silky, demure vocals on top of smooth string arrangements. My favorite track is the opening one, Baby I’m a Fool, followed by the sunny and wistful If this World Were Mine. One of the pleasant surprises about the album is that, unlike many jazz releases, it’s mostly composed of original tracks instead of remakes.
Where R&B ballads have loud vocals with long-held notes, jazz ballads win you over with low-key nuance. Gardot is simply a master at this art of understatement. Once you develop an ear for this style, it’s hard not to find her discography stunning.
On a personal note, Gardot still lives in Philly and once attended the Community College of Philadelphia. I used to work about two blocks from there. I wonder if I ever passed her on the street. These days she’s too big a star to be found walking down Spring Garden Street, but if I did see her I would buy her a juicy cheesesteak for gracing the world with this brilliant album.
Don’t take my word. Watch the video for Baby I’m a Fool on YouTube.
Cato's Life of the Mind is the personal site of Jamel Cato, a writer and database developer who can usually be found between the pages of a good book when he's not laughing with his kids. | 