Melody Gardot Celebrates 20 Years in Music with Her First Personal Collection The Essential Melody Gardot

Previously Unreleased Track "First Song" Is Out Now and Available

Share 


New Releases category interest

On 25th October, Decca Records celebrate Melody Gardot’s 20-year anniversary in music with the release of The Essential Melody Gardot, a 25-track collection comprising music selected and sequenced by Gardot herself. Much more than a mere best-of, it is a listening experience intended to convey the length and depth of Gardot’s achievements as a recording and performing artist. “I tried to create a vibe as one would with a set list, especially for the vinyl, so that each side has a mood,” she notes. The Essential Melody Gardot is also intended to present her as she grew and developed her craft of singing and songwriting, capturing the journey she began in 2004 as she lay in a hospital bed, recovering from a debilitating car accident.

Two tunes on The Essential Melody Gardot have not been released until now. ‘La Llorona’ is a haunting Mexican ballad rife with tragedy and endless verses. Gardot chose to perform it to an appreciative crowd in Mallorca in 2019 with gentle guitar-and-cello accompaniment. ‘First Song’ is a masterfully delicate reading of an Abbey Lincoln/Charlie Haden composition that was the product of a magic moment of inspiration in the studio: bassist Haden, Brazilian cellist Jaques Morelenbaum, and keyboardist Gil Goldstein all contributing. “Charlie was the catalyst,” Gardot recalled. “It was a random, heartbeat moment à la [the Duke Ellington/Charles Mingus/Max Roach session] Money Jungle. We were all there, and Charlie handed me the music and said, ‘I want you to sing this.’”

The majority of the music on The Essential Melody Gardot is drawn from Gardot’s six studio recordings, from 2008’s major label debut Worrisome Heart to her 2022 collaboration with Brazilian pianist Philippe Powell, Entre eux deux. A few are special remixes or versions that have not been readily available, such as her half-sung, half-spoken rendition of Elton John’s ‘Love Song’ (originally on 2020’s Sunset in the Blue), with trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf contributing emotive filigree. A number highlight Gardot’s multilingual skills, intoning in French (‘La chanson des vieux amants’, ‘La Vie en Rose’) and Spanish (‘La Llorona’) with the ease and flow of a native speaker. And four concert recordings add live punch to the set, capturing the fun and immediacy of her shows. “I love the vulnerability of a live performance” Gardot states, “It’s raw and honest.”

The Essential Melody Gardot is released on Decca on October 25th


TRACKLIST

Side A:
1. Baby I’m A Fool
2. If The Stars Were Mine
3. C’est Magnifique feat. António Zambujo
4. Morning Sun
5. Sweet Memory
6. Mira
7. Over The Rainbow
Side B:
1. Worrisome Heart
2. Our Love Is Easy
3. Love Song (Feat. Ibrahim Maalouf)
4. La Charon des Vieux Amants
5. Les Étoiles - Live
6. La Vie En Rose
Side C:
1. First Song *UNRELEASED*
2. This Foolish Heart Could Love You - The Paris Sessions
3. Once I Was Loved
4. Ain’t No Sunshine (Live In Paris)
Moon River
Side D:

1. Your Heart Is As Black As Night

2. If I Tell You I Love You

3. Who Will Comfort Me

4. Love Me Liker A River Does (Live In Paris)

5. Bad News (Live)

5. La Llorana (Live) *UNRELEASED*

More Photos

Share 

More from New Releases

Washington D.C.s Indie-Pop Band Glosser Release New EP Angel Dust Today
New Releases

Washington D.C.s Indie-Pop Band Glosser Release New EP Angel Dust Today

Watch new videos for "Dove Dreams" & "NYD"

d4vd Unveils New Song “Remember Me”
New Releases

d4vd Unveils New Song “Remember Me”

The tracks paint a picture of what’s to come in 2025 as he builds momentum toward his highly anticipated debut album

Eli Young Band Tribute the Ecstasy of True Love with
New Releases

Eli Young Band Tribute the Ecstasy of True Love with "Im Yours Amen"

EYB’s Next Chapter Begins as Band Embarks on Headlining Home in Hometown Tour 

Christian Hayes Underscores the Beauty of Imperfection w- “Wildflower”
New Releases

Christian Hayes Underscores the Beauty of Imperfection w- “Wildflower”

The concept for “Wildflower” was born from Hayes’ observation of seeing beauty found in imperfections and embracing uniqueness in love

Multi-Grammy® and Oscar® Winner Jon Batiste’s Solo Piano Album, Beethoven Blues, Out Today
New Releases

Multi-Grammy® and Oscar® Winner Jon Batiste’s Solo Piano Album, Beethoven Blues, Out Today

The project showcases his interpolations of some of Beethoven’s most iconic works

Sign up forArtistAndFan Newsletters

Keep in touch with everything onArtistAndFan. Sign up for our newsletter!
 








Stats
Elapsed time: 0.1133 seconds
Memory useage: 1.14MB
V2.geronimo