Melody Gardot: Worrisome Heart

Melody Gardot's Worrisome Heart was released in February, and it's a shame I haven't read or heard more about it. It is this year's answer to last year's Miracle Of Five by Eleni Mandell, capturing that kind of timeless jazz mood around Melody's beautiful voice. As with Eleni, I was first introduced to Melody's music through the awesome Late Greats. No wonder The Duke's blog is my #1 read.



Slinky piano slides the lid off of the album on the title track before Melody's velvet voice brushes the song with a seductive chanteuse vibe. "All I Need Is Love" is a sweeter and jauntier track, while "Gone" slips into soft melancholy.

"Sweet Memory" has just the faintest hint of twang, then "One Day" briefly returns to the sultry jazz style of the opener with burnished brass before easing into a more mellow melody.

"Love Me Like A River Does" is the song that made me an instant fan of Melody. The subtle beauty of Melody's voice and piano - accented with light bursts of trumpet - afford this Gardot original the elegance of a classic by Chet Baker or Nina Simone.

I was not granted permission to share an mp3 (100% legal blog here, ya know), but you can hear samples at the links below.

Melody Gardot Official Site
Melody on MySpace

Buy the CD or Mp3s (only $6.26 for CD, $5.99 for mp3s!)