SONG OF THE DAY
“Les Etoiles” – Melody Gardot (My One and Only Thrill, Capitol Studios, 2009). Written by Melody Gardot.
INTERESTING FACTS (from wikipedia)
– She was born in 1985, which makes her only 24 years old! [Holy schnikes! I need to do something with my life!]
– She was disabled at 19 after being struck by a car while riding her bicycle and began writing music after using music to aid her recovery. When performing, she sits on a special chair (or stands). Besides that, she also became sensitive to both light and sound and has to wear dark glasses. The accident also resulted in both long and short term memory problems and difficulty with her sense of time.
– She has been influenced by such blues and jazz artists as Janis Joplin, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin as well as Latin music artists such as Stan Getz and Caetano Veloso.
– Gardot follows the teachings of Buddhism, is a macrobiotic cook and humanitarian who often speaks about the benefits of music therapy.
– During her time in hospital she learned how to play the guitar and began writing songs, which were made available as downloads in iTunes and released in Some Lessons: The Bedroom Sessions in 2005. The title song, “Some Lessons”, is considered autobiographical, as it contains lines such as “It’s a miracle that I’m alive(..)To think that I could have fallen/A centimeter to the left/Would not be here to see the sunset/Or have myself a time” and “Remember the sound of the pavement/World turned upside down”.
– She began to play these songs at venues in Philadelphia and was spotted by the radio station WXPN, operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, which helped to launch Norah Jones. As well as playing her songs WXPN encouraged her to assemble a demo which was quickly picked up by Universal Records. Released in 2006 and then re-released by Verve Records in 2008, her first full-length album was entitled Worrisome Heart.
– Live from SoHo is a live EP by jazz singer-songwriter Melody Gardot. It was released exclusively on iTunes on March 24, 2009. It features six tracks that were recorded in early March in New York City, at the Apple Store in SoHo
MY TAKE
Though I hate discovering talented people who are younger than me because it makes me feel inferior, I am quickly getting over that and being surrounded in gratefulness that Melody Gardot came into my life. I love her voice, her lyrics, her melodies, her little-bit-of-bossa nova tendencies, and she’s gorgeous to boot! I am seriously trying to find out how to see her perform live…nay, how to meet her!
I hope that my posting of songs sung in French this week has opened up a world of beauty to you, my sweet readers. The language of love slides so sweetly into music that I really just can’t help myself. Isn’t this song just enchanting? I do hope that after perusing through the youtube.com playlist I’ve made here today, you too grow to be a fan of this incredible Philadelphia woman. That’s my goal…did I succeed? Please write and tell me.
VIDEOS OF THE DAY
Click here.