Label: Rounder / Umgd
Jazz
When Madeleine Peyroux's debut, Dreamland, was released in 1996, its success threw her for a loop. She's taken eight years to create this follow-up, and, at age 30, she brings a confidence and resilience to this dozen-song set. She's able to move seamlessly between songs by writers as diverse as Elliott Smith and W.C. Handy, whose title track was popularized by Bessie Smith. Though American-born, Peyroux absorbed the language and culture of France growing up in Paris with her French-teacher mother. On her debut, she covered Edith Piaf, and this time out she wraps herself around "J'ai Deux Amours," which Josephine Baker sang to the Allied troops during World War II.
By David Greenberger. AMG.
**
Boasting an enthralling voice many have regarded as reminiscent of Billie Holiday's, Madeleine Peyroux burst onto the music scene eight years ago with the extremely successful release of Dreamland. Championed by major publications such as The New York Times and Time Magazine, Peyroux was immediately recognized as a remarkably talented singer with a promising future. With the release of her long awaited follow-up album Careless Love, Peyroux's potential as an artist is truly realized. Her smoky voice and knowing delivery make each song her own, whether she's singing vintage tunes by W.C. Handy and Hank Williams, or contemporary songs by Leonard Cohen and Elliott Smith. Producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Shawn Colvin) weaves strands of acoustic blues, country ballads, classic jazz, torch songs and pop into a vibrant fabric that is both timeless and thoroughly up to date, with Peyroux's arresting vocals always front and center.
**
How true! Musicians take a lifetime to prepare their first CD, then are expected to have an equally brilliant release in a few months. The process rarely works. Rarer is an artist so dedicated to quality that eight years passes between a highly acclaimed debut and sophmore CD. Even more unusual is the artist who scores perfectly both times, so far apart.
Then again, nobody with ears could call Madeleine Peyroux typical. She's a genuine gem amongst the clutter composing today's musical spectrum. Thank goodness she's faithful to her remarkable vocal stylings.
Talent aplenty, Ms. Peyroux's voice and delivery strike your memory in familiar ways. Comparison to world-famous blues and jazz females are tempting, perhaps justified. Nonetheless, Ms. Peyroux's never derivative but rather refreshingly comfortable in an all-new manner.
Ms. Peyroux also has smarts enough to work superb material. She easily intreprets standards by such great tunesmiths as Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, and W.C. Handy into her own repetoire. She ain't a bad writer herself.
Ms. Peyroux invested time wisely since her 1996 introduction. Hope we don't have to wait as long for her next CD, but surely I'm willing to if it takes that long for another perfect CD.
The title of the closing track precisely sums it all up: "This Is Heaven To Me!"
By D. Sean Brickell.
**
Madeleine Peyroux- Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dean Parks- Guitars
Larry Goldings- Piano, Wurlitzer Piano, Estey, Hammond Organ, Celeste
David Piltch- Bass
Jay Bellerose- Drums and Percussion
Lee Thornburg- Trumpet on "This Is Heaven to Me" And "No More"
Scott Amendola- Brushes on "I'll Look Around"
**
01. Dance Me to the End of Love 3:57
02. Don't Wait Too Long 3:12
03. Don't Cry Baby 3:18
04. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go 3:27
05. Between the Bars 3:44
06. No More 3:33
07. Lonesome Road 3:11
08. J'ai Deux Amours 2:56
09. Weary Blues 3:40
10. I'll Look Around 4:48
11. Careless Love 3:51
12. This Is Heaven to Me 3:11
**
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