Jazz vocalist Melody Gardot sings at After Hours

Rachel Pittenger Staff Writer

After Hours has promised us the moon, and they’re just about giving it to us by inviting 22-year-old rising jazz singer Melody Gardot to perform on campus. With the hype surrounding her nascent album increasing, Gardot’s show will likely preview a blossoming career that is quickly gaining momentum.

Gardot’s music, which is also infused with blues and folk elements, is known for its smooth and mellow nature. Indeed, her voice has been likened to those of Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday. In addition to soothing vocals, Gardot’s skills extend to the piano and guitar.

Gardot’s music career began after she was the victim in a serious car accident that left her nearly blind and reliant on a cane. She was instructed by her doctor to take up music to repair her cognitive abilities, and as a result her first musical works were songs recorded from her bedside.

Further evidence that Gardot’s profile is rising comes from her press exposure and the impressive musical talents with whom she has performed. She and her band performed her signature song, “Worrisome Heart,” on NBC television in her hometown of Philadelphia, where she sang smokily into the microphone with the song’s spacious arrangements and tapped on the mic stand, letting those who witnessed her know that she truly felt the words she was singing.

In BusinessWeek, XM radio personality Mike Marrone noted that “[Gardot] has channeled her recovery into a remarkably mature recording” (Feb. 19, 2007) and that his station is flooded with Gardot requests. And when the Philadelphia Web magazine citypaper.net asked, “Who are the hottest mother effers in all of Philadelpha?” it named Gardot, “for having the most soulful pipes this side of Aretha” (Jan. 10, 2007).
Those with whom she has performed include The Wood Brothers (a folk/bluegrass duo), James Hunter (a high-quality British soul singer), Mike Doughty (better known as the frontman for 1990s alt-rockers Soul Coughing and now in a successful solo career), and more.

Her upcoming record, entitled Worrisome Heart, features 11 tracks that she wrote and co-produced. The band that accompanies her has also played with the likes of Billy Joel, Aretha Franklin, and Bon Jovi. This album, as well as her upcoming show at Vassar (with opener Evan Altshuler ’09), offers exposure to a budding artist whose unique jazz style will likely generate publicity and keep her in the game for years to come. Gardot’s concert will take place in the Aula on Thursday, April 12 at 8 p.m.