"In my eyes, there's two kinds of music. There's the kind that rushes out at you, and the kind that settles in and lets you come to it. I prefer the latter of the two. I like the idea of hearing music in the distance; you're drawn to it and you want to know what it is. To me, that's beautiful, that's the essence of listening to music: discovering it. exploring it and finding those little spaces. To have it thrown out at you almost cheapens it."
Verve Records will certainly forever be known as one of the premier jazz labels of all time, and when listening to the lead-off title track on Worrisome Heart, you might think that they've dug up some old recordings buried in their vaults. Look at its release date though and you'll realize your mistake; it's the debut album from Melody Gardot, and it came out earlier this year. Regardless, the song carries a classic jazz quartet smoothness that feels like it's straight out of a Humphrey Bogart movie.

Dig deeper into the album and you'll also realize that Gardot's vocal skills don't just shadow Billie Holiday and 50's jazz. Her style subtly shifts across a range of sounds that very much reminds me of another female vocalist I wrote about early last year: Eleni Mandell (back here). The entire album just has a very classy veneer to it that feels very professional yet not slick. Although it's Gardot's debut full length, the sound here fells like she's developed and refined her skills for years. Check out the before-mentioned title track below and then explore the rest of the album.








Eleni Mandell - American Boy : Afternoon