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Melody Gardot

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Melody Gardot
Gardot in Berlin, Germany, 2010
Gardot in Berlin, Germany, 2010
Background information
Birth nameMelody Gardot
Born (1985-02-02) February 2, 1985 (age 39)
New Jersey
OriginPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active2004–present
Labels
Websitewww.melodygardot.co.uk

Melody Gardot (/ɡɑːrˈdoʊ/; born February 2, 1985) is an American jazz singer.

At the age of 19, Gardot was hit by an SUV and sustained a head injury. Music played a critical role in her recovery. She became an advocate of music therapy,[1] visiting hospitals and universities to discuss its benefits. In 2012, she gave her name to a music therapy program in New Jersey.[2]

Early life and education

[edit]

Gardot was born in New Jersey and was brought up by her grandparents. Her grandmother was a Polish immigrant. Her mother, a photographer, traveled often, so they had few possessions and lived out of suitcases.[3][4] Gardot studied fashion at the Community College of Philadelphia.[5]

Accident and therapy

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While riding her bicycle in Philadelphia in November 2003,[6][7] Gardot was struck by an SUV and sustained head, spinal, and pelvic injuries.[1] Confined to a hospital bed for a year, she needed to relearn simple tasks and was left oversensitive to light and sound.[3] Suffering from short- and long-term memory loss, she struggled with her sense of time.[8][9]

Encouraged by a physician who believed music would help heal her brain, Gardot learned to hum, then to sing into a tape recorder, and eventually to write songs.[10]

For several years, she traveled with a physiotherapist and carried a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator to reduce pain.[3][9]

Given her oversensitivity to sound, she chose quieter music. On the treadmill, she listened to bossa nova by Stan Getz, specifically "The Girl from Ipanema". Unable to sit comfortably at the piano, she learned to play guitar on her back.[4] During her recovery, she wrote songs that became part of the self-produced EP Some Lessons: The Bedroom Sessions.[11] Gardot was reluctant to record her songs at first, stating that they were too private for the public to hear, but relented and allowed her songs to be played on a Philadelphia radio station.[4]

Personal life

[edit]

Gardot is a Buddhist,[8][12] macrobiotic cook,[13] and humanitarian.[14] She speaks fluent French in addition to her native English and considers herself a "citizen of the world".[15]

Music career

[edit]
Gardot in concert, Portugal, 2012

Gardot started music lessons at the age of nine and began playing piano in Philadelphia bars at the age of 16 on Fridays and Saturdays for four hours a night. She insisted on playing only music she liked, such as The Mamas & the Papas, Duke Ellington, and Radiohead.[16]

During her time in the hospital she learned how to play the guitar and began writing songs, which were made available as downloads on iTunes and released on Some Lessons: The Bedroom Sessions in 2005. She began to play these songs at venues in Philadelphia and was noticed by employees of the radio station WXPN, operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She was encouraged to send a demo tape to the radio station, and the tape found its way to the Universal Music Group.[3] She released her first album, Worrisome Heart (Verve, 2006), then My One and Only Thrill (Verve 2009), produced by Larry Klein.

Discography

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Studio albums

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List of studio albums, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications
Title Details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications
US
[17] 		AUS
[18] 		AUT
[19] 		FRA
[20] 		GER
[21] 		JPN
[22] 		NLD
[23] 		NOR
[24] 		SWE
[25] 		UK
[26]
Worrisome Heart
  • Released: February 26, 2008
  • Label: Verve
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
 80 93 — 8 44 86 — 31 25 172
My One and Only Thrill 42 23 44 4 4 27 20 2 1 12
The Absence
  • Released: May 28, 2012
  • Label: Decca
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
 33 43 10 3 9 22 15 1 3 18
Currency of Man
  • Released: June 2, 2015
  • Label: Decca
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
 124 80 16 5 11 59 12 14 — 31
Sunset in the Blue
  • Released: October 23, 2020[37]
  • Label: Decca
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
 —[A] — 13 18 27 88 — — — 40
Entre eux deux
(with Philippe Powell)
  • Released: May 20, 2022[39]
  • Label: Decca
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
 — — 66 17 22 — 17 — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Extended plays

[edit]
List of extended plays, with selected chart positions
Title Details Peak chart positions
US
Jazz
[40]
Some Lessons: The Bedroom Sessions
  • Released: May 3, 2005
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD
 —
Live from SoHo
  • Released: March 24, 2009
  • Label: Verve
  • Format: Digital download
 2
Bye Bye Blackbird
  • Released: 2010
  • Label: Verve
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 —
A Night with Melody EP
  • Released: April 6, 2011
  • Label: Decca
  • Format: CD
 —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Live albums

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List of live albums, with selected chart positions
Title Details Peak chart positions
US
Current
[38] 		US
Jazz
[40] 		AUT
[19] 		FRA
[20] 		GER
[21] 		JPN
[22] 		NLD
[23]
Live in Europe
  • Released: February 9, 2018
  • Label: Decca
  • Formats: CD, LP
 97 2 14 16 14 162 152

Singles

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  • "Worrisome Heart" (2008)
  • "Goodnite" (2008)
  • "Quiet Fire" (2008)
  • "Who Will Comfort Me" (2009)
  • "Baby I'm a Fool" (2009)
  • "If the Stars Were Mine" (2009)
  • "Your Heart Is as Black as Night" (2011)
  • "Mira" (2012)
  • "Amalia" (2012)
  • "La vie en rose" (2012)[41]
  • "Same to You" (2015)
  • "Preacherman" (2015)[42]
  • "It Gonna Come" (2016)
  • "From Paris with Love" (2020)
  • "Little Something" (featuring Sting) (2020)
  • "Sunset in the Blue" (2020)
  • "C'est Magnifique" (featuring Antonio Zambujo) (2020)

Collaborations

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Gardot appears on the following songs, on vocals and occasionally piano or guitar, by other artists:

  • Beaucoup Blue – "Bluer Than a Midnight Sky" on Free to Fall
  • Till Brönner – "High Night (Alta Noite)" on RIO (2008)
  • Charlie Haden Quartet West – "If I'm Lucky" on Sophisticated Ladies (EmArcy, 2010)
  • Seth Kallen & The Reaction – "My Sweet Darling" on Exhibit A
  • Phil Roy – "A Meditation on War and the Fight for Love" on The Great Longing
  • Eddy Mitchell – "Derrière l'arc-en-ciel / Over the Rainbow" on Grand ecran
  • Juliette Gréco – "Sous les ponts de Paris (Under the Bridges of Paris)" on Ça se traverse et c'est beau (Feb. 2012)
  • Jesse Harris – "Tant pis" on Sub Rosa (July 2012)
  • Baptiste Trotignon – "Mon fantôme" on Song Song Song (Sept. 2012)
  • Lizanne Knott – "There Are Angels" on Marionette (Sept. 2012, UK release)
  • Federico Aubele – "Somewhere Else" on 5 (Fall 2013)
  • Pierre Aderne – "Limoeiro" and "Melodia e Letra" on Caboclo (2014/2015)
  • Vinicius Cantuária – "Insensatez" on Vinicius canta Antonio Carlos Jobim (2015)
  • "He's a tramp" and "The Bare Necessities" on Jazz loves Disney (2016)
  • "C'est trop tard" on Elles & Barbara (2017)
  • "The King of 52nd Street" on The Passion Of Charlie Parker (2017)
  • "La Chanson Des Vieux Amants" on "Brel - Ces gens-lá" (2019)
  • "La javanaise" on "Les pianos de Gainsbourg" by André Manoukian (2021)
  • "Waiting", "Rio Negro", "How Long", and "Surpresa" on Surpresa by Jesse Harris & Vincicius Cantuaria (2021)[43]

Notes

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  1. ^ Sunset in the Blue did not enter the Billboard 200, but peaked at number 70 on the Current Album Sales chart.[38]

References

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  1. ^ a b Zuel, Bernard (May 2, 2009). "Melody Gardot should not be playing music". Brisbane Times. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  2. ^ "Unchained Melody". Telegraph Magazine. London. May 5, 2012. When she was 19 a road accident nearly ended Melody Gardot's life – and started her acclaimed singing career. Eight years on, she still can't escape the pain but it hasn't stopped her traveling the world to record her third album
  3. ^ a b c d Iley, Chrissie (March 29, 2009). The Sunday Times Magazine. pp. 12–17.
  4. ^ a b c "The Making of Melody". European Intelligence Wire. September 20, 2009.
  5. ^ "Unchained Melody". Philadelphia City Paper. Archived from the original on August 17, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  6. ^ "Melody Gardot hits New York". July 2005. Archived from the original on May 6, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  7. ^ "Melody Gardot's Road to Recovery". NPR.org. March 2008.
  8. ^ a b Kerr, Alison (June 13, 2009). "Interview". The Herald Magazine. pp. 14–17.
  9. ^ a b "How Melody Gardot Found Her Voice". CBS News. June 14, 2010.
  10. ^ Stephen Clark – Design. "melody gardot: melody cool".
  11. ^ Holden, Stephen (October 15, 2009). "From Death's Door to Earning the Keys to the World". The New York Times. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  12. ^ Iley, Chrissy (March 29, 2009). "Melody Gardot: Music is my love – men are just my lovers". Times online. iley. Retrieved November 21, 2009.[dead link‍]
  13. ^ Gardot, Melody. "10 Useful Steps for Getting Started with Macrobiotics – Melody Gardot". www.macrobiotics.co.uk. Archived from the original on March 14, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
  14. ^ Bonetti, Deborah (May 12, 2015). "Melody Gardot – La politica del jazz". Style (Il Giornale). Italy.
  15. ^ Henn, Jennifer L. (June 1, 2010). "Globetrotting Melody Gardot makes Westhampton Beach a stop for a performance on June 6". 27east. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  16. ^ "Melody Gardot". Archived from the original on July 22, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  17. ^ "Melody Gardot Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  18. ^ Peak chart positions in Australia:
  19. ^ a b "Discographie Melody Gardot". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  20. ^ a b "Discographie Melody Gardot". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  21. ^ a b "Discographie von Melody Gardot" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  22. ^ a b メロディ・ガルドーのアルバム売上ランキング [Melody Gardot album sales ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  23. ^ a b "Discografie Melody Gardot". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  24. ^ "Discography Melody Gardot". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  25. ^ "Discography Melody Gardot". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  26. ^ Peak chart positions in the United Kingdom:
  27. ^ a b c d Pichvin, Aymeric (April 3, 2010). "Waiting for Gardot". Billboard. Vol. 122, no. 13. p. 31. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  28. ^ a b "British certifications – Melody Gardot". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 6, 2022. Type Melody Gardot in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  29. ^ a b "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Melody Gardot)" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  30. ^ "Certifications Albums Or – année 2009" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. November 19, 2009. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  31. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  32. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2010" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  33. ^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  34. ^ "Certifications Albums Double Platine – année 2009" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. December 21, 2009. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  35. ^ "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. Archived from the original on May 15, 2015.
  36. ^ "Certifications Albums Platine – année 2012" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. November 14, 2012. Archived from the original on September 25, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  37. ^ Shaffer, Claire (September 4, 2020). "Sting, Melody Gardot Duet on New Song 'Little Something'". Rolling Stone.
  38. ^ a b "Melody Gardot Chart History (Current Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  39. ^ Peacock, Tim (May 22, 2022). "Melody Gardot & Philippe Powell's New Duo Album, 'Entre Eux Deux' Is Out Now". UDiscoverMusic. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  40. ^ a b "Melody Gardot Chart History (Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  41. ^ "Melody Gardot Teams Up with Piaget". Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  42. ^ Bonetti, Deborah (May 12, 2015) "Melody Gardot – La politica del jazz". Style Magazine, Italy.
  43. ^ "Surpresa | Jesse Harris & Vinicius Cantuaria | Sunnyside Records".
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