Live Excellence
In a competitive world of fine female vocalists, I have been
occupied by a number that has not included Melody Gardot, for no particular
reason other than you can’t listen to everything.
So I’m glad I came across this live album because she and
the band and the performances are quite stunning, certainly
demonstrating that the live medium is a perfect platform for her talents.
It’s all damn good. There are two long performances I will
cite to illustrate: closer Morning Sun is a brooding twelve minutes of
gospel-esque perfection, Gardot in gorgeous voice as well as some fine scatting
and warble and soaring, piano and organ accompaniments building the jazzier
edge of that gospel sound, horns buttressing. The percussive end with Gardot sweetly
layered above is lovely.
The outstanding performance is the eleven minutes of The
Rain, here the band in dynamic atmospheric mode, Irwin Hall on sax quite
exemplary, and some scorching guitar work merged within. Cello by Stephan Braun. Brilliant.
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