This is one of the most beautiful albums recorded in the past decade or so. "My One and Only Thrill" has all the elements of a good record: rich arrangements, good flow, rhythms that make you shake your legs and wonderful performances by the instrumentalists… and of course, the magical voice of Melody Gardot. She has that power of attraction, not only with her gorgeous looks, but with her voice as well. This was a record that I spent almost three months listening to. The strange thing is that it doesn’t have anything original in sense of a novum or a groundbreaking impact. It sounds as any good record by Judy Garland or Sarah Vaughan, with excellent string arrangements and an impeccable singing. But that’s not a small thing. On top of that is the uniqueness of Gardot and her voice, sounding a bit mysterious, a bit secretive at moments. She draws the listener to her world, a world that is quite peculiar.
Let me tell you why her world is so uncommon. Melody Gardot was hit by a car whose driver had ignored a red traffic light while cycling in Philadelphia in 2003 . In the accident she suffered serious head and spinal injuries and ended up with a broken pelvis, among other injuries. She had to remain lying on her back in a hospital bed for over a year, but that wasn’t the worst thing that happened. She was left with serious memory and time orientation problems and remained hyper-sensitive to both light and sound. After a long struggle, which she described as “climbing Mount Everest every day”, someone proposed a music therapy. And that's how she started writing music. Quite amazing, how such a terrible accident brought this extraordinary musician to us, the audience. It will be bizarre if I say “Thank God for that”, but still…
“My One and Only Thrill” was released by Verve Records in 2009, as her second studio album. It is made of original songs, except “Over the Rainbow”, which is a tribute both to her grandmother and to her idol Judy Garland. The album features Vince Mendoza (string arrangements) and the producer Larry Klein, both known for their work with Joni Mitchell. The album has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide and received three Grammy Award nominations…
I think I said enough. My first encounter with this record was in 2009, when it came out, but I haven’t put it on for almost five years. Now, while writing this article, I played it two times already and I have a feeling that it will be stuck in my player for a little longer. Enjoy!
