Melody Gardot, a gifted guitarist, singer, and songwriter, was born in New Jersey in 1985. She developed a passion for music early on, taking piano lessons and performing in small venues around Philadelphia as a teenager. In 2003, while studying fashion and art at the Community College of Philadelphia, her life took a dramatic turn when she was struck by an SUV while riding her bicycle. The accident left her with severe injuries to her pelvis, spine, and head, confining her to a hospital bed for nearly a year. Initially unable to walk or speak, and highly sensitive to light and sound, she turned to music therapy on the advice of a doctor. Despite her physical limitations, she began playing the guitar, singing, and composing songs.

While still recovering, she wrote and recorded what would later become her debut EP, Some Lessons: The Bedroom Sessions, released in 2005. Her breakthrough came in 2009 with her second Verve album, My One and Only Thrill, which quickly sold over half a million copies in Europe and Japan—far exceeding her sales in the United States.

Her latest release, The Essential Melody Gardot, launched in December 2024 under Decca, is a collection of 24 tracks. Handpicked by Gardot herself.

The first CD blends jazz-pop and ballads, many with a bossa nova influence, featuring Gardot’s original compositions alongside French chansons by Jacques Brel and Edith Piaf. Highlights include the blues-infused Sweet Memory, the Latin jazz piece Mira, a lighthearted rendition of Over the Rainbow, and a cool yet understated take on Worrisome Heart, made exceptional by Matt Cappy on trumpet and Ron Kerber on tenor saxophone.

While Our Love Is Easy may come across as slightly predictable, Love Song, featuring Ibrahim Maalouf on trumpet, offers a more compelling experience. Gardot’s elegant interpretation of La chanson des vieux amants does justice to the classic, though her reserved delivery of La Vie en Rose lacks the raw emotion of Piaf’s version. In contrast, the live performance of her original piece Les Étoiles is vibrant, exhilarating, and brimming with joy.

The second CD features 11 tracks, opening with First Song, a delicate ballad originally written by Abbey Lincoln and Charlie Haden, capturing an intimate studio moment of inspiration.

Live recordings add an extra layer of energy to the album, capturing the spontaneity of Gardot’s performances. It’s raw and honest.” Tracks such as If I Tell You I Love You, Who Will Comfort Me, and Love Me Like a River Does provide engaging moments, with the latter delivering a swinging groove.

This collection spans Gardot’s career from her major label debut, Worrisome Heart (2008), to her collaboration with Brazilian pianist Philippe Powell on Entre eux deux (2022). Some tracks offer unique versions not readily available elsewhere, such as her spoken-word infused rendition of Elton John’s Love Song, originally released on her 2020 album Sunset in the Blue, with Ibrahim Maalouf’s trumpet adding an expressive touch.

The album opens with Baby I’m a Fool, a smooth jazz-pop ballad from My One and Only Thrill, which Gardot describes as “a song about two people too proud to admit they’re in love.” This is followed by the joyful If the Stars Were Mine, a bossa nova-influenced jazz-pop piece from 2009. The third track, C’est Magnifique, co-written by Gardot, Dadi Carvalho, and Pierre Aderne, features lyrics in French and Portuguese, performed as a duet with Portuguese singer-songwriter António Zambujo, blending bossa nova with jazz elements.

Another highlight, Morning Sun, written by Gardot, carries a message of resilience. Despite lyrics like “This world wasn’t made for dreaming, this world wasn’t made for you,” the song ultimately conveys optimism and hope.

With its carefully mix of studio and live recordings, jazz-pop ballads, and world music influences, The Essential Melody Gardot captures the evolution of an artist whose journey, shaped by adversity, has led to a deeply personal and emotionally resonant body of work.

Track list