My One and Only Thrill
Encyclopedia
My One and Only Thrill is the second studio album
by American jazz
singer–songwriter Melody Gardot
, released in the United States on April 28, 2009 by Verve Records
. As May 2009, two singles had been released: "Who Will Comfort Me
" and "Baby I'm a Fool
". All tracks are original, except "Over the Rainbow
" (originally sung by Judy Garland
in 1939's The Wizard of Oz
), which is included as a tribute to her grandmother. It features string arrangements by Vince Mendoza
, who, along with producer Larry Klein
, is known for his works with Joni Mitchell
. Cover artwork for the album was photographed by Nicholas LaClair and makeup for Gardot by Victoria Stiles
. The album received three Grammy Award
nominations: Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for the titular track (Vince Mendoza), Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (Helik Hadar & Al Schmitt) and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (Larry Klein). The album has sold over 500,000 copies to date.
In November 2009 a deluxe addition was released, a digi-pack including an orchestral version of "If the Stars Were Mine" and an additional EP with five tracks recorded live at a radio concert in Paris, as well as an extended booklet. A second deluxe addition, the "Starwatch edition" was released in November 2010. This version includes three bonus "Chill Out Mix" tracks and instead of the live EP it includes the "Bye Bye Blackbird" EP, four tracks recorded with British jazz guitarist David Preston.
style, the album incorporates several elements of samba
and Brazilian music
, which Gardot considers major influences. Regarding the slightly quiet and always smooth sound, she was quoted saying that, because of her health problems, not many instruments could be used. She added that it was a very logical process. The album is mainly sung in English
, except for the French-language
track "Les étoiles" ("The Stars").
based on ten critic reviews. Allmusic remarked that "These are slight, subtle progressions but what impresses is how thoroughly My One and Only Thrill lives up to the promise of her debut, offering another album that is as enchanting in its sound as it is in its substance," rewarding the albums with 4 stars out of five. The Times
described the album as "an exceptional album and anyone who thought the great age of the torch singer was long over should lend an ear" rewarding the album with four stars, as well, out of a possible five.
In Germany, the album debuted at No. 32 and quickly fell down. Thanks to the new edition of the album, it had a re-entry at No. 23 more than one year later and jumped up in the next weeks to No. 4, the album's highest position as of now.
The album is estimated to have sold over 500,000 copies worldwide, 200,000 of which have been sold in France, where the album has been certified double-platinum by SNEP.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer–songwriter Melody Gardot
Melody Gardot
Melody Gardot is a Grammy-nominated American singer, writer and musician in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, though she considers herself a "citizen of the world". She has been influenced by such blues and jazz artists as Judy Garland, Janis Joplin, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Stan Getz and George...
, released in the United States on April 28, 2009 by Verve Records
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
. As May 2009, two singles had been released: "Who Will Comfort Me
Who Will Comfort Me
"Who Will Comfort Me" is a song written and composed by American jazz singer-songwriter Melody Gardot. It was released as the lead single for her second studio album My One and Only Thrill. A live rendition of the song was also recorded and released on her Live from SoHo EP.-Song information:The...
" and "Baby I'm a Fool
Baby I'm a Fool
"Baby I'm a Fool" is a song written and composed by American jazz singer-songwriter Melody Gardot. It was released as the second single from her second full-length album, My One and Only Thrill...
". All tracks are original, except "Over the Rainbow
Over the Rainbow
"Over the Rainbow" is a classic Academy Award-winning ballad song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by Judy Garland in the movie...
" (originally sung by Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
in 1939's The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
), which is included as a tribute to her grandmother. It features string arrangements by Vince Mendoza
Vince Mendoza
Vince Mendoza is a music arranger and composer.Mendoza was born in Connecticut and studied guitar as a child, influenced by classical music, soul and jazz. He then took up the trumpet, which he continued to play throughout his time at Ohio State University, where he played in the Jazz Ensemble and...
, who, along with producer Larry Klein
Larry Klein
Larry Klein is a music producer, songwriter and bass guitar player, commonly known for being the frequent musical collaborator, and ex-husband, of Joni Mitchell....
, is known for his works with Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
. Cover artwork for the album was photographed by Nicholas LaClair and makeup for Gardot by Victoria Stiles
Victoria Stiles
Victoria Stiles is a Washington, D.C. makeup artist, who works internationally.-Overview:...
. The album received three Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations: Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for the titular track (Vince Mendoza), Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (Helik Hadar & Al Schmitt) and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (Larry Klein). The album has sold over 500,000 copies to date.
In November 2009 a deluxe addition was released, a digi-pack including an orchestral version of "If the Stars Were Mine" and an additional EP with five tracks recorded live at a radio concert in Paris, as well as an extended booklet. A second deluxe addition, the "Starwatch edition" was released in November 2010. This version includes three bonus "Chill Out Mix" tracks and instead of the live EP it includes the "Bye Bye Blackbird" EP, four tracks recorded with British jazz guitarist David Preston.
Style
Keeping the dark piano jazzJazz piano
Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instrument's combined melodic and harmonic capabilities...
style, the album incorporates several elements of samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
and Brazilian music
Music of Brazil
The music of Brazil encompasses various regional music styles influenced by African, European and Amerindian forms. After 500 years of history, Brazilian music developed some unique and original styles such as samba, zouk-lambada, lambada, choro, bossa nova, frevo, maracatu, MPB, sertanejo,...
, which Gardot considers major influences. Regarding the slightly quiet and always smooth sound, she was quoted saying that, because of her health problems, not many instruments could be used. She added that it was a very logical process. The album is mainly sung in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, except for the French-language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
track "Les étoiles" ("The Stars").
Reception
The album gained favorable reviews upon its release, calculating an average rating of 71% according to MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
based on ten critic reviews. Allmusic remarked that "These are slight, subtle progressions but what impresses is how thoroughly My One and Only Thrill lives up to the promise of her debut, offering another album that is as enchanting in its sound as it is in its substance," rewarding the albums with 4 stars out of five. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
described the album as "an exceptional album and anyone who thought the great age of the torch singer was long over should lend an ear" rewarding the album with four stars, as well, out of a possible five.
Track listing
Charts
The album reached a peak of #42 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, becoming her highest charting album there, to date. Furthermore, the album has enjoyed success throughout Europe. It made the top five in France, Belgium, Norway, Sweden and Greece and charted strongly in countries such as the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Switzerland. The album narrowly missed the top 10 in the UK, reaching a respectable #12, her highest peak there so far. Moreover, the album charted just outside the top 30 and the top 10 in Australia and New Zealand respectively.In Germany, the album debuted at No. 32 and quickly fell down. Thanks to the new edition of the album, it had a re-entry at No. 23 more than one year later and jumped up in the next weeks to No. 4, the album's highest position as of now.
The album is estimated to have sold over 500,000 copies worldwide, 200,000 of which have been sold in France, where the album has been certified double-platinum by SNEP.
| Chart (2009–2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
23 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 44 |
| Belgium Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
31 |
| Belgium Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Wallonia) |
5 |
| Danish Albums Chart Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
20 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
12 |
| European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
21 |
| Finnish Albums Chart IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
20 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
4 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
4 |
| German Downloads Chart | 1 |
| Greek Albums Charts | 5 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
34 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
11 |
| Japan Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
1 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
2 |
| Polish Albums Chart Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
18 |
| Spanish Albums Chart Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
19 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
1 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
17 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
12 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
42 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Jazz Albums | 2 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Rank |
|---|---|
| German Albums Chart | 33 |