Mad About Madeleine.

The first time I heard Madeleine Peyroux I thought to myself, “Sounds like a cleaned up engineering-wise) version of an old Billy Holiday tune. But upon listening closer, she has her own sound and phrasing. Peyroux was born in Athens, GA, but was raised in Southern California, Brooklyn, and Paris. She started busking on the streets of the Latin Quarter when she was just 15. Her first recording, “Dreamland”, was released in 1996 and is absolutely flawless. It features a group of first-rate jazz musicians, who underplay, which helps showcase her unique voice. Most of the tunes are covers, but also has three original Peyroux compositions. For some unknown reason, she didn’t release another recording for eight years. Her subsequent recordings feature an increasing number of originals and are every bit as good as her first cd.