Purely by accident I discovered Melody's album and I am so glad I did!!!
I certainly hope she has a great career in music ahead of her!!!
This album has such a cool sound and once I start listening I just keep playing it over and over. Considering what she went through in her life(ie the Bike crash) it is amazing that she has recovered to produce this album!!!
Cheers!!!

Melody Gardot "needs a hand with her worrisome heart." And according to her, "she gravitates towards soothing music, often genres that are soft and somewhat unassuming." She further states that "music can do wonders for your spirit especially when it's the kind that calms you down."

About five years ago, Melody Gardot was slammed into by the front end of a jeep that left her bedridden and disabled. As a result, she had turned her recuperating time into something creative and productive by writing the lyrics and music on all ten tracks on this remarkable album, "Worrisome Heart," which starts off with the title track and ends with "Twilight." This album is a showcase of Ms. Gardot's versatility where she shows off not only her remarkable vocal style, but also her talents in guitar and piano, and composing and songwriting as well.

She is ably supported by a crew of fine musicians who are all skilled in their respective instruments namely Ken Pendergast (bass), Dave Posmontier (piano), Charlie Patierno (drums), Matt Cappy (trumpet), Joel Bryant (Hammond B3/Rhodes/Wurlitzer), Jef Lee Johnson, Barney McKenna (guitar), Ron Kerber (clarinet), Diane Monroe (violin), Mike Brenner (Lap Steel guitar), Krista Nielsen (cello), Kurt Johnson and David Mowry (Dobro guitar).

In conclusion, I admire Ms. Gardot's impressive vocal artistry and for the simple fact that she turned her pain and discomfort into something creative and productive -- and as a result, an impressive debut album with a remarkable set of all-original-songs, which represent her innermost feelings and heartfelt thoughts set into beautiful music and meaningful lyrics.

"Special thanks...most importantly to God and the universe for bringing so many wonderful people into my life, to all the people who have touched me with their support and generosity and to everyone who took the time to look my way and lend a hand when I least expected it." ~ Melody Gardot ~

I purchased this album on recommendation from I-Tunes and it has become one of the all-time favorites in my massive record and CD collection. Great voice and great styling make this a great listening experience. I am eagerly awaiting a followup album. -- Herb Dower

The Cocktail clarity of Worrisome Heart will hopefully get fans to go back to the progenitors of this type of musical seduction. Please refer to Helen Merrill and Bloosom Deary. More recently, I would suggest listening to all the music of supreme interpretive stylist Holly Cole.

This disc was fabulous, Gardot's music is reminiscent of the divas from the golden age of jazz. Her voice is smooth and soulful, with a depth that is rare for such a young musician. My only complaint is that it's so short, I wish there were more songs.

This is one of my favorite CDs. The backup group is wonderful and Melody's original compositions are the best.

Melody Gardot has a soulful voice that combines with catchy tunes on this cd. It has become one of my favorites since buying. I have very eclectic taste in music, so I don't come at this cd as just a jazz fan. Take her as she is...she makes beautiful music.

I was amazed by this cd.Melody Gardot is amazing. Worrisome Heart the title track is just the tip of the iceberg.She reminds me of Karrin Alyson's Moanin track from In Blue but better.

Gardot has a great voice, the session musicians and the production are excellent, and the songs are well thought out. I only wish it had gone on longer. While she does fall into the Norah Jones-type vocal range, Gardot's voice has a more smoldering quality, and I vastly prefer it.

At least one reviewer has complained about the monothematic focus of the album, but many singer-songwriters do the same thing, especially--in my experience--female singer-songwriters. If you can handle an Amy Rigby album, you can certainly handle this. The songs aren't as whimsical, but more infectious.

There wasn't a single bad or even annoying track. I only regret how short the album is.

My fav tune so far is the title cut. Her voice is so beautiful. I love the mellow tone of this album. Very good Jazzy feal.

Look at most of the reviews below and you'll see that these are people who have no history of reviewing and are just record company sponsored raves. Blue Note does this with their records to generate sales on Amazon. It's a dishonest thing to do.

Now about this record. Melody Gardot is simply too young and inexperienced to be a good jazz writer or singer. This CD has a very fifties vibe with some great sidemen trying to make this music compelling. But Melody Gardot's musical chops aren't at the level of the rest of the band. There are so many great vocalists out there today in jazz, all of them with a lot more mileage on them than 22 years. Give Ms. Gardot another 10 years and something might be there vocally. Right now, she doesn't have her own style.

Then there is the writing The melodies are stock. The lyrics are trite. In the future Ms. Gardot needs to stick to singing.

I understand that record companies feel the need to push young pretty faces to sell records. But time and time again, those pretty faces either don't have the chops or the life experience to play jazz well. And as for putting up tens of phony reviews to sell records, that's just not cool.

This album is lovely in its depth and smooth in its versatility. With shades of classic jazz standards and vocal allusions to the masters this album is by no means a disappointment. i loved the whole disc, which is rare in these days of digital over exposure.

I received a free itunes download and liked it so much I ordered the album right away. I hope she has a long career!

Melody Gardot's release "Worrisome Heart" might have had its start in trying to rehabilitate the singer after a devastating auto accident, but it turns out to be an outstanding release by a very talented musician.

Gardot fits in the genre of a Madeleine Peyroux, and sounds like Eva Cassidy, but she has her own place with her collections of songs about love, loss, and desire that draw you in and lock the door behind you. Smooth, affecting, but yet passionate, Gardot tells her stories from a place of yearning, and not merely to elicit sympathy or pity. I imagine this is reflective of her attitude about her accident.

"Worrisome Heart" should only be the beginning of a great musician's recording career.

Warning: these songs will get stuck in your head!!

Yes...Melody's sweet melodies will carry with you throughout your day. I felt a somewhat vague and haunting feeling of familiarity upon first hearing this cd, like I had heard it somewhere else...like in a dream too old to remember. It makes me want to sway and let the wind dance around my skirts, eyes closed and head tipsy. Yes...I recommend it highly.

I am looking forward to seeing what else this young lady has in store for us! -HM Thompson

Sultry. Easy to overuse term until you hit this jazz, lounge, retro stylistically perfect CD. god, what a voice and a sound. The simple, straight-n-chaser jazzclub sound. Unrelentant, unrepentant clarity that cuts into the soul like Tom Waits giving up his once-grand ability to reach in and hold your heart in his hand. classic blue jazz imagery that frankly, is magnificent.

I heard one track and had to have it.

Just about the coolest CD you can buy right now. Ms Gardot, you've blown me away.

I sampled Melody's music on itunes and bought it here. Her music is very moody and soulful. It reminded me so much of Norah Jones whom I love very much. After I bought one for myself, I thought of a friend and bought one for her a few days later. Check out Melody's music. I hope you find it as enjoyable to listen to as I.

This might be one the best set of tracks I've listened to this year. The performance and production are as polished and clean as you could hope for, and the delivery so genuine and soulful you can almost smell the smoke and martinis. This makes a great gift for anyone who appreciates jazz or blues.

I can't really describe how this album is except...just get it.

Faves:
Sweet Memory
Quiet Fire
Goodnite
Worrisome Heart

At twenty-three, singer-songwriter Melody Gardot has a hauntingly beautiful, silky voice that can melt event the hardest of hearts.
Drenched in a sublime vapour of mellow blues, eclectic folk and above all jazz, 'Worrisome Heart' is a ten-track collection of original songs co-produced by Melody Gardot and Grammy Award winning producer Glenn Barratt.
With a superb narrative, nuanced phrasing and skillfully constructed arrangements, this is a rare and unique album.
Echoes of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald belie her jazz heritage, whilst the lyrics communicate a wise, determined and occasionally lighthearted take on life.
What's more, these fragile tales of love are all self-penned.
Backed by the some of the finest musicians on the American jazz scene, she has already drawn rave reviews everywhere.
Melody, who is just 23, manages to sound wise beyond her years without sounding foolish.
She combines old school jazz with fresh and original self penned lyrics - no rehashing covers for this songbird.
The album opens smooth and mellow with the title track, "Worrisome Heart", where she asks for love, eccentricities and all. Moving into the lighter, upbeat "All That I Need Is Love", she reprimands the male species for being oblivious to a woman's finer needs.
Her songs flow in this manner through the rest of the album, with gems such as the Cole Porter-esque "Love Me Like A River", the seductive "Quiet Fire", and the sentimental, optimistic "One Day".
Her resulting inner steel cuts through best in top tracks "Worrisome Heart" and "Love Me Like A River Does", lifting them above standard dreamy jazz classics.
On the album's title track, she calls herself a "worrisome, troubling, baggage free, modern day dame, ain't nobody the same".
She's right there. Meanwhile "Love Me Like A River Does" stands out for its simple yet devastating lines such as: "Baby don't rush, you're no waterfall - love me that is all".
The tunes are understated and simple yet when paired with her strong, clear voice, the mix is intoxicating.
Her warm, broken phrasing and the band's close backing put one in mind of Ella Fitzgerald's work with Johnny Mercer.
This isn't an album that blows you away. It sneaks up on you.
Norah Jones and Madeleine Peyroux have some serious competition on their hands.

I bought this CD based on the strong buzz that it has been receiving. That buzz turns out to be well-deserved. This CD is as good as everyone says. Gardot is a highly effective singer and a superb writer. In ways that I did not anticipate, this turns out to be quite a sexy CD. Highly recommended for people interested in intelligent singing and writing. The Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, Diana Krall connection mentioned by others rings true to my ear. Also recommended: April Barrows.

I first heard of Melody Gardot in a music review on our local Sydney radio station ABC 702.Worrisome Heart was played and I was immediately taken by the beauty of her voice and lyrics. I had to have the CD then and there, so as it wasnt avilable in Oz just yet got it straight way from Amazon. Yes her voice and song structure does sound very much like like Norah Jones...but what a voice. I love her songs and would highly reccommend this album to anyone who does like Norah Jones, or just wants cruisy, sweet, melancholy music...you will not be dissappointed.

Through the first 5 months of 2008, the most remarkable thing about this year to date, in the field of vocal jazz, is the plethora of really promising young singers, mining the field of jazz-pop. (Though actually, this trend dates back earlier than that; it's just that it's really prominent this year). Raya Yarbrough, Hope Waits, and now Melody Gardot have all put out first-rate debut c.d.'s, all excellently produced, in this sub-genre.

What separates Ms. Gardot from the rest (including other jazz-pop chanteusses such as Erin Bode, Sara Gazarek, Judith Owens, Jackie Allen and the like), however, is that all of these tunes are originals - and, incidentally, all are really, really good. Melody does "melody" very well. She has great promise, just as a songwriter.

According to what I can read into the liner notes, a good chunk of this c.d. was recorded in the dead of night, 2 years after her near-fatal auto accident. I well believe it. The songs seem to range between whimsy (e.g., track #2, "All That I Need to Love") and atmospheric (e.g., track #8, "Love Me Like a River Does," my favorite here), and have that close examination and clarity of time that only the middle of the night on a second wind can bring.

With songs this well written, it's tempting to compare Ms. Gardot with Joni Mitchell. But really, I think a more apt comparison is with Paul Simon. In songs like the above, as well as "Sweet Memory," "Quiet Fire," and "Goodnite," I hear echoes of "59th Street Bridge Song," "Punky's Dilemma" and "El Condor Pasa."

As I mentioned above, this is an excellently produced c.d. The sound is clean and in tune, and the addition of violin, clarinet, trumpet, lap steel guitar and dobro make for most arresting arrangements.

I could see some jazz artist in the distant future redoing these songs in a completely different vein, and turning it into an equally impressive recording. Such is the case with great songs. Here's hoping that Melody Gardot becomes that good and that prominent as to inspire such future recordings. RC

P.s. - 11/26/08: This is my favorite c.d. for 2008. Rarely have I heard a c.d. that has so much depth to it, that is so simple and so complex at the same time. Listening to this is like having a ribeye steak and Ruth-Chris': it sticks with you, long after the meal is over. RC

great first c.d. from ms. gardot ! i will be looking for mire from her in the future !

Sometimes, I like to shake it up a little - buy something that I find suggested by others that is a real departure from my standard listening fare. Melody Gardot's "Worrisome Heart" was just such a wild card and I gotta tell you ... this CD is nothing short of brilliant. I am SO glad I took the chance and SO thrilled with the discovery that I'm a little overwhelmed. If you have ever wanted the perfect candlelight dinner music, you have found it. Also exquisite for night driving or the occasional sob on behalf of love gone wrong. Ms. Gardot's voice is breathtakingly smooth and elegant without trying to be anything at all, which contributes to its intimate feel. Such a find ... really, just quit waffling and add it to your cart. Sensational.

I discovered this jazz album during an NPR interview with Melody Gardot, a 23-year-old jazz ingenue who is wise beyond her years when it comes to noir jazz. After being struck by a SUV while riding her bicycle at age 19, Gardot turned to music to confront and then overcome her resulting cognitive disability. Worrisome Heart is Gardot's debut jazz album, and the remarkable result of her ongoing recovery. Backed by a group of talented musicians such as guitarist Jef Lee Johnson (Billy Joel, George Duke, Aretha Franklin, David Sandborn), organist Joel Bryant (Aretha Franklin, Harry Connick Jr.), and trumpeter Matt Cappy (Jill Scott, Kirk Franklin), Gardot's intimate, sultry, smoldering vocals are reminiscent of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, and the recording itself is clear and crisp. This is an amazing collection of cool songs about unfulfilled desire, heartache, and yearning by an amazing talent. Worrisome Heart will appeal to anyone who likes the vocal styles of Madeleine Peyroux or Diana Krall. Album tracks include:

1. Worrisome Heart 4:21
2. All That I Need Is Love 2:36
3. Gone 2:50
4. Sweet Memory 3:21
5. Some Lessons 5:23
6. Quiet Fire 4:13
7. One Day 2:02
8. Love Me Like A River Does 4:06
9. Goodnite 3:04
10. Twilight 1:01

G. Merritt

Picked this CD up after hearing an interview with Miss Gardot on NPR. They only played a couple of songs off of the CD there. When I bought the CD I was really impressed.

Beautiful CD. If Diana Krall married Norah Jones and had a child, she would be named Melody Gardot.

Slow blues with feeling. Wow. My daughter told me about Melody Gardot and she is great. What's more to say.

A few songs are a bit Norah Jones-ish (not that there's anything wrong with Norah), but some have a really great sound that's mellow and cool.

Smooth, moving and delightful. Ms. Gardot has a truly unique sound that touches your heart.

Got the CD of Gardot in good order and at a fantastic price. Melody is an amazing person recovering from a debilitating accident. NPR did a story this spring on her amazing comeback and how she has become an accomplished jazz singer. Her talent and music is amazing. I highly recommend it.

What an amazing voice! Melody Gardot is one of the best singer/songwriters to come around in a LONG time. Her voice and tone are incredibly sultry and completely engaging. She deserves to have a long successful career in music!

This extraordinary young lady has taken the best of several musical genres and put them together to make her own, unique sound. Her music is beyond soothing. It is interesting, intriguing, and ultimately one of a kind. I love her voice and the inflection she gives to her poetry.

What a Great Find! Heard her interviewed on National Public Radio (NPR). She has a smooth wonderful sultry voice. The music is jazz and blues. Some of the songs will rip at your heart and others will make you smile. So glad I bought this CD.