The Absence

by Melody Gardot

Overview

If Melody Gardot's 2009 sophomore effort, My One and Only Thrill, sustained the sultry, atmospheric vibe of her critically acclaimed 2006 debut, her 2012 follow-up, The Absence, is a bit of a creative departure for the vocalist. Apparently inspired by her world travels, and specifically by a trip that brought her to the desert around the city of Marrakech, the album moves her away from smoky, small-group jazz and into a bright, if still bedroom-eyed, rhythmically exotic sound. Produced by guitarist/composer Heitor Pereira, the album is a lush, somewhat orchestral album that finds Gardot delving into various Brazilian, Spanish, and African-influenced sounds -- including bits of samba, tango, bossa nova, and calypso -- that evince her global journey. However, rather than simply making a standards album, Gardot continues her all-original approach, offering up new literate and passionately delivered compositions that bring to mind the work of such similarly inclined artists as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Paul Simon, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and others. Although there are a few name musicians who help add spice to Gardot's musical caravan here, including percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, drummer Peter Erskine, and bassist John Leftwich, primarily it is still Gardot's burnished and yearning vocal style that takes the helm on these tracks. ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	12/02/2022
Label:	Universal
UPC:	4988031525463
Rank:	90984

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Melody Gardot   Primary Artist,Piano,Guitar,Vocals
Alfie Silas-Durio   Vocals (Background)
Katia Popov   Violin
Helen Nightengale   Violin
Andrew Shulman   Cello
Matthew Funes   Viola
Jo Ann Turovsky   Harp
Tamara Hatwan   Violin
Paco Arroyo   Percussion
Andrew Lippman   Trombone
Marlow Fisher   Viola
Coco Trivisonno   Bandoneon
Phillip Levy   Violin
Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick   Cello
Stuart Clark   Clarinet
Michael C. Watts   Accordion
Charles Staab   Drums
Joann Turkovsky   Harp
Brian Dembrow   Viola
Jessica Pearlman   Oboe
Ali Witherspoon   Vocals (Background)
Armen Ksajikan   Cello
Heitor Pereira   Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Percussion,Glockenspiel
Yolanda Arroyo   Percussion
Lisa M. Sutton   Violin
Louis Price   Vocals (Background)
Tata Vega   Vocals (Background)
Roland Kato   Viola
Paulinho Da Costa   Percussion
Bill Cantos   Vocals (Background)
Bruce Dukov   Violin
Larry Goldings   Piano,Melodica
Ramon Flores   Trumpet
John Leftwich   Bass
Keith Greene   Viola
Jaques Morelenbaum   Vocals (Background)
Cecilia Tsan   Cello
Michael Valerio   Bass
Darrin McCann   Viola
Phil Roy   Vocals (Background)
Doug Webb   Slide Saxophone
Sarah Thornblade   Violin
Tereza Stanislav   Violin
Andrew Duckles   Viola
Yamandu Costa   Vocals (Background)
Serena McKinney   Violin
Stephen Erdody   Cello
Dan Higgins   Flute,Clarinet,Flute (Alto),Clarinet (Bass)
Alyssa Park   Violin
Roger Wilkie   Violin
Paula Hochhalter   Cello
Christian Kollgaard   Bass
Julie Gigante   Violin
Harry Kim   Trumpet
Dave Walther   Viola
Hamilton de Holanda   Mandolin,Vocals (Background)
Christina Soule   Cello
Shawn Mann   Viola
Nico Abondolo   Bass
Ron Kerber   Clarinet
Timothy Davies   Conductor
Bill Maxwell   Vocals (Background)
Dennis Karmazyn   Cello
Peter Erskine   Drums
Jim Keltner   Drums
Martin Tillman   Cello
Nick Glennie-Smith   Conductor

Technical Credits

Ladd McIntosh   Orchestration
Ivy Skoff   Contractor
Lynn Peterson   Engineer
Marcel Louiguy   Composer
Jesse Harris   Composer,Composer
Sam Feldman   Management
Fabrizio Ferri   Photography
Marco Ruiz   Assistant
Steve Macklam   Management
Booker White   Copyist
Mary Levitan   Management
Christopher Appleton   Hair Stylist
Sebastian Zuleta   Engineer
Scott Smith   Assistant Engineer
Vanessa Par   Assistant Engineer
Jeremy Miller   Assistant Engineer
Heitor Pereira   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Jovite De Leymarie   Design,Artwork
Roque Cozzette   Make-Up
Bernie Grundman   Mastering
Edith Piaf   Composer
Jay Newland   Engineer
Phil Roy   Composer
Melody Gardot   Composer,Producer,Piano Effects
Antonio "Moogie" Canazio   Mixing,Engineer
Glenn Barratt   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Steve Genewick   Assistant
Al Schmitt   Mixing