MELODY GARDOT — The Absence (2012) Two Version | Decca – 2792657 EU + SHM-CD Decca – UCCU-1351 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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  
Tracklist :
1    Mira 4:16
Written-By – Gardot
2    Amalia 3:03
Written-By – Pereira, Gardot, Roy
3    So Long 3:50
Written-By – Gardot
4    So We Meet Again My Heartache 4:32
Written-By – Gardot
5    Lisboa 5:27
Written-By – Gardot
6    Impossible Love 3:49
Written-By – Gardot
7    If I Tell You I Love You 3:35
Engineer [Recording, Assistant] – Glenn Barratt
Written-By – Gardot
8    Goodbye 3:41
Written-By – Harris, Gardot
9    Se Voce Me Ama 4:56
Written-By – Pereira, Gardot
10    My Heart Won't Have It Any Other Way 2:24
Written-By – Gardot
11    Iemanja 4:00
Written-By – Gardot
12    The Willow (Bonus Track) 7:00
Written-By – Roy
Credits :
Backing Vocals – Alfie Silas Durio, Ali Witherspoon, Bill Cantos, Bill Maxwell, Louis B. Price, Phil Roy, Tata Vega
Bandoneon – Coco Trivisonno
Bass – John Leftwich
Clarinet – Ron Kerber
Conductor – Nick Glennie Smith
Drums – Jim Keltner, Peter Erskine
Flute, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet, Alto Flute – Dan Higgins
Orchestrated By – Ladd McIntosh
Percussion – Paco Arroyo, Paulinho Da Costa, Yolanda Arroyo
Piano, Melodica – Larry Goldings
Piano, Portuguese Guitar – Melody Gardot
Producer, Arranged By, Vocals [Additional], Guitar [All], Piano, Percussion – Heitor Pereira
Saxophone [Slide], Tuba – Doug Webb
Trombone – Andrew Lippman
Trumpet – Harry Kim, Ramon Flores