Madeleine Peyroux, a jazz singer, was born in Athens in Georgia in 1974 and raised in New York City, France. Her vocal style is very reminiscent of Billie Holiday. Madeleine has similar qualities to Ella Fitzgerald. Peyroux might be compared to Holiday but there are many differences. She has her own style of interpretation and phrasing. Peyroux began singing when she was fifteen years old, after discovering street musicians in Paris’ Latin Quarter. The Riverboat Shufflers was her first group. She started by passing the hat and then began singing. She joined The Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band at sixteen. They spent two years touring Europe, performing songs by Billie Holiday and Fats Waller. This provided the basis of her first album, Dreamland. Dreamland was released on June 16, 1996 and received a lot of attention. Time called it the “most exciting and involving vocal performance of a new singer this season.” Dreamland is a great recording. Peyroux’s unique voice is not hampered by complex arrangements. The accompaniment is sparse and light, which is appropriate for a singer with such an exceptional voice. Peyroux was soon opening for Sarah McLachlan, Cesaria Evora and other jazz artists. She also made appearances on the Lilith Fair tour and at jazz festivals. In May 2002 she joined multi-instrumentalist William Galison, and together they appeared at such venues as the Bottom Line, Joe’s Pub, and the Tin Angel. The duo released a seven song EP called Got You on my Mind in 2003. It was sold at shows as well as online. William Galison reissued Got You on my Mind in August 2004. The original EP was enhanced by Gallison’s addition of four tracks. Peyroux’s second album, Careless Love was released in September 2004. It received mostly positive reviews. Half The Perfect World was her new album. It was released September 12, 2006. Jesse Harris, Walter Becker and Larry Klein, who also produced the album, collaborated with her. Lang, with whom Peyroux sings a cover version of “River” by Joni Mitchell. She was named Best International Jazz Artist by the BBC Jazz Awards on July 12, 2007. Text contributed by users is available under Creative Commons By–SA License. It may also be available under GNU FDL.
