Madeleine Peyroux Concert

One of my favorite finds in the music bin last year was Madeleine Peyroux.

Peyroux was born in Georgia and lived there until age 13 when her family moved to Paris. At 26, she released her debut album, Dreamland. It was a hit with critics and fellow artists, but the bigger story turned out to be that Peyroux didn't release her sophomore effort, Careless Love, until eight years later.

She's been called a modern-day Billie Holiday. Even though her work has been labeled jazz, you can find blues on her albums, as well as songs from the country genre, such as Patsy Cline's Walkin' After Midnight. I've become a big fan and listen to all of her CDs (a third, Half the Perfect World, was released in 2006), so I was looking forward to her live concert in Ann Arbor.

Peyroux performed at Hill Auditorium, a venue on the U of M campus that seats around 3,500. She brought with her a keyboardist, a bass player, and a guitarist. She also accompanied on guitar. My expectations for the concert were high and unfortunately, they were not met. First of all, the mood was very laid back (think Chet Baker and a few jazz players hanging out) and I think the large auditorium dwarfed the performers. Peyroux was extremely laid back, almost hippie-ish. Don't get me wrong, I love hippies. I would've been a hippie protester in the 60s if I'd been around. But the catalog that she chooses to sing is timeless and classy, so I expected a different delivery. Even a different wardrobe choice. Is that being superficial?

OK, enough about the trappings, how was the music? Well...the musicians were talented. I thought that the arrangements were uninspired and predictable (every song had a piano solo, then a guitar solo) and Peyroux's singing was too improvisational for my taste. I guess I happen to side with those people who go to concerts to hear songs that they know and love. The songs don't have to be exactly like the recording (dullsville). But as G said, "I've heard you play her CDs and I don't recognize a single song she's singing."

It pains me to write this. I don't want to dissuade you from listening to Madeleine Peyroux. Maybe she just an off night. I still recommend that you check her out on iTunes, especially if you like standards.

Fave tracks:
Don't Wait Too Long
This is Heaven to Me
I'm All Right
A Little Bit