After a successful debut performance at the Kimmel Center ‘s Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts 2013 XPN Welcomes singer- songwriter event, Madeleine Peyroux returns to make her debut at the Merriam Theater performing new works from recent album release, The Blue Room, on Friday, October 25 at 8 p.m. The Blue Room remained No. 1 on Itunes for over a month, and features the hit single, “Changing All Those Changes,” with the genre-bending singer reimagining classic hits, in a repeat collaboration with longtime Peyroux producer Larry Klein. Through intensely distinctive renditions of old classics and modern tunes by the likes of Leonard Cohen and The Beatles, Madeleine Peyroux has proven to be an uncannily insightful ‘interpreter’ with her consistently impeccable choice of material. As a result, The Blue Room is a sophisticated album that rather than just ‘crossing over,’ seamlessly fuses musical styles together to create an entirely new sound. Ticket prices range from $30 to $55 and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at kimmelcenter.org, at the Kimmel Center box office, Broad & Spruce streets (open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
The Blue Room feels like a landmark in the artist's free-spirited musical journey which started in Paris, when ‘drawn to the music of the streets’, 15- year-old Peyroux left school to join a touring blues and jazz band. “Someone gave me early Columbia recordings with Billie Holiday and instructed me to learn the songs.” Peyroux grasped not just the melody changes, choice of tone and phrasing but the power of the iconic artist's presence. “It was by learning Billie's mannerisms that I was learning to listen to my own,” she explains. Years later, her talent was spotted at a New York club by Atlantic Records’ Yves Beauvais who signed her to the label and co-produced her 1996 debut album, Dreamland. Peyroux’s husky voice enchanted punters and critics alike but it was the 2004 Careless Love that proved to be a milestone release for the artist, bringing mainstream recognition and marking the start of a four-album-long collaboration with producer Larry Klein. It’s a long way from the streets of Paris to collaborating with some of the world’s finest musicians. Still, where others may be content basking in the glow of praising reviews, this charmingly humble musician bravely explores new grounds showing that like jazz itself she is willing to take new chances. For Peyroux, “the only thing that matters is the song.” That conviction along with a ‘one of a kind’ voice, has carried the Jazz artist from busking on the streets of Paris, all the way to mainstream recognition.
The Blue Room feels like a landmark in the artist's free-spirited musical journey which started in Paris, when ‘drawn to the music of the streets’, 15- year-old Peyroux left school to join a touring blues and jazz band. “Someone gave me early Columbia recordings with Billie Holiday and instructed me to learn the songs.” Peyroux grasped not just the melody changes, choice of tone and phrasing but the power of the iconic artist's presence. “It was by learning Billie's mannerisms that I was learning to listen to my own,” she explains. Years later, her talent was spotted at a New York club by Atlantic Records’ Yves Beauvais who signed her to the label and co-produced her 1996 debut album, Dreamland. Peyroux’s husky voice enchanted punters and critics alike but it was the 2004 Careless Love that proved to be a milestone release for the artist, bringing mainstream recognition and marking the start of a four-album-long collaboration with producer Larry Klein. It’s a long way from the streets of Paris to collaborating with some of the world’s finest musicians. Still, where others may be content basking in the glow of praising reviews, this charmingly humble musician bravely explores new grounds showing that like jazz itself she is willing to take new chances. For Peyroux, “the only thing that matters is the song.” That conviction along with a ‘one of a kind’ voice, has carried the Jazz artist from busking on the streets of Paris, all the way to mainstream recognition.
