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Madeleine Peyroux: Bio

Madeleine Peyroux whose voice has often been compared to that of Billie Holiday's, was discovered while in her early twenties, when Beauvais spotted her at a New York club. He recalls the worldly singer's set to be "some of the most exciting, viscerally moving minutes of my music-listening life." Beauvais subsequently signed Peyroux to Atlantic and co-produced her 1996 debut Dreamland.

Prior to this life-changing performance, the American-born Peyroux was a musician on the streets of Paris. A precocious teenager, living abroad with her mother, Madeleine quickly became entranced with local buskers, spending much of her time accompanying a regular band on the sidewalks of the Latin Quarter with her distinctive voice, and, by 15, had dropped out of school to join a touring blues and jazz band.

Following the whirlwind release and promotion of the critically acclaimedDreamland, the 22-year old Peyroux disappeared from the limelight, just as the buzz surrounding the singer was at its peak. Health issues were partly to blame, but the pressures of a quick rise to stardom in the jazz world became overwhelming. Peyroux took time to find herself, and, in doing so, returned to her first love of busking.

When she finally felt ready to return to the studio, Madeleine was paired with renowned producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, Herbie Hancock) - a match that would prove to be a successful one, stretching over several, subsequent albums. The result was 2004's Careless Love (Rounder) - a diverse collection of covers penned by everyone from Elliott Smith to Hank Williams. Breakout track "Don't Wait Too Long" helped push Madeleine into the mainstream by topping the jazz charts and appearing in national commercial spots and film soundtracks.

Peyroux followed the success of Careless Love with 2006's highly anticipated Half the Perfect World (Rounder). The singer-songwriter once again paired original material ("I'm All Right," among them) with an eclectic selection of covers (paying homage to the likes of Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits and Serge Gainsbourg). 2009's Bare Bones (Rounder) shook up the prototype, and featured all original compositions by Peyroux, including the likes of the upbeat and twangy "Instead." Continuing her artistic growth, Madeleine released Standing on the Rooftop - her debut with Decca Records - with a new producer, GRAMMY® Award-winning Craig Street (John Legend, k.d. lang, Norah Jones).

Peyroux's most recent recording project, 2013's The Blue Room (Decca), found the singer-songwriter once again teaming up with Larry Klein, and paying homage to Ray Charles' classic 1962 LP, Modern Sounds in Country Western Music. Covering a handful of Charles' songs from the album, and adding such fitting tracks as Randy Newman's "Guilty" and Warren Zevon's "Desperadoes Under the Eaves," Peyroux melded multiple genres, creating an album that floated in the ether between jazz, country, blues and pop.

A living document of her artistic metamorphoses, Keep Me in Your Heart for a While … combines the poignant with the charming, the old with the new, and the standard favorites with the original compositions. Beauvais writes of his protégé, "Whether she sings Leonard Cohen ("Dance Me to the End of Love"), Bob Dylan ("You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go") Charlie Chaplin ("Smile"), Edith Piaf ("La Vie en Rose"), or post-punk songster Elliott Smith ("Between the Bars"), [Madeleine] brings to this most diverse material the same beguilingly cautious, respectful, and crystal clear way with the melody, the same revelatory focus to the lyric's delivery."

1 On My Own
2 Down On Me
3 Party Tyme
4 Anthem
5 All My Heroes
6 On A Sunday Afternoon
7 The Brand New Deal
8 Lullaby
9 Honey Party
10 The Ghosts Of Tomorrow
11 We Might As Well Dance
12 Last Night When We Were Young
13 Liberte

Press Release
'I don't think in terms of record sales' / BBC interview

Madeleine Peyroux's new album, Anthem, finds the singer-songwriter collaborating with writers/musicians Patrick Warren (Bonnie Raitt, JD Souther, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Lana Del Rey, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers), Brian MacLeod (Sara Bareilles, Leonard Cohen, Tina Turner, Ziggy Marley) and David Baerwald (Joni Mitchell, David and David, Sheryl Crow), who are also the basic rhythm section players on the album. Together, they cast a sober, poetic, and at times philosophical eye on the current state of the world.

Produced and co-written by Larry Klein, the album came to life during the pivotal 2016 US elections, with the writers absorbing a "constant stream of news" over many months. The "consciously not too preachy" songs, fuse Peyroux's, at times political outlook, with glimpses into her personal world. Honed and patiently refined with fellow writers they mix the public with the personal, striking that perfect equilibrium of dark humour and compassion.

Stories

  • Madeleine Peyroux talks with Vermont/New Hampshire's WOOL91.5
    Posted At : November 28, 2018 12:00 AM

    Madeleine Peyroux's new album, Anthem, finds the singer-songwriter collaborating with writers/musicians Patrick Warren (Bonnie Raitt, JD Souther, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Lana Del Rey, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers), Brian MacLeod (Sara Bareilles, Leonard Cohen, Tina Turner, Ziggy Marley) and David Baerwald (Joni Mitchell, David and David, Sheryl Crow), who are also the basic rhythm section players on the album. Together, they cast a sober, poetic, and at times philosophical eye on the current state of the world. Produced and co-written by Larry Klein, the album came to life during the pivotal 2016 US elections, with the writers absorbing a "constant stream of news" over many months. The "consciously not too preachy" songs, fuse Peyroux's, at times political outlook, with glimpses into her personal world. Honed and patiently refined with fellow writers they mix the public with the personal, striking that perfect equilibrium of dark humour and compassion. MP sat down with Vermont/New Hampshire - WOOL91.5 Jeffrey Starratt to discuss the new album. Listen to the attached file.
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  • 'It's a pleasure to present a rare, exclusive interview with Madeleine Peyroux - The Paul Leslie Hour
    Posted At : October 16, 2018 12:00 AM

    Madeleine Peyroux's new album, Anthem, finds the singer-songwriter collaborating with writers/musicians Patrick Warren (Bonnie Raitt, JD Souther, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Lana Del Rey, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers), Brian MacLeod (Sara Bareilles, Leonard Cohen, Tina Turner, Ziggy Marley) and David Baerwald (Joni Mitchell, David and David, Sheryl Crow), who are also the basic rhythm section players on the album. Together, they cast a sober, poetic, and at times philosophical eye on the current state of the world. Produced and co-written by Larry Klein, the album came to life during the pivotal 2016 US elections, with the writers absorbing a "constant stream of news" over many months. It's a pleasure to present a rare, exclusive interview with Madeleine Peyroux discussing several topics including this newest release, her most ambitious and biggest recording yet. She's right here on The Paul Leslie Hour.     LISTEN   p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px}
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  • On Anthem, Madeleine Peyroux shows her chops as a songwriter / WVIA Public Media
    Posted At : October 15, 2018 12:00 AM

    In the early 2000s, there was a revival of popularity in the chanteuse style of vocalist, women singers with a mix of jazz, theatrical and cabaret influences. The best-known was Norah Jones, but preceding Ms. Jones' debut album in 2002 by about six years was the appearance of Madeleine Peyroux, whose own first release Dreamland appeared when she was 22. It attracted a lot of attention at the time, with many observing that her style drew influence from the great jazz singer Billie Holiday. After the stir caused by that record, Ms. Peyroux retreated from the recording scene for some eight years, before returning in 2004 with Careless Love., after which she has remained active releasing a variety or musical projects, most of them collections of interpretations of the songs of others, from country artists to rockers to traditional songs. She has just released her ninth album called Anthem and it's her first in about 10 years consisting of mostly original music. It seems hard to believe but it has been 22 years since the release of Madeleine Peyroux's debut album. Over the years, she has been taking her chanteuse style in different directions nicely, and on Anthem, shows her chops as worthy songwriter. READ THE FULL WVIA: Pittston PA REVIEW p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px}
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  • Legendary background singers add some additional spice to Madeleine Peyroux - Anthem / ginalovesjazz
    Posted At : October 2, 2018 12:00 AM

    It adds some additional spice to have legendary background singers Maxine Waters, Julia Tillman Waters, and Clydene Jackson singing on her new album "Anthem", which is the 8th album for this hard-to-categorize artist who nevertheless has found her own niche which is a somewhat quirky mix of folk, country, pop, soul, and jazz. Most of the songs were written by Madeleine Peyroux herself and her longtime producer Larry Klein together with drummer Brian Macleod, guitarist David Baerwald, and pianist/keyboardist Patrick Warren. READ THE FULL ginalovesjazz REVIEW
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  • Madeleine Peyroux interviews with 'SIMPLYTIMELESS'
    Posted At : September 27, 2018 12:00 AM

    Recently, Jay Daniels had the great pleasure of interviewing internationally renowned vocalist and Decca recording artist, Madeleine Peyroux. She's just released a new album called Anthem, It's mixture of covers and original tunes, but most importantly, it's filled with the stories of life. Here's his interview with Madeleine Peyroux.  Anthem, finds the singer-songwriter collaborating with writers/musicians Patrick Warren (Bonnie Raitt, JD Souther, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Lana Del Rey, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers), Brian MacLeod (Sara Bareilles, Leonard Cohen, Tina Turner, Ziggy Marley) and David Baerwald (Joni Mitchell, David and David, Sheryl Crow), who are also the basic rhythm section players on the album. Together, they cast a sober, poetic, and at times philosophical eye on the current state of the world. Produced and co-written by Larry Klein, the album came to life during the pivotal 2016 US elections, with the writers absorbing a "constant stream of news" over many months.  p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} LISTEN TO THE SIMPLYTIMELESS INTERVIEW
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  • Madeleine Peyroux set for SLO's Fremont Theater / New Times
    Posted At : September 21, 2018 12:00 AM

    Close your eyes when Madeleine Peyroux sings and you can forget when and where you are. It could be a smoky French café in the 1930s, a blues-drenched American juke joint in 1940s, or tonight Saturday, Sept. 22, in the Fremont Theater. Peyroux had a fairly peripatetic upbringing. Born to "hippie" parents in Athens, Georgia, she was raised in New York and California before her parents divorced when she was 13 and she and her mother moved to Paris. Today she lives in Brooklyn, though she said in a recent phone interview, "I travel so much I'm not super grounded to any one place." Her newest, Anthem, was produced and co-written by four-time Grammy winner Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock), who she's co-written with in the past. What sort of show should people expect when she appears this weekend at the Fremont? "Right now, we're going to be presenting songs on this recording in a traditional jazz context," Peyroux said. "We're a quintet, and I think the approach, in a way, is a pop approach. A lot of the great jazz standards were pop songs at the time. It's more about the lyrics and the story, a story that's a personal plea from one person to a whole bunch of other people, a personal message, a political message." Anthem's title track perfectly encompasses that sentiment and sounds like a classic American Songbook jazz standard with a contemporary twist: "The birds they sang at the break of day/ Start again I heard them say/ Don't dwell on what has passed away/ Or what is yet to be// Yeah the wars they will be fought again/ The holy dove she will be caught again/ Bought and sold and bought again/ The dove is never free// Ring the bells that still can ring/ Forget your perfect offering/ There is a crack in everything/ That's how the light gets in." p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL New Times ARTICLE
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  • Madeleine Peyroux delivers her most bonafide troubadour'd album in years / Jazz Weekly
    Posted At : September 17, 2018 12:00 AM

    Madeleine Peyroux delivers her most bonafide troubadour'd  album in years, possibly since her debut Dreamland. Producer Larry Klein keeps the atmosphere like you're sitting around the campfire and taking in Peyroux's delivery of songs by herself, Klein, Leonard Cohen and others as well as a poemby Paul Eluard. All through the album, Peyroux is in charming mode as she mixes and match with Klein (who adds "video game sounds" to his bass and piano arsenal), Dean parks/g, Brian MacLeod/dr, Pet Kuzma/B3, Patrick Warren/p-key and a rotating caravan of horns, strings, voices and percussion coming in and out like guests at a buffet dinner.   READ THE FULL Jazz Weekly REVIEW p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060}
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  • Leonard Cohen hovers over the proceedings on Madeleine Peyroux's 'Anthem' / METRO
    Posted At : September 3, 2018 12:00 AM

    THIS will not be the first time the work of Madeleine Peyroux has been described as ‘haunted'. But with Anthem, it's not simply a matter of mood. The spectre is identifiable, and for once it is not Billie Holiday, though Peyroux was among the earlier contemporary revivalists of her vocal stylings. Rather, the late Leonard Cohen hovers over proceedings, brooding and wry, as was his manner in his later career. It is a cover of his song that gives the album its title, and more importantly, its spirit. Peyroux has long been an admirer and an interpreter of Cohen. An American jazz/pop singer, she is as nourished by her own Europhilia, and by the admiration of transatlantic audiences, as her folk-based Canadian predecessor was. READ THE FULL METRO REVIEW
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  • Madeleine Peyroux - Anthem makes npr: all songs considered's 'essential new albums out on Aug. 31'
    Posted At : August 31, 2018 12:00 AM

    All Songs Considered's Robin Hilton talks with NPR Music's Ann Powers and Stephen Thompson about the essential new albums out on Aug. 31, including; Madeleine Peyroux's new album, Anthem, which finds the singer-songwriter collaborating with writers/musicians Patrick Warren (Bonnie Raitt, JD Souther, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Lana Del Rey, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers), Brian MacLeod (Sara Bareilles, Leonard Cohen, Tina Turner, Ziggy Marley) and David Baerwald (Joni Mitchell, David and David, Sheryl Crow). Together, they cast a sober, poetic, and at times philosophical eye on the current state of the world. Produced and co-written by Larry Klein, the album came to life during the pivotal 2016 US elections, with the writers absorbing a "constant stream of news" over many months. The "consciously not too preachy" songs, fuse Peyroux's, at times political outlook, with glimpses into her personal world. Honed and patiently refined with fellow writers they mix the public with the personal, striking that perfect equilibrium of dark humour and compassion. SEE THE FULL NPR: All Songs Considered PAGE & LISTEN TO SEGMENT   p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px}
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  • Madeleine Peyroux' Anthem, drawn together by inspired arrangements and a touch of melancholy / theartsdesk
    Posted At : August 28, 2018 12:00 AM

    Peyroux made her name by channelling the sultry sensuality and soul of Billie Holiday and breathing new life into well-known songs written by others - notably Elliott Smith and Leonard Cohen. She still brings enchantment to covers, but has increasingly found her own distinctive voice, without losing that element of sensual magic - those long drawn-out notes - inherited from the great Lady Day. Her new album is drawn strongly together by impeccable arrangements and production, studio expertise and inspiration that provides the album with welcome variety, as well as a touch of melancholy that colours and brings coherence to the whole. READ THE FULL artsdesk REVIEW
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  • Madeleine Peyroux - Anthem has consistency, focus and a wonderfully laid-back eccentricity / EXPRESS
    Posted At : August 27, 2018 12:00 AM

    US vocalist Peyroux works with a whole range of songwriters here and has Joni Mitchell's ex-husband and producer at the controls but there's a consistency and focus that centres on the singer's wonderfully laid-back eccentricity. Who else but Peyroux could come up with a track like the brilliant Party Tyme in which the celebration in question appears to be taking place in some sort of wonky crack house? There's more than an echo of Steely Dan in the combination of smooth jazz and raw lyricism. In fact, Brand New Deal's elegant swipe at American capitalism could easily have come straight off the Dan's Gaucho LP but it's Peyroux's insouciant voice that haunts the listener. READ ALL EXPRESS REVIEWS
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  • With a enviably rich catalog, Madeleine Peyroux releases new album - Anthem / MusicTaP
    Posted At : April 20, 2018 12:00 AM

    With a enviably rich catalog, the talent of Madeleine Peyroux has provided years and albums worth of great music. Not only has she recorded some original material, but Madeleine Peyroux has also lent her extraordinary vocal and musical qualities to songs written by Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Willie Dixon, the recent Hall of Fame inductee Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and others, all in a Bessie Smith-styled presentation. Her last album, Secular Hymns, was released in 2016. All in all, Madeleine Peyroux has seven classic albums out (one for Atlantic Records, three for Rounder Records as well as a ‘best of' set, two for Decca Records, and her last with Verve Records). SEE MUSIC TAP PAGE
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  • Madeleine Peyroux makes triumphant Glasgow come-back / Herald Scotland review
    Posted At : June 6, 2017 12:00 AM

    After a decade's absence from Glasgow, the American singer-guitarist Madeleine Peyroux made a triumphant come-back on Sunday, to the delight of an adoring audience which hung on her every last word and note. Accompanied by just guitar and bass, she performed songs from across her career, and although she has moved through the genres in the 13 years since her first major album, she has clearly taken fans with her on the journey – and she still infuses everything she sings with a bluesy, slightly tortured, soulfulness. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Arial; min-height: 11.0px} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Arial} Sunday's concert benefitted from the fact that the City Halls' Grand Hall is half the size of Royal Concert Hall and the Usher Hall, where she has previously played, and it was therefore possible to create the sort of intimate atmosphere that complements and enhances her confessional style.    READ THE FULL Herald Scotland REVIEW
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  • Madeleine Peyroux set for Old Rock House / STLtoday.com
    Posted At : March 25, 2017 12:00 AM

    For her latest album, "Secular Hymns," blues/jazz/pop singer Madeleine Peyroux was able to record in an idyllic place: a small church in rural Oxfordshire, England, in front of an audience of about a hundred or so. The songs, which include such gems as Townes Van Zandt's "The Highway Kind," Willie Dixon's "If the Sea Was Whiskey" and Sister Rosetta Tharpe's not-so-secular "Shout Sister Shout," were recorded live, but "Secular Hymns" isn't a conventional live album, in that the audience, though present, is silent throughout - a fact that came as something of a surprise to the artist herself. "I did the whole concert thinking, ‘Wow, they're so reserved," Peyroux says by phone from her tour bus, on her way to a show in Dallas. "They were giving me all these facial expressions like, ‘This is great,' but not making any noise at all. In St. Louis, Peyroux will headline at the Old Rock House, but elsewhere, she's splitting the bill with singer/songwriter Rickie Lee Jones.   READ THE FULL STLtoday.com ARTICLE
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  • Madeleine Peyroux commands Arlington Theatre / Santa Barbara Independent review
    Posted At : March 25, 2017 12:00 AM

    Madeleine Peyroux commanded the Arlington Theatre stage Friday night, March 17. Sashaying through the Great American Playbook, she, bassist Barak Mori, and guitarist Jon Herington - impeccably tight, tasty, and complementary - quietly chomped on Tom Waits's "Tango Till They're Sore," Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love," and Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Shout, Sister, Shout!," with an emotionally charged understatement and quiet swing that alternated from playful to excruciating. What she did with "Danny Boy" - shamrock-shaking national anthem of the American Irish - was grimly haunting and utterly new. The Pogues, even in the darkest stupor, would have been proud. Peyroux, who, like Holiday, is endowed with a very small voice, vowed to sing exclusively about "booze, blues, and love." She veered off topic a few times, however, to shake a fist at Donald Trump, opening up with a defiantly playful "(Getting Some) Fun Out of Life." READ FULL Santa Barbara Independent ARTICLE
     
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  • Madeleine Peyroux plays Santa Barbara's Arlington Theatre / Jazz Weekly
    Posted At : March 20, 2017 12:00 AM

    Madeleine Peyroux showed at her Arlington Theatre concert that she has been able to accomplish what is surely the goal of every artist; that of finding one's own voice. That has been doubly hard for Ms. Peyroux, as early in her career she was unjustly labeled as a Billie Holiday sound-alike. Yes, her voice still has a stroke of Lady Day's lilt and tone, but Peyroux has wisely emphasized the bohemian and gypsy side of life during her career, creating a puree' for all of her interpretations of material to be sift through. p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px} Teamed up with the gents that accompanied on her recent album Secular Hymns, namely Jon Herrington/b and Barak Mori/g, Peyroux took the audience through various moods and journeys. Sometimes delivering cozy and upbeat swing as on "(Getting Some ) Fun Out of Life" and "Don't Wait To Long," she also delivered minstrel-like street performances, acting out lyrics to "Hello Babe" or telling harrowing stories with her flexible voice on "Tango Till They're Sore" and "Guilty." With dirge-like string accompaniment, Peyroux penetrated each heart with a haunting read of " Danny Boy" while having a jolly good time with a Dan Hicks-inspired read of "Getting Better" while even some sensuous samba made sense as Peyroux and her team took you to the beaches of Brazil with an ultra-romantic "Agua de Beber" before landing on the steps of the Left Bank with a solo performance of "La Javanaise." READ THE FULL Jazz Weekly REVIEW
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  • Madeleine Peyroux, Rickie Lee Jones tour. Next stop, Atlanta / WABE 90.1
    Posted At : March 11, 2017 12:00 AM

    Not all that long ago, bluesy singer Madeleine Peyroux was an American in Paris, performing on the streets with hat in hand. Today, she performs on stage to sold-out crowds. Twenty years after her recording debut, Dreamland, Peyroux continues her musical journey of exploration beyond the ordinary with here most recent Secular Hymns, a spirited and soulful masterwork released on Impulse!/Verve Label Group.  Rickie Lee Jones defies convention with her sometimes brazen sexuality and a mixed bag of jazz, rock and confessional songwriter performances. She joins Peyroux for a full on North American tour with Atlanta's Variety Playhouse up next, tomorrow night, Sunday March 12. Today's WABE: Atlanta "City Lights with Lois Reitzes" for Thursday March 9 features Peyroux discussing "Secular Hymns." 
    Here's the full sched. 1:56: Actress Tara Ochs talks with Lois Reitzes about her one-woman show, "White Woman in Progress." 21:36: ArtsATL Executive Editor Laura Relyea and "City Lights" producer Erin Wright discuss this week's arts headlines. 26:20: Jerry's Habima Theatre is Georgia's only theatrical company featuring actors with special needs. Susie Davidow, director at Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, which houses the theater, and actor Sean Wyatt speak with Reitzes about their upcoming production of "The Wizard of Oz"; p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px} span.s1 {text-decoration: underline} 34:15: Musician Madeleine Peyroux speaks with Reitzes about her recent album "Secular Hymns." She performs with Rickie Lee Jones at the Variety Playhouse this weekend. 
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  • Rickie Lee Jones and Madeleine Peyroux on tour throughout March / Here & Now
    Posted At : March 1, 2017 12:00 AM

    Singers Rickie Lee Jones and Madeleine Peyroux have individually built up devoted followings over the years. Jones has won two Grammy awards, and Peyroux's voice has drawn comparisons to Billie Holiday. Peyroux most recent recording - Secular Hymns is a spirited and soulful masterwork on Impulse!/Verve Label Group. Recorded with her touring band-mates, guitarist Jon Herington and bassist Barak Mori- the trio crafted the album in a live setting in a small church in the Oxfordshire countryside of England.  The result is a stirring collection of songs that have their own hymn-like stories of self-awareness. Peyroux said about the album, "I think of the music that I play, and maybe more so recently, I think of it in those terms. I think of it as being a part of what I live by and what I think about and defines a lot about my life. And in a way maybe that's why it's also like a hymn, because if you're gonna pray - I've thought about this not having grown up in any church atmosphere - I've wondered about what music means when it's in the church, there's so much music in the church. If somebody's singing, how much do we have to worry about the the prayer aspect of the music, and how much are we just actually living music? And what's the - to me - what's the difference? That's a different discussion, but I don't really know that there is a way to break between the secular aspect of music and the spiritual aspect of music. Of course, intention, obviously, but then beyond that how do you know?" p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px} The two have embarked on a North American tour throughout the month of March. Here & Now's Eric Westervelt talked with the two singers. LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION
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  • Rickie Lee Jones - Madeleine Peyroux NATour starts 3/1
    Posted At : February 23, 2017 12:00 AM

    On the eve of Rickie Lee Jones and Madeleine Peyroux embarking on a North American tour, let's revisit a vintage video of Jones' jazztastic, acoustic-guitar-driven hit single "Chuck E's in Love," from 1979. The duo also just released a politically charged video for a newly recorded cover of David Essex's "Rock On." The video involves a poignant (and sometimes hard to watch) series of clips focusing on women's rights and a host of human rights issues.  Madeleine Peyroux's latest Impulse/Verve CD: Secular Hymns is a spirited and soulful masterwork recorded with her touring band-mates of the last two years -electric guitarist Jon Herington and upright bassist Barak Mori. The trio crafted the album in a live setting at a small church in the Oxfordshire countryside of England. The result is a stirring collection of songs that have their own hymn-like stories of self-awareness. Here is a full list of - Rickie Lee Jones and Madeleine Peyroux Tour Dates: 03/01 – Theatre Maisonneuve – Montreal, Canada 03/02 – The Wilbur – Boston, MA 03/03 – Scottish Rite Auditorium – Collingswood, NJ 03/04 – Town Hall – New York, NY 03/06 – Mayo Center for the Performing Arts – Morristown, NJ 03/07 – Bethesda Blues & Jazz – Bethesda, MD 03/09 – Peace Center  -Greenville, SC 03/10 – The Charleston Gailard Center – Charleston, SC 03/11 – Capitol – Clearwater, FL 03/12 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA 03/14 – Majestic Theatre Dallas – Dallas, TX 03/16 – Fox Theater – Tucson, AZ 03/17 – Arlington Theatre – Santa Barbara, CA 03/18 – Luckman Fine Arts Center – Los Angeles, CA 03/19 – Kanbar Hall – Jewish Community Center – San Francisco, CA 03/21 – Royal Theatre – Victoria, Canada 03/22 – Neptune – Seattle, WA 03/24 – Rococo Theatre – Lincoln, NE 03/25 – Paramount Theatre – Aurora, IL 03/26 – The Northern Lights Theater – Milwaukee, WI* 03/28 – Ames Center – Burnsville, MN 03/29 – Iowa City – Englert Theater* 03/31 – Austin, TX – One World Theater* p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px} 04/01 – Houston, TX – The Heights Theater*
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  • Madeleine Peyroux set for Middle Eastern debut at the Royal Opera House Muscat / The National
    Posted At : February 14, 2017 12:00 AM

    When you are in the middle of a world tour, venues can often blend into each other. But when it comes to Amsterdam's hallowed rock venue, Paradiso, Madeleine Peyroux is almost misty-eyed. Talking exclusively to The National before her recent gig there, the American soulstress recalled busking outside the venue during her travels in her youth. "It is amazing," she says. "I had a great time just doing it for me and I always dreamed I would play here. This is a special thing." The 42-year-old is about to notch another career milestone by making her Middle Eastern debut, with a performance at the Royal Opera House Muscat on Thursday night. She told us about her acclaimed new covers album, Secular Hymns, and the responsibility as a singer has when stepping onto the stage. SEE The National PAGE p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px}
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  • Rickie Lee Jones & Madeleine Peyroux announce co-headlining North American tour / axs
    Posted At : February 3, 2017 12:00 AM

    Since her 1979 self-titled debut album, Rickie Lee Jones has influenced various female artists for nearly 40 years. The Californian earned two Grammy wins for Best New Artist in 1980 and Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group for "Makin' Whoopee" in 1990. Fellow jazz musician Madeleine Peyroux spent time performing with The Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band before embarking on a solo career with her 1996 debut album Dreamland. In 2007, she was named the Best International Jazz Artist at the BBC Jazz Awards. Both of these talented musicians will join forces for a massive North American tour in March. The tour kicks off on March 1 inside Montreal's Theatre Maisonneuve, and it will make stops in New York City (Town Hall on March 4), Atlanta (Variety Playhouse on March 12), and Los Angeles (Luckman Fine Arts Center on March 18). After March 28, Rickie Lee Jones will go solo with performances in Iowa City, Austin, and Houston. Tour dates can be seen below. Tickets for these shows are on sale right now. Jones is touring in support of her latest album The Other Side of Desire, which is out on her own label The Other Side of Desire Records. Peyroux is promoting her latest release Secular Hymns. Both artists will be releasing a collaboration later this month. Here are the tour dates March 1 - Montreal, Canada - Theatre Maisonneuve  March 2 - Boston, Mass. - The Wilbur  March 3 - Collingswood, N.J. - Scottish Rite Auditorium March 4 - New York, N.Y. - Town Hall   March 6 - Morristown, N.J. - Mayo Center for the Performing Arts  March 7 - Bethesda, Md. - Bethesda Blues & Jazz March 9 - Greenville, S.C. - Peace Center March 10 - Charleston, S.C. - The Charleston Gailard Center March 11 - Clearwater, Fla. - Capitol  March 12 - Atlanta, Ga. - Variety Playhouse March 14 - Dallas, Texas - Majestic Theatre (click here for tickets) March 16 - Tucson, Ariz. - Fox Theater  March 17 - Santa Barbara, Calif. - Arlington Theatre (click here for tickets) March 18 - Los Angeles, Calif. - Luckman Fine Arts Center March 19 - San Francisco, Calif. - Kanbar Hall - Jewish Community Center March 21 - Victoria, Canada - Royal Theatre March 22 - Seattle, Wash. - Neptune March 24 - Lincoln, Neb. - Rococo Theatre March 25 - Aurora, Ill. - Paramount Theatre  March 26 - Milwaukee, Wis. - The Northern Lights Theater* March 28 - Burnsville, Minn. - Ames Center March 29 - Iowa City, Iowa - Englert Theater* March 31 - Austin, Texas - One World Theater* p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px} April 1 - Houston, Texas - The Heights Theater* SEE THE axs PAGE
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  • Madeleine Peyroux set for Kent Stage in March / Cleveland Scene
    Posted At : December 22, 2016 12:00 AM

    Singer-songwriter Madeleine Peyroux emerged some 16 years ago when she issued her acclaimed debut, Dreamland, a jazzy affair that features elegant covers of tunes such as "Walkin' After Midnight" and "Reckless Blues."  In 2004, she attained mainstream recognition with Careless Love, an album that launched a collaboration with producer Larry Klein. She continues to regularly tour and record and released her latest effort, Secular Hymns, earlier this year. She will perform at 8 p.m. on March 31 at the Kent Stage.  p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px} SEE THE Cleveland Scene Weekly PAGE
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  • Madeleine Peyroux - Secular Hymns / New Zealand Herald review
    Posted At : December 15, 2016 12:00 AM

    Until now Madeleine Peyroux's debut album Dreamland, released when she was 22 and still fresh from busking on the streets of Paris, has remained my favourite of her now six studio albums. However, my favouritism is now being seriously challenged by this new release, Secular Hymns. Saint Mary's church in the tiny village of Great Milton in Oxfordshire provided the inspiration when Madeleine's trio played there last year. So arrangements were made to return to this Norman era church and lay down the appropriately titled Secular Hymns. Madeleine with John Herrington on electric guitar and vocals and Barak Mori on upright bass and vocals have made a powerful set of jazz and blues infected tunes. They've also reached into the songbooks of some heavyweight writers, among them Willie Dixon, Allen Toussaint, Townes Van Zandt, Kansas Joe McCoy, Bill Doggett, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Tom Waits. READ THE FULL New Zealand Herald REVIEW
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  • Madeleine Peyroux - Secular Hymns / Jazz & Blues Report review
    Posted At : December 15, 2016 12:00 AM

    Twenty years after her recording debut, Dreamland, Madeleine Peyroux continues her musical journey of exploration beyond the ordinary with Secular Hymns, a spirited and soulful masterwork released on Impulse!/Verve Label Group. Recorded with her touring band-mates of the last two years -electric guitarist Jon Herington and upright bassist Barak Mori- the trio crafted the album in a live setting in a small church in the Oxfordshire countryside of England.  The result is a stirring collection of songs that have their own hymn-like stories of self-awareness. "Music has been our spiritual life," says Peyroux, "so I think of these as hymns, secular hymns-songs that are very individual, personal, introverted." SEE THE Jazz & Blues Report REVIEW in Photo
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  • Madeleine Peyroux is not as famous as she ought to be / Daily Mail
    Posted At : November 27, 2016 12:00 AM

    Madeleine Peyroux is part-French, part-American, and not as famous as she ought to be, given her radiant voice and the fact that she can fill the Festival Hall in London after starting out as a busker on the streets of Paris.  Appearing at the EFG London Jazz Festival, she is introduced as ‘the queen of the unhurried'.  Twenty years after her recording debut, Dreamland, Peyroux continues her musical journey of exploration beyond the ordinary with Secular Hymns, a spirited and soulful masterwork on Impulse!/Verve Label Group. Recorded with her touring band-mates of the last two years - electric guitarist Jon Herington and upright bassist Barak Mori - the trio crafted the album in a live setting in a small church in the Oxfordshire countryside of England.  The result is a stirring collection of songs that have their own hymn-like stories of self-awareness. READ THE Daily Mail REVIEW
     
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  • Madeleine Peyroux releases the best album of her career / The Times
    Posted At : November 25, 2016 12:00 AM

    This wasn't the Madeleine Peyroux we have come to know over the years. Gone were the fretful glances, the awkward silences and the sense that she would rather be in her hotel room. Just for a change, the American singer-guitarist seemed to be enjoying herself at this EFG London Jazz Festival concert. As well she might, given that she has just released the best album of her career. Recorded in the unlikely setting of a parish church in Oxfordshire, Secular Hymns is a blissfully hip collection, the material venturing in all directions, from the pioneer of American song Stephen Foster to the dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson. Peyroux's stripped-down line-up is a perfect match too. Jon Herington's unfussy, but evocative electric guitar makes a piquant. SEE The Times PAGE   p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px}
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  • Madeleine Peyroux plays Royal Festival Hall / LondonJazz review
    Posted At : November 21, 2016 12:00 AM

    Although Madeleine Peyroux doesn't really need one, certainly not amongst the packed out concert hall of super fans last night, she was nevertheless given a nice introduction. Coined here as "Queen of the unhurried" - a term I found particularly inspired - and an unparalleled songstress who is a strong believer in the power of song, she's quoted as having said "Music, song, the voice: this is my spiritual life". Well, after last night's incredible performance, I'm inclined to agree. 

    Her new album follows this idea nicely, being entitled Secular Hymns, and takes a wide range of songs written by a variety of big names right from Stephen Foster and Allen Toussaint (whose recent passing must have been of particular poignancy to Madeleine, as he played in the band on her 2011 album Standing on the Rooftop) through to Tom Waits and Linton Kwesi Johnson. As ever, no matter who the composer or what the subject matter, each song - and each lyric within that song - receives the special Peyroux touch, as was clear in her performance last night. 

    The set-up of the evening nurtured this intimate, conversational atmosphere. The Royal Festival Hall is certainly a large venue and even the rear choir stalls had been opened up due to high demand for the concert. However, the soft lighting and the simplicity of the trio sitting casually together on stage belied this grandeur and instead made for a really warm, personal experience. Barak Mori on double bass and Jon Herington on guitar were both an important element in the success and conviviality of the gig, and were also given deserved space to let loose. 

    As wonderful and integral to the evening as her band-mates were, however, the first time that Peyroux opened a song simply accompanying herself on the guitar - the poignant Bird on the Wire from her album The Blue Rooms - it was so mesmerising that it became clear just how much power she holds all on her own. It wasn't until the others came in that you even realised they weren't playing. She later went on to play several songs by herself and these acoustic versions held a special kind of power that revealed her full talent, for to be able to hold an audience of thousands captive with just a guitar and your voice is really something quite impressive.  READ THE FULL LondonJazz REVIEW
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  • Madeleine Peyroux visits with WABE 90.1ATL
    Posted At : November 20, 2016 12:00 AM

    LISTEN TO WABE: ATLANTA - Lois Reitzes interview with MP Here's some transcript - After playing at a Michelin-starred restaurant, Madeleine Peyroux and her band stumbled into a 12th-century French church. "It had this immediate effect on me," said Peyroux in an interview with Lois Reitzes. "You don't have the opportunity to go in a 12th-century church in America." Oddly enough, it was living internationally that led to her appreciation of American music – from Billie Holiday to Bob Dylan. Born in Athens, Georgia, Madeleine Peyroux, her mother and brother moved to Brooklyn when she was about 5. Then, the trio moved to Paris, where Madeleine spent her adolescence. "Getting out of the United States, you can learn about this country from an outside perspective," said Peyroux. "And music, that's our greatest gift to the world." Peyroux always wanted to sing while growing up, and she debuted on the international music scene with her 1996 album, "Dreamlands." Now, 20 years later, she's released her seventh solo album, "Secular Hymns." And Peyroux and her trio recorded the album live in that 12th century church. "I find it odd that people have segregated music, as if it's not okay to enjoy music that doesn't have the right mention of a certain god in it," said Peyroux. "But I do believe we can have a beautiful, secular, morally important life without that."
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  • Madeleine Peyroux - Secular Hymns / Evening Standard review
    Posted At : November 12, 2016 12:00 AM

    "The human voice is like fruit. It ripens," says Madeleine Peyroux, gazing out of her London hotel room window. "My voice has definitely become stronger, filled with more emotion." Her intelligent eyes flash. "Which makes sense, since the voice is part of the body. All your life experience goes in there, whether you like it or not." We're talking about the American singer-guitarist's latest album, Secular Hymns, a clutch of tunes by composers from Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits to British dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson and late American gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, which Peyroux recorded in a 12th-century church in rural Oxfordshire. The venue's natural acoustics highlight the wonderfully unhurried nature of a repertoire she unveiled 20 years ago with her acclaimed debut, Dreamland. While it's a vibe she's continued over several albums of impeccably chosen material - including a smattering of sweet-sad originals - on Secular Hymns the new maturity in Peyroux's sultry voice is striking. READ THE FULL Evening Standard REVIEW p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica} span.Apple-tab-span {white-space:pre}
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  • Madeleine Peyroux... 'I don't think in terms of record sales' / BBC interview
    Posted At : November 2, 2016 12:00 AM

    Twenty years after her recording debut, Dreamland, Jazz singer and composer Madeleine Peyroux continues her musical journey of exploration beyond the ordinary with Secular Hymns, a spirited and soulful masterwork released on Impulse!/Verve Label Group. Recorded with her touring band-mates of the last two years -electric guitarist Jon Herington and upright bassist Barak Mori- the trio crafted the album in a live setting in a small church in the Oxfordshire countryside of England.  The result is a stirring collection of songs that have their own hymn-like stories of self-awareness. Peyroux talks about her new album, which was recorded in one day inside a church. WATCH BBC INTERVIEW  
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  • Madeleine Peyroux - Secular Hymns / The Straits Times review
    Posted At : October 7, 2016 12:00 AM

    Since singer Madeleine Peyroux debuted in 1996 with her album, Dreamland, she has carved out an idiosyncratic path through the borderlands connecting jazz, blues and pop. She leans to the bluesy side of the jazz repertoire, but she also frequently flexes her muscle as a distinctive interpreter of lyricists/composers who have the same penchant for the declamatory storytelling style that is so much a part of the blues. Her latest album - an eclectic collection of tunes by songsmiths ranging from Eric Clapton and Tom Waits to Allen Toussaint and Sister Rosetta Tharpe - is an assured acoustic outing that benefits from her drily ironic delivery and her warm timbre sharpened with a nasal edge. Accompanied by her regular sideman guitarist Jon Herington and bassist Barak Mori, she makes full use of the cosy reverb of the recording venue - a 200-seat 12th-century parish church in Oxfordshire where she has gigged before. READ THE FULL Straits Times REVIEW
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  • Madeleine Peyroux - Secular Hymns / Jazz Weekly review
    Posted At : October 3, 2016 12:00 AM

    It's always seemed ironic to me that people have associated Madeleine Peyroux's voice and style with Billie Holiday. As this album points out, while she may have some of Lady Day's timing, her sound and nuance points more to another soul, that of Patsy Cline. Here, in the context of "Secular Hymns", meaning folk tunes, and gospel songs that have hit the mainstream, Peyroux takes  you down not to 52nd Street or the Left Bank, but to the local VFW with her Spartan and intimate team of Jon Herington/g and Barak Mori/b. by George W. Harris • October 3, 2016   READ THE FULL Jazz Weekly REVIEW
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  • Madeleine Peyroux - Secular Hymns gets 4 stars from theguardian
    Posted At : September 18, 2016 12:00 AM

    As Madeleine Peyroux has made plain in recent years, small venues feel most like home to her. Peyroux brought her regular guitarist Jon Herington and bassist Barak Mori to a 200-seater 12th-century Oxfordshire church (hence the title) for this recording of classic songs from composers as different as Tom Waits, Allen Toussaint, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and 19th-century American songwriter Stephen Foster. Mori's big, growling sound and Herington's gleaming rejoinders and scampering runs surround the singer on Eric Clapton's Got You on My Mind; she delivers Waits's Tango Till They're Sore with a sardonic intimacy, and Townes Van Zandt's The Highway Kind as an introverted speculation that makes her signature upturns of resolving notes sound as natural as talking. Lee Dorsey's Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky is a catchily sensuous glide, Peyroux's own Hello Babe exudes a kind of menacing playfulness, and Patti Smith's Trampin' displays the delicate handling of a good lyric Peyroux is famous for. Secular Hymns is very close to the feel of a Peyroux live show, and one in which she's clearly having a ball.  SEE THE FULL guardian REVIEW
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  • Madeleine Peyroux - Secular Hymns / theartsdesk review
    Posted At : September 14, 2016 12:00 AM

    Madeleine Peyroux made her name channeling Billie Holiday. White stars have never ceased to model themselves on African-American genius – Mick Jagger on Don Covay, Rod Stewart on Sam Cooke and Joe Cocker on Ray Charles. The resemblance is often uncanny, and yet there is always something missing - call it authenticity, roughness or soul. Peyroux has grown away from Lady Day, and found her own voice, but the jazz and blues that characterize most of the covers she sings with great skill and feeling, don't quite have the edge of the originals. And yet, black vocalists have been as attracted to the smooth of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra or George Jones, as their white counterparts driven to play with gospel melisma or ecstatic shouting. There is a dialogue and cross-fertilisation that keeps American music lively, and Peyroux belongs right there in the middle, sultry cabaret chanteuse with shades of late-night jazz and the endemic melancholy of the blues. But this is blues lite, too clean for comfort. Her latest album is stripped down, without the more sophisticated production that has characterised her previous six. Alone with guitarist Jon Herington, who plays eloquently with a minimum of well-chosen notes, and the upright bass of Barak Mori, who swings with smooth elasticity, she was recorded in a 12th-century church in Oxfordshire, with a small audience. The intimacy of the setting suits the simplicity of her material well. This generally accomplished collection of covers is let down by a uniformity of mood, evoked with Peyroux's usual sensitivity, but the dark hues that dominate are not relieved by the sweet romance that characterised some of the standout material of her earlier recording      SEE theartsdesk PAGE
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Crossover Media Projects with: Madeleine Peyroux

Anthem
Secular Hymns
http://madeleinepeyroux.com/