Ahhh, che bellezza e che godimento ascoltarsi ogni tanto dischi come questo "Dreamland" di Madeleine Peyroux del lontano 1996.

Un disco profondamente blues ma con venature jazz e pop, cantato in maniera vellutata e incredibilmente sexy da questa Madeleine Peyroux, da molti definita "l'erede vivente di Billie Holiday" per timbro, pastosità e qualità d'interpretazione. Un disco del 1996 dicevamo, ma che sembra appartenere a una 50ina d'anni prima se non fosse la cura dei suoni e delle registrazioni a tradirne l'origine.

Madeleine passò la giovinezza in Georgia cantando nei vari pub fumosi e alcolizzati della città, ed è in uno di questi che, narra leggenda, verrà ingaggiata da Yves Beauvais, talent scout della Atlantic Records di passaggio proprio in quel locale. Il talentuoso Yves co-produrrà così questo splendido gioiellino di jazz e soft-blus (!?) impreziosito dagli interventi di Marc Ribot (alle chitarre e dobro) e Greg Cohen (al basso) collaboratori storici del più famoso Tom Waits. E la mente ci riporta appunto al primo periodo 'crooner' della carriera del cantante californiano quando cantava blues malinconici e disperati nei locali più malfamati della provincia americana.

Ci si lascia trasportare così, senza remore, da queste 12 canzoni interpretate in maniera oserei dire 'classica' ma ricca di pathos a rinverdire sonorità anni 40/50 con una classe interpretativa e un timbro vocale che tutt'oggi ha pochissimi eguali in Europa.
Un esordio 'timido' ed eseguito senza strafare che diventa al tempo stesso limite e pregio dello stesso, alternando materiale inedito a standards classici del genere (su tutti spicca il blues indolente e scanzonato di 'Walhing after midnight', la leggendaria 'la vie en rose' con accompagnamento di violino, accordion e chitarra o la strepitosa 'reckless blues' di Bestie Smith con il solo piano ad accompagnare la splendida voce di Madeleine che poco ha da far rimpiangere l'originale).

Un disco ascoltato almeno una 15ina di volte viaggiando in auto per le strade della Grecia (evento assai raro per le mie orecchie onnivore e mai contente) e che non mi ha ancora stancato. Un disco terribilmente 'non attuale', 'non commerciale', 'non legato a mode, attualità o classifiche di sorta'  un disco affascinante come pochi e 'piacevolmente leggero' che impieghererà 8 lunghissimi anni prima di 'mollare il testimone' al successivo "Careless Love" dell'anno scorso, altrettanto bello e già recensito qui.

Un disco consigliato anche per questa sensazione di 'atemporalità' che lo fa entrare di diritto nei miei 'evergreen' di sempre.

Elenco tracce e testi

01   Walkin' After Midnight (04:48)

02   Hey Sweet Man (04:00)

Hey sweet man
Who you give your lovin' to?
Hey sweet man
Who you give your lovin' to?
I gotta mind to love you
I'll love you through and through

Hey momma's child
Ain't you been waitin' for me?
Hey momma's child
Ain't you been waitin' for me?
I've gotta mind to love you
And my love won't leave you be

Hey sweet woman
I see you're searchin' too
Hey sweet woman
Ain't no man that love you
Hold on, pretty momma
Someday he'll be searchin' too

Well we need some lovin'
We need it oh-so-bad
We need some lovin'
We need it oh-so-bad

'Cause it's bad lovin', momma
It's the only thing we ever had

03   I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter (03:44)

04   (Getting Some) Fun Out of Life (03:13)

When we want to love, we love
When we want to kiss, we kiss
With a little petting, we're getting
Some fun out of life

When we want to work, we work
When we wanna play, we play
In a happy setting, we're getting
Some fun out of life

Maybe we do the right things
Maybe we do the wrong
Spending each day
Wending our way along



But when we want to sing, we sing
When we want to dance, we dance
You can do your betting, we're getting
Some fun out of life

Maybe we do the right things
Maybe we do the wrong
Spending each day
Wending our way along

But when we want to sing, we sing
When we wanna dance, we dance
You can do your betting, we're getting
Some fun out of life

05   La Vie en rose (03:21)

( Edith Piaf )

Des yeux qui font baisser les miens
Un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche
Voilà le portrait sans retouche
De l'homme auquel j'appartiens

Quand il me prend dans ses bras
Il me parle tout bas
Je vois la vie en rose
Il me dit des mots d'amour
Des mots de tous les jours
Et ça me fait quelque chose

Il est entré dans mon coeur
Une part de bonheur
Dont je connais la cause
C'est lui pour moi
Moi pour lui dans la vie
Il me l'a dit, l'a juré
Pour la vie

Et dès que je l'aperçois
Alors je sens en moi
Mon coeur qui bat

Des nuits d'amour à plus finir
Un grand bonheur qui prend sa place
Des ennuis, des chagrins s'effacent
Heureux, heureux à en mourir

Quand il me prend dans ses bras
Il me parle tout bas
Je vois la vie en rose
Il me dit des mots d'amour
Des mots de tous les jours
Et ça me fait quelque chose

Il est entré dans mon coeur
Une part de bonheur
Dont je connais la cause
C'est lui pour moi
Moi pour toi dans la vie
Il me l'a dit, l'a juré
Pour la vie

Et bien quand je t'aperçois
Alors je sens en moi
Mon coeur qui bat

06   Always a Use (02:41)

Always A Use
(Madeleine Peyroux)

Maybe ain't no use in sayin' what I want it to be
Maybe ain't no use in playin' a tune
Maybe ain't no use in singin' my blues
But there's always a use in you and me

Maybe ain't no use in watchin' through the window
As the towns and our lives roll on by
Maybe it ain't worth all the trouble in thinkin'
But there's always use in you and I

We can make it true
We can work on it too
We can be what we want it to be
We can be together
As two or as three
'cause there's always use in you and me

Maybe ain't no use in sayin' what I want it to be
Maybe ain't no use in playin' a tune
Maybe ain't no use in singin' my blues
But there's always a use in you and me

We can make it true
We can work on it too
We can be what we want it to be
We can be together
As two or as three
'Cause there's always use in you and me

Maybe ain't no use in watchin' through the window
As the towns and our lives roll on by
Maybe it ain't worth all the trouble in thinkin'
But there's always use in you and I.

07   A Prayer (02:36)

Lord
I must be strong now
I don't belong now
In this world anymore

I'll say a final prayer for
Those I care for
Who've kept my company

My need is clear
I'm dying to have you near
To me

Lord
I don't belong now
If you are waiting
I am not afraid to die

I'm prepared to go
Divide my body and soul
Won't you

Lord
I don't belong now
If you are waiting
I am not afraid to die

Have mercy
Lord, I'm told it's paradise
To have and to hold you

Lord
I must be strong now
I don't belong now
In this world anymore

Lord
I won't be long now
If you are waiting
I am not afraid to die

08   Muddy Water (03:32)

( Bessie Smith )

Dixie moonlight, Swanee shore
Headed homebound just once more
To my Mississippi delta home

Southland got that grand garden spot
Although you believe or not
I hear those breeze a-whispering
"Come on back to me"

Muddy water 'round my feet
Muddy water in the street
No God don't shelter
Down on the delta

Muddy water in my shoes
Reeling and rocking to them lowdown blues
They live in ease and comfort down there
I do declare

Been away a year today
To wander and roam
I don't care it's muddy there
But this is my home

Got my toes turned Dixie way
'Round the delta let me lay
My heart cries out for muddy water

Been away a year today
To wander and roam
I don't care it's muddy there
But this is my home

Got my toes turned Dixie way
'Round the delta let me lay
My heart cries out for muddy water

09   Was I? (02:46)

10   Dreamland (03:31)

Dreamin'
Makin' my way
Dreamin'
Won't let me stay in your arms
In your warm
In your love

Sleepin'
Away the day
Hopin'
That we two could stay
All alone
On our own revelries

Let's make a pact for our lives
And our homelands
Built on the bricks that we bathed

In my dreamland
Home sweet dreamland
Always a dreamland
For the two of us,
Together,
We'll stay

Let's build a homeland together in the sand
We have forever right here at hand
In dreamland
Home sweet dreamland
Always a dreamland
For the two of us,
Together,
We'll stay

11   Reckless Blues (03:04)

12   Lovesick Blues (02:17)

Carico i commenti...  con calma