As usual I am four years behind. We just started listening to Madeleine Peyroux recently.  Upon closer examination she is not new as I had first thought, but simply off my radar like countless other things.  Here’s some interesting facts:

1. She sounds uncannily like Billy Holiday.  If you don’t know who that is, shame on you.
2. She was born the same year as me (1974).  I haven’t checked to see just how close in age we are (yet) I’m just not narcissistic enough (yet).
3. As her albums continue to come out she adds more of her own material.  Her covers of contemporary music and jazz standards are haunting, thoughtful and exceptionally executed.

If you haven’t heard her stuff you are completely missing out.  Run to Itunes.  You can snag her whole album catalog for about $50.

Her personal story is almost as interesting as her music.  You can read a version of it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Peyroux

…Jaeson