''Standing on the Rooftop'' is the sixth studio album by American jazz singer

Madeleine Peyroux Madeleine Peyroux (born April 18, 1974) is an American jazz singer and songwriter who began her career as a teenager on the streets of Paris. She sang vintage jazz and blues songs before finding mainstream success in 2004 when her album ''Carele ...

. It was released on June 14, 2011. Peyroux had previously released an EP to promote the album, which included the cover "Martha My Dear" and the new song "The Things I Have Seen Today".

Recording

According to the

EPK A press kit, often referred to as a media kit in business environments, is a pre-packaged set of promotional materials that provide information about a person, company, organization or cause and which is distributed to members of the media for pr ...

of the album, Peyroux had made some live demos of the songs and sent them to producer

Craig Street Craig Street, born in Oakland, California, is a noted record producer. Street moved with his family to Los Angeles at the age of 11, but returned to the Bay Area for his high school years. He began playing guitar at age 14, and was in a number ...

, to which he responded well. Having lived in New York City for long periods of time, Peyroux chose to have recording sessions there in February 2011. This was the first album of Peyroux with

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

and her first with producer

, interrupting her longtime collaboration with

Larry Klein Larry Klein (born March 17, 1956) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is based in Los Angeles. He began his career as a bassist, playing with jazz artists Willie Bobo, Freddie Hubbard, Carmen McRae, Joe Henderson, Bobby ...

. After '' Bare Bones'', which consisted of only original songs, ''Standing on the Rooftop'' featured originals, along with three covers, "

Martha My Dear "Martha My Dear" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 eponymous double album ''The Beatles'' (also known as the "White Album"). Credited to Lennon–McCartney, the song was written solely by Paul McCartney inspired in t ...

", "

I Threw It All Away "I Threw It All Away" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. The track appeared on Dylan's album ''Nashville Skyline'' in 1969, and was released as its first single later that year, where it reached number 85 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 1 ...

" and "

Love in Vain "Love in Vain" (originally "Love in Vain Blues") is a blues song written by American musician Robert Johnson. Johnson's performancevocal accompanied by his finger-style acoustic guitar playinghas been described as "devastatingly bleak". He rec ...

", plus Marc Ribot's "Lay Your Sleeping Head, My Love", a musical adaptation of a poem by

W.H. Auden Wystan Hugh Auden (; 21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) was a British-American poet. Auden's poetry was noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in ...

. It also paired Peyroux with new songwriting partners, like

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

' bassist

Bill Wyman William George Wyman (né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who achieved international fame as the bassist for the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1993. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member ...

Reception

The album peaked at number three at the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. The album also debuted at number sixty eight on the

Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...

Track listing

# "

" (

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

) – 2:32 # "The Kind You Can't Afford" (Peyroux,

)– 3:59 # "Leaving Home Again" (Peyroux, Wyman)– 3:35 # "The Things I've Seen Today" (Peyroux,

Jenny Scheinman Jenny Scheinman is a jazz violinist. She has produced several critically acclaimed solo albums, including ''12 Songs'', named one of the Top Ten Albums of 2005 by ''The New York Times''. She has played with Linda Perry, Norah Jones, Nels Cline, ...

)– 3:44 # "Fickle Dove" (Peyroux, Scheinman)– 3:28 # "Lay Your Sleeping Head, My Love" (music by

Marc Ribot Marc Ribot (; born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer. His work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, rock, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Wait ...

, lyrics by

W. H. Auden Wystan Hugh Auden (; 21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) was a British-American poet. Auden's poetry was noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in ...

) – 3:23 # "Standing on the Rooftop" (

David Batteau David Hurst Batteau (born June 25, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter. Batteau is the son of Blanca Batteau and Dr. Dwight Wayne Batteau, of Harvard University and Tufts University. He is the brother of singer-songwriter Robin Batteau. H ...

, Peyroux) – 5:46 # "

(

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

) – 3:15 # "The Party Oughta Be Comin' Soon" (Peyroux) – 5:00 # "Superhero" (

Jonatha Brooke Jonatha Brooke (born January 23, 1964) is an American folk rock singer-songwriter and guitarist from Massachusetts, United States. Her music merges elements of folk, rock and pop, often with poignant lyrics and complex harmonies. She has been a ...

, Peyroux) – 3:21 # "

" (

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...

) – 3:40 # "Don't Pick a Fight with a Poet" (Peyroux, Andy Scott Rosen) – 4:28 # "Meet Me in Rio" (Peyroux) – 3:51 # "Ophelia" (Batteau, Peyroux) – 5:12 # "The Way of All Things" (Peyroux) – 4:02

Personnel

* Madeleine Peyroux – vocals * John Kirby – keyboards * Glen Patscha – keyboards *

Patrick Warren Patrick Warren (born March 26, 1957) is an American musician, composer, and record producer. He is known for his work on the films ''Magnolia'', ''Fifty Shades of Grey'', ''Boogie Nights'' and ''Red State'', as well as the television series '' ...

– keyboards *

Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descri ...

– piano *

– violin *

Christopher Bruce Christopher Bruce (born 3 October 1945 in Leicester) is a British choreographer and performer. He was the Artistic Director of the Rambert Dance Company until 2002. He has choreographed many pieces from Andrew Lloyd-Webber/ Alan Ayckbourn m ...

– guitar *

Meshell Ndegeocello Michelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello (; born August 29, 1968), is a German-born American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on so ...

- bass guitar *

Charley Drayton Charles Leslie Drayton (born May 9, 1965) is an American multi-instrumentalist and producer, known primarily as a drummer. Artists he has recorded or performed with include The Cult, Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Mi ...

– drums *

Mauro Refosco Mauro Refosco is a Brazilian percussionist. He is best known for working with singer David Byrne and as the former touring and session percussionist for the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. He is a member of the experimental supergroup A ...

– percussion

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2011 albums Madeleine Peyroux albums Decca Records albums Albums produced by Craig Street