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Singer-songwriter Madeleine Peyroux brings her powerful album 'Let's Walk' album to TD James Moody Jazz Festival at NJPAC

Madeleine Peyroux
C/O of the artist/NJPAC
Madeleine Peyroux

World-renowned jazz vocalist and songwriter Madeleine Peyroux who will give a live and intimate performance at NJPAC on Saturday, November 16 as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival.

Peyroux has released Let's Walk this past summer, her first album in six years.

Madeleine Peyroux's Let's Walk
C/O of the artist
Madeleine Peyroux's Let's Walk

Stylistically, Let’s Walk may be Peyroux’s most varied yet cohesive collection thus far. She incorporates elements of jazz, folk, gospel blues, Americana, chamber pop, Latin rhythms and a little playful humor into the mix.

Her single “How I Wish” is a chilling awakening in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.

The acclaimed singer spoke to WBGO's Doug Doyle about the new album.

"This is a natural discovery process to write all these original songs over the last three years. The most important moment in this record is the time we spent waking up to our failures in creating a just and equitable society as it pertains to race and structural racism. I think it means to me that I was able to articulate in song the ideas that just became so universally important."

Madeleine Peyroux chats with WBGO's Doug Doyle
Doug Doyle/Zoom
Madeleine Peyroux chats with WBGO's Doug Doyle

The title track "Let's Walk" was inspired by the mass mobilization of everyday people standing up and unifying for civil rights around the world in 2020.

"I was so obsessed with putting together a lyric video for the song "Let's Walk" because of all this beautiful footage of people marching and you notice when you're putting this together you're trying to get a rhythm. You notice how people march, especially when the march voluntarily. Their legs are not moving at the exact same pace but there is a sort of beautiful bouncing of the crowd that shows you that there is a coherent rhythm there."

Meanwhile, her single“Please Come On Inside”, provides a strong message of compassion and kindness for those who are facing tough times.

"The song 'Please Come on Inside' is about what it's like to be the family member of someone who has chosen to live outside of society or has ended up living outside of society. What I want to do is recognize how emotional and complex life and the difficulties of living in society can become, especially there's some kind of trauma. That could be losing your job, losing your house, getting sick or losing a family member."

Madeleine Peyroux
C/O of the artist
Madeleine Peyroux

Let’s Walk is Peyroux’s ninth album and the first in which she co-wrote every song with longtime collaborator Jon Herington. The November 16 NJPAC concert will showcase all the songs from the new album.

You can SEE the entire interview with Madeleine Peyroux here.

Doug Doyle has been News Director at WBGO since 1998 and has taken his department to new heights in coverage and recognition. Doug and his staff have received more than 250 awards from organizations like PRNDI (now PMJA), AP, New York Association of Black Journalists, Garden State Association of Black Journalists and the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists.