Meredith d'Ambrosio - Midnight Mood (2025)

A fabulous chanteuse and pianist, Meredith d’Ambrosio has captured the ears of generations of interpreters of the jazz canon. A true singer’s singer. Her craft has led to a handful of rewarding collaborations over the years, including a new partnership with French guitarist Frédéric Loiseau, captured on their new recording, Midnight Mood.

The New England based d’Ambrosio has remained quiet but active for the past twenty years, focusing primarily on her painting. After decades of regular gigging and recording, the vocalist has remained engaged but discerning in her projects.

A generation removed from d’Ambrosio, Loiseau has had a rewarding career as a guitarist in France. Studies with guitar greats Joe Pass and Joe Diorio prepared Loiseau well for early performances with Dave Liebman and John Abercrombie. For many years, he has been an educator at the Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood and a bandleader, including his Pee Bee ensemble.

Loiseau has been attracted by vocalists and was able to work with a number of greats, including Bob Dorough and Sheila Jordan. It wasn’t long before he was caught by the artistry of d’Ambrosio, eventually writing a piece in dedication to the vocalist entitled “Song for Meredith.”

In 2023, Loiseau reached out to Sunnyside Records owner and founder François Zalacain in an effort to pursue a collaboration with d’Ambrosio. Having heard the proposal, d’Ambrosio was excited at the opportunity to record her vocals and piano along with Loiseau’s guitar. D’Ambrosio was so taken with Loiseau’s tune that she wrote lyrics inspired by her relationship with her current partner, renaming the tune “Beaucoup Kisses.”

Unfortunately, when it was nearly time to record, d’Ambrosio found herself not able to attempt the piano parts. Instead, she enlisted Paul McWilliams to handle the keyboard duties. Thus, the trio of d’Ambrosio, Loiseau and McWilliams recorded at the vocalist’s Duxbury, Massachusetts home on April 9 and 10, 2024.

The program begins with the classic Ellington, Gordon and Mills’ ballad “Prelude To a Kiss.” D’Ambrosio’s weighted delivery is warmly embraced by Loiseau and McWilliams’ light accompaniment. McWilliams’ bright piano introduces Irving Berlin’s “The Best Thing for You,” the tune getting a wonderfully flirtatious performance. Loiseau and d’Ambrosio’s “Beaucoup Kisses” follows with floating vocals over lightly drifting guitar chords.

A whispered beat introduces Antonio Carlos Jobim and Gene Lees’ “This Happy Madness,” the minimal bossa nova’s magic captured in voice and guitar duet. D’Ambrosio composed the lyrics for Joe Zawinul’s “Midnight Mood” in hopes to record it with the keyboard legend. Unfortunately, Zawinul passed before their collaboration could be captured. McWilliams does well to fill Zawinul’s shoes for this lovely tune. Rodgers and Hart’s “A Ship Without a Sail” is done in wilting style, while Haggart and Burke’s “What’s New” is gorgeous with its bluesy coquetry.

The program continues with Irving Berlin’s “You Keep Coming Back Like a Song,” Loiseau’s swinging guitar and McWilliams’ rhapsodic piano providing a playful pulse for d’Ambrosio. Bill Evans and Carole Hall’s “The Two Lonely People” follows with dreamlike interpretation. The album concludes with Douglas Cross and George Cory’s “Whenever Winds Blow,” a moving love letter with patient guitar and piano accompaniment.

A brilliant deliverer of jazz song, Meredith d’Ambrosio continues to delight with her new Midnight Mood, a collection of standards featuring the guitar of new friend Frédéric Loiseau and pianist Paul McWilliams.

Meredith d'Ambrosio - vocals
Frédéric Loiseau - guitar
Paul McWilliams - piano