La Vie En Rose

Franco-American Madeleine Peyroux’s background is worthy of Edith Piaf: Raised in the arts by bohemian parents, Peyroux spent time in Southern California, Brooklyn and Paris. She toured Europe at the tender age of 15; inspired by street musicians in Paris’ Latin Quarter, Peyroux passed a hat through the crowd for spare change.

Since then, Peyroux has become a premier interpreter of jazz standards, bringing her whiskey-on-the-rocks sound to audiences all over the world. Never forgetting her early days as a busker, Peyroux dropped out of sight after releasing her 1996 debut record Dreamland on Atlantic Records — returning for a time to the life of a street musician.

The jazz singer’s distinctive voice recalls Billie Holiday’s immediacy and vulnerability — she’s singing truth in your ear and your ear alone. Peyroux’s repertoire includes the immortal Piaf classic “La Vie En Rose” from Dreamland, as well as covers of non-jazz songwriters like Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Tom Waits.

Peyroux’s recordings have increasingly featured original compositions — collaborations with songwriters like Walter Becker, Joe Henry and Julian Coryell, as well as assorted works penned entirely alone. Her 2011 release, Standing On The Rooftops, shows the singer moving away from jazz — experimenting with country, soul, pop and R&B. 2013’s Blue Room, out now on Decca, shows Peyroux returning to her lush jazz and blues roots.

Madeleine Peyroux plays 7:30 pm Friday, June 28, at The Shedd; $34-$46.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!