International best-selling jazz sensation Melody Gardot releases her stunning new album ‘The Absence’, on Decca. In the summer of 2010, Melody travelled to Marrakech and during an overnight trip to the desert, had something of a revelation: “So many languages and so many cultures and yet I was taken by how similar the spirit of music is the world over.” Written by Melody and produced by composer and guitarist Heitor Pereira - who also composed all the orchestral arrangements on the album - ‘The Absence’ is a stunning 11-track culmination of Melody’s year-long globetrotting experiences. From the deserts of Morocco to the beaches of Brazil, ‘The Absence’ pulses to the hypnotic rhythms of Fado, Tango and Samba. Melody is joined on the album by acclaimed musicians; bassist John Leftwich, percussionist Paulihno DaCosta and drummers Jim Kelter and Peter Erskine among many others. A renowned film composer (Despicable Me, It’s Complicated, From Prada To Nada) - Heitor Pereira has also worked with Simply Red, Sting and Seal as a world-class session guitarist. ‘The Absence’ is the follow-up to 2009’s ‘My One and Only Thrill’ - Melody’s second album which took her to the heights of global stardom.