Melody Gardot’s “From Paris With Love” project brings together quarantined musicians from around the world

Melody Gardot was in Paris working on a new album when she found herself quarantined there, the recording process suddenly on hold. But the Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, who began her career here in Philly, did not allow herself to be limited by the situation, and instead jumped into action on a new project — a global initiative to help out-of-work musicians. 

“There are so many magnificent artists and musicians in the world who can no longer live through their art, exercise their profession, or find themselves together working in the studio,” Gardot shared in a press release. “I feel strongly that we cannot just wait and continue to struggle, that on the contrary, we must try to do something beautiful all together and come out ‘virtually’ from our confines to continue producing.”

Gardot’s goal is to ​bring together an international orchestra to play on her new song “From Paris with Love.” She’s working with some of her longtime collaborators — producer Larry Klein, conductor, arranger and composer Vince Mendoza, and engineer Al Schmitt — to assemble the orchestra, which will record the track virtually. (The musicians will be compensated just as they would be if they were in the studio to help lighten the financial strain of the pandemic.)

Through the project, Gardot hopes to project a message of love and unity, and prove that artists can still create despite their distance. Proceeds from the song will benefit healthcare workers and other out of work musicians. See updates on the project on Melody Gardot’s Instagram.