01. The Little Swallow (01:46)
02. River (03:26)
03. Perfect World (04:24)
04. Cradle Song (01:44)
05. A Time To Buy (03:31)
06. Plane Song (04:08)
07. If You Are So Beautiful (03:43)
08. Dreams On Fire (04:06)
09. All-Night Vigil - Nunc Dimittis (04:15)
10. O Holy Night (04:24)

As soon as I switched on Katie Melua’s new album In Winter I realised that she had decided to take her music into a new dimension. I know this because as with her previous work, it wasn’t just her voice humming through my speakers. There was something else present on the tracks, something harmonious and soothing, almost angelic. The sound is that of the Gori Womens Choir, a 24 piece assembly of masters of the Georgian style of polyphonic singing.

Katie is an artist whose strength lies heavily in her solitude, her moody and emotive style made even more so the lack of any other sounds. This element of her work may lead fans to question the addition of such a large group of female vocals. Will it overpower the music and weaken her individual style? After listening to the album in its entirety I can confirm wholeheartedly that Katie Melua and the Gori Womens Choir is a match made in musical heaven.

Katie is no stranger to success when it comes to her music. At the tender age of 19, she released her debut album Call off the Search. With its mesmerising blend of velvety vocals and haunting lyrics, it’s no surprise that the recording reached the top of the UK Charts and sold 1.8million copies in its first five months. I’d suggest that Melua’s new work is more quietly confident that this, but still pleasing nonetheless.

The 10 track album is appropriately titled In Winter, with songs and carols centred on themes of Christmas and the winter season.

‘The Little Swallow’ is the first song on the album, and rightly so. Sung in Ukrainian, this mesmerising work showcases the dreamy union of Melua and the Gori Women’s Choir in all its glory. Whats so impressive is how delicate the vocals are, yet just how deeply the sounds can be felt.

The emotion is palatable throughout the album, and perhaps this is because, as ever, Melua sings from personal experience. The work is a reflection of her dual heritage. She was born in Georgia and moved to Belfast at the age of five. She has spoke of how tracks on the album remind her of elements of her childhood, such as stories her Grandad would tell her about escaping from a Siberian labour camp.

Melua’s cover of Joni Mitchell’s River is a standout track, presenting an emotional longing that is reminiscent of her earlier works like Blame it on the Moon. Her acoustic guitar was used as a backdrop for this track, which makes the perfect setting for the array of beautiful voices.

The album builds beautifully, with the interjection of Romanian carol Cradle Song heightening the festive feel of the album. This song is particularly poignant and the variation of voices that echo in and out of the track makes for a moving piece that conjures up joyous imagery.

What has been produced with In Winter is a beautiful, moving piece of work that is simultaneously powerful and gentle. However, it may not appeal to the masses as a Christmas album, as the subject matter is at times sad and lacks that upbeat feeling that many look for when hunting out a festive playlist. Melia has however proved her ability once again both vocally and lyrically and the addition of The Gori Womens Choir is a pleasant one that fits in perfectly with the overall feel of the record. --- millysmith, stylebham.com/music/review-katie-melua-winter

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1. Piece by Piece (3:19)
2. Lilac Wine (4:07)
3. Kviteli Potlebi (Yellow Leaves) (2:54) up.gif
4. My Aphrodisiac Is You (4:20)
5. Crawling Up A Hill (3:25)
6. Mary Pickford (3:14)
7. Blues In The Night (4:20)
8. If You Were A Sailboat (3:57)
9. Ghost Town (3:41)
10. Perfect Circle (7:12)
11. Spiders Web (3:58)
12. Toy Collection (3:15)
13. Scary Films (4:08)
14. Mockingbird Song (4:15)
15. The Closest Thing To Crazy (4:16)
16. Nine Million Bicycles (3:35)
17. On The Road Again (4:56)
18. Kozmic Blues (5:19)
19. I Cried For You (3:31)

Katie Melua – vocals
Jim Watson – piano
Frank Gallagher – keyboards, vilin, pipe
Luke Potashnick – guitar
Tim Harries – bass
Henry Spinetti – drums
Luis Jardim = percussion, guitar

Recorded in the fall of 2008 at London’s massive O2 Arena, this concert album presents alt-pop singer-songwriter Katie Melua performing many of her signature tunes. In addition to playing intelligent, emotive songs such as “If You Were a Sailboat” and “Nine Million Bicycles,” Melua also touches on her Georgian roots with “Kviteli Potlebi (Yellow Leaves),” a folk number that points to her international appeal. ---Eric Schneider, Rovi

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101 Faraway Voice 3:39 
102 Call Off The Search 3:22 
103 Crawling Up A Hill 3:16 
104 Blame It On The Moon 4:17 
105 Spider's Web 4:21 
106 Thank You, Stars 3:39
107 My Aphrodisiac Is You 3:22
108 Learnin' The Blues 3:39
109 Belfast (Penguins & Cats) 3:29 
110 Downstairs To The Sun 3:59 
111 Lilac Wine 5:54 
112 Love Cats 3:50 
113 Joan Of Ark & Jack The Lad 3:04 
114 Monckingbird Song 3:32 
115 I Think It's Going To Rain Today 2:42 
116 Tiger In The Night 2:46 
117 The Shirt Of A Ghost 4:07 
118 The Closest Thing To Crazy 8:07 
119 I Put A Spell On You 5:28

Compilation of live performances with the chart-topping singer, to celebrate her first year of success in the United Kingdom.

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01. Gold In Them Hills 03:31
02. Better Than A Dream 03:10
03. The Bit That I Don t Get 03:13
04. Moonshine 02:42		play
05. Forgetting All My Troubles 03:23
06. All Over The World 02:56
07. Nobody Knows You When You re Down And Out 04:34
08. The Cry Of The Lone Wolf 03:59
09. Heartstings 02:54
10. The Walls Of The World 03:26
11. Secret Symphony 03:52		play

Katie Melua - Composer, Vocals, Primary Artist
Mike Batt - Arranger, Composer, Conductor, Producer
Steve Donnelly 	- Guitar
Tim Harries - Bass
John Parricelli - Guitar
Luke Potashnick - Guitar
Secret Symphony Orchestra 	
Henry Spinetti - Drums

I have always admired the talents of Katie Melua but looked forwarded to this release with a little apprehension. Her last CD "The House" was an interesting experiment but sadly did not work and so it with joy that she returns to working with Mike Batt. This CD is probably the best she has made in her career. They work so well together, it is perfect harmony. I've only listened to the CD twice and already I have several favourites. "The Bit That I Don't Get" is sheer brilliance - I've been there and the song says it all. "Nobody Knows When....." is a classic of another age and Katie realy brings her jazz influences to the fore. With just 11 songs I know that each of them is going to become a personal favourite. The only "complaint" is that the version of "All Over The World" is just a straight copy of Francouise Hardy and I would have liked some personal influence rather than copying the original - I can see why they selected it though, the voices are so similar. Welcome back Katie, this is a really superb CD, a truly gifted relationship between Katie and Mike Batt. --- M. A. Dunnington (Stourbridge, West Midlands United Kingdom)

Swój piąty album Katie Melua nagrała z Secret Symphony Orchestra. Katie zawsze lubi zaskakiwać, o krok wyprzedzać oczekiwania jej fanów. "Secret Symphony" to idealny zestaw utworów, napisanych przez najwybitniejszych autorów. Po raz pierwszy na płycie Katie Melua, poza utworami samej Katie i Mike'a Batta, pojawią się kompozycje innych twórców. "To będzie album mojego życia" - mówi Katie. "Zawsze chciałam to zrobić. Nagrać utwory napisane przez kogoś innego, mówiące o rzeczach, które są trochę poza mną, a głos to tylko narzędzie to przekazania emocji innych osób.

Prawdopodobnie wokal byłby zupełnie inny, gdyby to były moje własne utwory. To wciąga. Kilka utworów napisałam z Mikiem Battem, ale generalnie pomysł jest taki, że na płycie znajdą głównie piosenki wielkich twórców. Znajdziecie tam kompozycję Rona Sexsmitha ("Gold In Them Hills"), moją ulubioną, nagraną wcześniej przez Bonnie Rait ("Too Long At The Fair"), czy dobrze znane hity, jak "Keeping The Dream Alive". Na najnowszym albumie Katie wraca do współpracy z Mikiem Battem, z którym wydała 3 pierwsze płyty. To wyjątkowo kreatywny duet. "Secret Symphony" został nagrany w Air Studios w Londynie, a orkiestrą dyryguje sam Batt. ---merlin.pl

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CD1
1. Gold in Them Hills [03:29]
2. Better Than a Dream [03:08]
3. The Bit That I Don’t Get [03:11]
4. Moonshine [02:40]
5. Forgetting All My Troubles [03:21]
6. All Over the World [02:54]
7. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out [04:31]
8. The Cry of the Lone Wolf [03:57]
9. Heartstrings [02:51]
10. The Walls of the World [03:23]
11. Secret Symphony [03:49]
The Secret Sessions
12. Feels Like Home [04:48]
13. Too Long at the Fair [03:04]
14. Love Me Tender [03:12]
15. It’s Over [03:18]

CD2
Live In Berlin
1. Secret Symphony [04:03]
2. The Flood [03:58]
3. A Moment of Madness [04:05]
4. If You Were a Sailboat [03:55]
5. Better Than a Dream [03:13]
6. Gold in Them Hills [03:42]
7. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out [04:10]
8. If the Lights Go Out [03:55]
9. Moonshine [02:48]
10. Call Off the Search [03:29]
11. The Bit That I Don’t Get [03:06]
12. Tiger in the Night [03:05]
13. The Walls of the World [03:30]
14. The Cry of the Lone Wolf [04:05]
15. Nine Million Bicycles [03:13]
16. All Over the World [03:00]
17. Heartstrings [02:57]
18. Mockingbird Song [04:08]
19. Two Bare Feet [03:02]
20. The Closest Thing to Crazy [04:28]
21. I Cried for You [03:45]

Personnel: 
Luke Potashnick, Steve Donnelly, John Parricelli (guitar); 
Henry Spinetti (drums).

To round off a wonderful year Katie Melua releases a Special Edition of her fifth studio album 'Secret Symphony'. In addition to the four bonus tracks accompanying the original album, this collection includes a second CD of live tracks recorded in Berlin with the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg.

Katie's distinctive vocal breathes new life into the bonus tracks, songs made famous by Randy Newman ('Feels Like Home'), Elvis Presley ('Love Me Tender'), Roy Orbison ('It's Over') and Bonnie Raitt ('Too Long At The Fair'). Arranged and produced by Mike Batt, Katie is accompanied by the Secret Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to the live recordings of a selection of tracks from 'Secret Symphony', the 21 track bonus live CD features songs from Katie's nine year career including 'Nine Million Bicycles', 'The Flood' and her first hit single 'The Closest Thing To Crazy'. Recorded on 9th July 2012 at Gendarmenmarkt square in Berlin, Katie is accompanied by the Babelsberg Film Orchestra who provide a wonderfully emotive backing to this catalogue of fan favourites. --- music-news.com

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01. I'd Love To Kill You 
02. The Flood 
03. A Happy Place 
04. A Moment Of Madness 
05. Red Balloons 
06. Tiny Alien 
07. No Fear Of Heights 
08. The One I Love Is Gone 
09. Plague Of Love 
10. God On The Drums, Devil On The Bass 
11. Twisted 
12. The House

Katie Melua - Composer, Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals
Mike Batt - Arranger, Conductor
Keith Brazil - Drums
B.J. Cole - Pedal Steel Guitar
Steve Donnelly - Guitar
Fergus Gerrand - Drums
Tim Harries - Bass, Piano
Arden Hart - Keyboards
Dominic Miller - Guitar
William Orbit - Kalimba, Producer
Luke Potashnick - Guitar
Henry Spinetti - Drums
Paul Stanborough - Mandolin
Jim Watson - Piano 

Vocalist Katie Melua's 2010 album The House is an atmospheric, romantic, and sometimes eerie album of arty adult alternative pop. While longtime producer Mike Batt is on board here, journeyman electronic producer William Orbit takes the main production helm. The result is Melua's most mature album to date and one that will certainly draw well-earned comparisons to such art pop icons as Kate Bush and Tori Amos. And while immaculately produced tracks like "The Flood" and "Twisted" do evince Bush's literate and operatic sound, they also bring to mind the grand, retro-leaning approach of guitarist/singer-songwriter Richard Hawley. Which isn't to say that Melua hews closely to any kind of '60s pop; on the contrary, these are clearly contemporary songs with a modern point of view. But there is a bit of moody Nick Drake-style guitar work and the way the songs build and swoop, often with symphonic backing (the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra appears here), is very much in keeping with Hawley's particular Brill Building meets coastal British town grandeur. In that sense, the album is a bit of a grower and has an overall soft, reflective quality. As with most of The House, songs like the folk-inflected opener "I'd Love to Kill You," the Eastern-tinged "The Flood," and the yearning and pretty "Red Balloons," take time to build and grab you slowly with deft, biting lyrics and Melua's lilting, burnished vocals. ---Matt Collar, Rovi

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01 Closest Thing To Crazy 
02 Nine Million Bicycles 
03 What A Wonderful World 
04 If You Were A Sailboat 
05 Piece By Piece 
06 Call Off The Search 
07 On The Road Again 
08 Mary Pickford 
09 Spider's Web 
10 Thank You Stars 
11 I Cried For You 
12 Crawling Up A Hill 
13 Tiger In the Night 
14 When You Taught Me How To Dance 
15 Two Bare Feet 
16 Toy Collection 
17 Somewhere In The Same Hotel

With combined U.K. album sales of nearly three million copies, Georgian-born Katie Melua has quietly become one of the biggest-selling female artists of the decade. Without the media profile of Britney Spears, the powerhouse vocals of Anastacia, or the critical acclaim of Dido, her success has been based purely on old-fashioned songs that have managed to have appeal beyond the usual folk-pop market. Indeed, just like her biggest influence, Eva Cassidy, who appears here on a posthumous cover of "What a Wonderful World," Melua's soothing and jazz-tinged tones found an audience through repeated plays on Terry Wogan's BBC Radio 2 show. So the fact that the majority of The Katie Melua Collection never really moves past first gear shouldn't come as any surprise. But what her detractors may call dull, others may call refreshingly simple. Indeed, her back-to-basics approach sometimes works wonderfully, particularly on her two biggest singles, the naïvely charming "Closest Thing to Crazy" and the Celtic-inspired "Nine Million Bicycles," one of the most lyrically unique love songs of recent times. Elsewhere, "I Cried for You" showcases Melua's heartfelt, impassioned vocals to full effect, while the dramatic "Spider's Web" is a decent stab at a rock-led political song. However, the less-is-more production sometimes renders the songs so nondescript that it's hard to remember anything about them. And the likes of "Call Off the Search" and "Crawling Up the Hill" do little to dispel the unwanted Norah Jones comparisons. However, the three new tracks, Melua's first since her split with longtime collaborator Mike Batt, suggest a different direction for album number four, with the jaunty big-band party song "Two Bare Feet" a particular highlight. Overall, this is a comprehensive roundup of a surprisingly successful, if fairly unadventurous, first chapter of her career. Without the aid of her chief songwriter, it will be interesting to see how she develops from here. ---Jon O'Brien, Rovi

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1. "Call off the Search" (Mike Batt) – 3:24 
2. "Crawling up a Hill" (John Mayall) – 3:25 
3. "The Closest Thing to Crazy" (Batt) – 4:12 
4. "My Aphrodisiac Is You" (Batt) – 3:34 
5. "Learnin' the Blues" (Delores J. Silver) – 3:23 
6. "Blame It on the Moon" (Batt) – 3:47 
7. "Belfast (Penguins and Cats)" (Katie Melua, Batt) – 3:21 
8. "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" (Randy Newman) – 2:30 
9. "Mockingbird Song" (Batt) – 3:06 
10. "Tiger in the Night" (Batt) – 3:07 
11. "Faraway Voice" 
12. "Lilac Wine".

Katie Melua - Composer, Guitar, Vocals
Mike Batt - Arranger, Composer, Conductor, Organ, Piano, Producer
Jim Cregan - Guitar
Tim Harries - Bass Instrument, Guitar (Bass)
The Irish Film Orchestra 
Michael Kruk - Drums
Chris Spedding - Guitar
Henry Spinetti - Drums

English listeners went mad for Katie Melua with the release of her debut album in late 2003. Issued domestically in June 2004, Call Off the Search posits the lovely Melua pristinely in between pop, adult contemporary, and traditional American musical forms, with savvy marketing handling the finishing touches. (Think Norah Jones.) It's a comfortable, lightly melodic affair that drinks red wine safely in the middle of the road. Raised in Soviet Georgia and the United Kingdom, Melua has a beguiling accent that colors the ends of her phrases, adding character to her velvety, if occasionally only satisfactory singing voice. She has a nice time with the understated R&B sashay of John Mayall's "Crawling Up a Hill," as well as Mike Batt's "My Aphrodisiac Is You," which is spiced up with barrelhouse piano, muted trumpet, and sly references to opium and the Kama Sutra. The singer's own "Belfast (Penguins and Cats)" opens nicely with a few measures of solo acoustic guitar before it's joined by the orchestral maneuvers that sweep through the majority of Call Off the Search's after-dark cabaret. (Melua also penned a dedication to Eva Cassidy, who she's been compared to vocally.) While the instrumentation is never overbearing, a stoic version of Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" and a couple of late-album pop vocal entries do dawdle a bit in the soft-focus halo that hovers over Search's more easygoing stretches. These selections are perfectly capable, yet pretty obvious, as if the decision was made to sprinkle Melua's debut equally with safety and variety, in case a particular style didn't stick. Still, despite a few detours down easy street, Call Off the Search is a promising debut, and comfortable like the first drink of the evening. ---Johnny Loftus, Rovi

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01 – Never Felt Less Like Dancing
02 – Sailing Ships From Heaven
03 – Love Is A Silent Thief
04 – Shiver Ans Shake
05 – The Love I’m Frightened Of
06 – Where Does The Ocean Go
07 – Idiot School
08 – Mad, Mad Men
09 – Chase Me
10 – I Never Fall
11 – I Will Be There

Katie Melua – vocals
Luke Batt - Drums, Guitars, Percussion, Piano
Mike Batt - Accordion, Conductor, Harmonium, Piano, Producer, Vocals (Background)
Tim Harries - Bass
Dan Hawkins - 	Bass
Freddie Hill – Drums
Paul Jones – Harmonica
John Parricelli - 	Banjo, Guitars, Ukulele
Chris Spedding 	- Guitar
Henry Spinetti - Drums, Percussion
Paul Stevens - Clarinet, Soloist
Fabien Taverne - Ukulele
Joe Yoshida – Drums
The Docklands Sinfonia

Having reunited with her longtime mentor, former Wombles singer/songwriter Mike Batt, for her 2012 symphonic album, Secret Symphony, vocalist Katie Melua continues in an orchestral vein with her sixth studio album, 2013's Ketevan. Much like its predecessor, Ketevan is a languid, often cinematic-sounding album that builds upon Melua's talents as an interpreter of other people's material as well as her own songs. Having taken a creative detour to work with electronic producer William Orbit for 2010's The House, Melua once again returns to her roots as Batt's protégée. Raised in the Eastern European state of Georgia, Melua moved with her family to England when she was eight. Batt discovered the then 19-year-old Melua while she was attending the Brit School of Performing Arts in 2003. Subsequently, they have worked together on most of her albums. Taking its title from Melua's Georgian birth name, Ketevan features songs and arrangements from Batt, as well as contributions from his son Luke Batt. Melua also earns a handful of co-writing credits herself, as on the sinewy "Love Is a Silent Thief" and the '60s-influenced torch song "Chase Me," both of which beautifully showcase her crystalline technique and softly soulful style. As with other Melua/Batt productions, Ketevan also serves as a vehicle for Batt to flex his melodic skills as a songwriter and arranger. A veteran of '70s bubblegum pop, Batt has also experimented with rock opera and adult contemporary music, all of which he brings to bear on his work with Melua. Here, he frames Melua's voice in grand, sweepingly romantic arrangements on songs like "Sailing Ships from Heaven" and "I Will Be There," which sound something like Kate Bush singing Scott Walker compositions. Similarly, the Melua/Mike Batt/Luke Batt-composed "Where Does the Ocean Go?" is an ambitious folk-inflected epic inspired by poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." Fluid and utterly gorgeous, Ketevan is a unique and delicate vessel. ---Matt Collar, Rovi

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1. Mary pickford
2. It`s all in my head
3. If the lights go out
4. What i miss about you
5. Spellbound
6. What it says on the tin
7. Scary films
8. Perfect circle
9. Ghost town
10. If you were a sailboat
11. Dirtu dice
12. In my secret life

Katie Melua - Composer, Guitar, Vocals
Mike Batt - Arranger, Composer, Conductor, Organ, Piano, Producer
Ray Cooper - Percussion
Steve Donnelly - Guitar
Rob Farrer - Percussion
Dominic Glover - Trumpet
Tim Harries - Bass
The Irish Film Orchestra - Flute, Strings
John Parricelli - Guitar
Chris Spedding - Guitar
Henry Spinetti - Drums 

With a voice that sounds like a more mainstream version of the late jazz cult superstar Eva Cassidy and smoky raven-haired looks to rival a movie lot's worth of young ingénues, it's a bit of a surprise that Katie Melua has remained so unknown in the United States, despite the chart success the Eastern European-born songstress has achieved in her adopted home of the United Kingdom. It seems like she should be at least as popular as, say, Regina Spektor or Nellie McKay. Pictures may not help that much, however, because in comparison to its fairly straightforward jazz-tinged singer/songwriter predecessors, Melua's third album takes a bit of a left turn into the self-consciously quirky. It's a wonder that it took so long, because Melua's producer and part-time songwriter is Mike Batt, a minor legend of the U.K. music scene who has fashioned a decades-long career out of deliberate eccentricity. Much of Pictures sounds like Batt is reverting to his '70s children's music productions for the Wombles, especially "Mary Pickford (Used to Eat Roses)," a horrifyingly cutesy song about the early days of Hollywood royalty; "Scary Films," a thinly disguised cop of early Kate Bush tracks like "Hammer Horror" and "Wow," and the fake reggae "Ghost Town," which sounds like Batt experimenting with getting as close to ripping off the Specials' classic of the same name without veering into actual plagiarism. The closer Melua comes to restrained adult pop, like the unexpectedly touching Batt-penned torch ballad "What It Says on the Tin," and the gently swaying, Everything But the Girl-like bossa nova bounce of "Perfect Circle," the better the album is. The songs written by Melua by herself and/or with lyricist Molly McQueen are uniformly stronger than Batt's contributions, particularly the intimate, smoky "Spellbound," suggesting that leaving her mentor would do Katie Melua a world of good. ---Stewart Mason, Rovi

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