Plucked from music school obscurity by songwriter/producer
Mike Batt,
Katie Melua saw her debut bolt up the U.K. charts upon its release there in late 2003.
Melua was born in Soviet Georgia in 1984. Eventually, she and her family moved to Belfast, Ireland, and finally to London, where
Melua entered the B.R.I.T. School for the Performing Arts & Technology. The record industry-funded school had a habit of graduating talented performing artists (
Floetry, for example), and
Melua became its next success when a 2003 showcase caught the attention of
Batt, who'd been looking for a vocalist capable in both jazz and blues styles.
Call Off the Search was issued in the U.K. in November 2003 through
Batt's Dramatico Records imprint. A comfortable, extremely tasteful blend of jazz vocals, pop style, and adult contemporary sway, the album featured two cuts penned by
Melua (including a tribute to one of her biggest influences,
Eva Cassidy), as well as covers of material from
John Mayall,
Randy Newman, and the
James Shelton classic "Lilac Wine." The single "Closest Thing to Crazy" hit number one in December, and by January of the following year,
Call Off the Search had gone platinum (300,000 units in the U.K.). Gigs in Europe followed, and in May 2004
Melua made her way to the U.S. for a round of club dates supporting the album's domestic release. She achieved even greater success with her 2005 follow-up,
Piece by Piece, a heady blend of worldbeat and jazz-pop that topped both the international and British charts before setting its sights on the U.S. market in 2006. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide