In March 2009, her self-released debut album, Take to the Sky, reached the Top 20 on the Billboard magazine jazz chart. Way Down Low was released in 2012, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Her third album, The Big Picture, was released on September 30, 2014.
"You see a show like the one Kat Edmonson put on Tuesday night at Scullers, and you wonder what the heck people are doing at Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry concerts. Really, the world is unjust... Edmonson, a petite singer from Austin, Texas, is at once a throwback and a pioneer. Her intimate vocal style and stage presence recall the heyday of jazz
- she has the expressiveness of Billie Holiday, the elegance of Ella Fitzgerald, and the voice of Blossom Dearie. Yet she doesn't merely retread standards. Sure, she likes her Cole Porter, but she and her pianist/arranger, Kevin Lovejoy, molded and modernized chestnuts like "Just One of Those Things," "Night and Day," and "It's All Right With Me" into entirely fresh tunes with new harmonies, inventive rhythm structures, and sometimes mysterious undertones.
Edmonson has grown quite comfortable inside these songs, taking even more liberties with them than she did on her recent CD, Take to the Sky, which stands among the best records of 2009. Like Holiday, Edmonson likes to sing just behind the beat, which infuses her demure voice with drama and heartbreak.
Kat Edmonson is a great jazz singer.
Angel Eyes
Kat Edmonson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That loves not around
Still it's uncomfortably near
My old heart
Ain't gainin' no ground
Because my angel eyes ain't here
Angel eyes
They glow unbearably bright
Need I say
That my love's misspent
Misspent with angel eyes tonight
So drink up all you people
Order anything you see
Have fun you happy people
The drink and the laugh's on me
Pardon me
But I "gotta run"
The fact's uncommonly clear
Gotta find who's now "Number One"
And why my angel eyes ain't here
I gotta find who's now the number one
And why my Angel Eyes ain't here.
Excuse me while I disappear.
The lyrics of Kat Edmonson's "Angel Eyes" are a melancholy reflection on lost love and the pain of longing for someone who is no longer present. The singer implores herself to believe that love is not around, but it remains ever present, painfully reminding her of the absence of her lover. The pain is particularly intense due to the presence of "angel eyes", which glow so brightly they are almost unbearable. The light from those eyes represents the allure of a love that is no longer attainable, leaving the singer feeling lost and confused.
The final verse finds the singer trying to make sense of her situation, declaring that she must find out who is now "Number One" and why her angel eyes are no longer present. The frustration and confusion are palpable in this desperate search for answers, which seems likely to end in disappointment. The singer makes her exit, acknowledging that there is nothing left for her in the present moment except the empty pain of her unfulfilled longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Try to think
Encouraging oneself to be thoughtful and introspective
That loves not around
Acknowledging the absence of love in one's life
Still it's uncomfortably near
Feeling the lingering presence of love that is no longer there
My old heart
Referring to the artist's emotional state
Ain't gainin' no ground
Feeling stuck and unable to move on
Because my angel eyes ain't here
Attributing the lack of progress in moving on to the absence of the singer's former lover
Angel eyes
Referring to the lover who is no longer present
That old devil sent
Suggesting the lover is a temptation or a source of trouble
They glow unbearably bright
Implying that the memory of the lover is vivid and hard to ignore
Need I say
Rhetorical question indicating it is obvious
That my love's misspent
Acknowledgement that the love given to the former lover was wasted
Misspent with angel eyes tonight
Describing an ongoing struggle to let go of the past
So drink up all you people
Invitation to others to enjoy themselves
Order anything you see
Giving permission to indulge
Have fun you happy people
Wishing others well
The drink and the laugh's on me
Offering to cover the cost of the drinks and entertainment
Pardon me
Asking for forgiveness
But I "gotta run"
Excusing oneself and indicating a need to leave
The fact's uncommonly clear
Admitting that the situation is obvious
Gotta find who's now "Number One"
Expressing a need to move on and find someone new
And why my angel eyes ain't here
Questioning why the former lover is no longer present
I gotta find who's now the number one
And why my Angel Eyes ain't here.
Excuse me while I disappear.
Summarizing the artist's desire to move on and leave the past behind
Writer(s): Earl K. Brent, Matt Dennis
Contributed by Matthew T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.