“I could have kept running with it but I stepped back and took a breather,” she says. Eight years later, she recorded “Careless Love” and received unreserved praise for her throaty and bittersweet vocals. With tunes from Leonard Cohen to Hank Williams and her own, Peyroux’s latest album, “Half the Perfect World,” samples from a broad range of songwriters. She was awarded the “Best International Jazz Artist” at the BBC Jazz Awards in July and will hit the stage at Hill Auditorium tonight.

Heather Ashare is a Metro Detroit freelance writer.