25 December 2009
By Lyov
In Jazz
Paroli
A French singer/songwriter, Enzo Enzo, was born Korin Ternovtzeff in 1960. Her debut as a pop performer began in 1980 with the group Lili Drop. In 1982, after the demise of Lili Drop the year before, Enzo Enzo — known by the name Korin Noviz at this point in time — released her first solo single, “Je Veux Jouer a Tout.” Soon after, two years to be exact, Korin released single number two, but more importantly, began performing and recording as Enzo Enzo. A series of singles, some well received, others not, followed over the next decade, and eventually Enzo Enzo became somewhat of a household name. Her first album, a self-titled affair, hit shelves in 1990, and was followed by another six full-lengths by the time of 2007’s Chansons d’une Maman. In addition to her respectable solo career, Enzo Enzo recorded a number of duets with other leading lights in French pop, including Jacques Haurogne, and landed a nomination in 1998 at the Victoires de la Musique in the Best Female Artist category....
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chanson, chanson francaise, Enzo Enzo, female vocalists, french, Jazz, Paroli
24 December 2009
By Lyov
In Jazz
Aznavour 2000
The venerable Charles Aznavour graced his adoring public with a stellar album of material for the new millennium, titled Aznavour 2000. The album tends to sway toward upbeat, jazzy, swingin’ numbers, such as the opener, “Le Jazz Est Revenu,” “Elle a le Swing au Corps,” “La Formule Un,” and “Nos Avocats.” His voice, always warm and compassionate, is like an old friend, giving this album a feeling of intimacy, although his public spans the globe and numbers in the millions. The shining moments, however, are the ballads, which drip with his eternally stylish and sophisticated melancholy, such as the lovely and heartbreaking “De la Scene a la Seine,” a tribute to the late, tragic Italian-Egyptian star Dalida. The downcast “Qu’Avons-Nous Fait de Nos Vingt Ans” echoes of his ancestral Armenia and “Je Danse Avec l’Amour” is a classic-sounding French chanson. “Quand Tu M’Aimes” and the samba-styled “Je Ne Savais Pas” are from his musical Lautrec (based on the life of Tolouse-Lautrec) and offer more variety to this winning and marvelously orchestrated album. A sheer pleasure through and through for fans of the amazing and enduring Charles Aznavour...
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Aznavour 2000, chanson, chanson francaise, Charles Aznavour, francais, french, Jazz
16 October 2009
By Lyov
In Jazz
Attraction
Paris Combo has the schtick, and it’s served them well. Attraction carries on with what’s not really a formula, but an attitude — with a few subtle refinements, but the same elements that have brought them relative success. The title cut, happily bouncy, is a sophisticated summer afternoon by the Seine, while “Dans les Bras d’un Loup” is as seductive as midnight champagne in a Left Bank cabaret (and using the cello as a solo instrument is inspired, with its nighttime texture). As always, singer Belle du Berry offers a purr that’s halfway between little girl and vampish Eartha Kitt and a series of songs that show she’s a writer of genuine talent, with a sense of the surreal — as on the blues-tinged “Pourquoi les Vaches,” which translates to “Why the Cows.” There’s a lilting melodicism to the band’s work, with David Lewis playing a starring role, both on piano and trumpet — his minimal trumpet solo on “Dans les Bras d’un Loup” is a joy (as is Potzi’s guitar work, offering an echo of Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of France). ...
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chanson, chanson francaise, female vocalists, french, Jazz, world
16 September 2009
By Lyov
In Pop
Mademoiselle Chant
Through “Jalouse”, Kaas’ first single produced by Depardieu, the French singer and songwriter Didier Barbelivien became aware of Kaas. His song “Mademoiselle chante le blues” (Eng: “Lady sings the blues”) was the singer’s first big hit. Published in 1987 by Polydor, the single reached in the French SNEP Singles Chart. The next year, Kaas’ second single “D’Allemagne” (Eng: “Of Germany”) was recorded, written by Barbelivien and Bernheim. It was successful too, peaking at on the chart....
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chanson, chanson francaise, female vocalists, french, Jazz, Mademoiselle chante, Patricia Kaas
Lisa Hindmarsh
Oceana
Nat King Cole
Sting
