The Baguette Quartette "Rendezvous -- Parisian Cafe Music" (1997)
The Baguette Quartette "L'Aire De Paris" (1998)
This San Francisco Bay Area ensemble plays French musette along with the occasional tango, and is one of the coolest acoustic acts around. Expatriate accordionist Odile LaVault contributes driving accompaniment to dozens of faithful renditions of Parisian cafe music from the 1920s and '30s, performed with a compelling, enthusiastic love of the material, and plenty of sheer musical know-how. Her fellow musicians also have great feeling for the style, and both of these albums are a treat. Check out The Baguette Quartet webpage for more information.
The Baguette Quartette "Chez Moi" (2001)
Another nice album, with plenty of classic compositions written by the likes of Gus Viseur, Charles Peguri and Paul Misraki. Bay Area jazz guitarist Will Bernard is on board for this edition of the band, and adds some nice, sleek touches. Stylistically, this has some new sounds, mainly a couple of swing-flavored tunes, including Viseur's "Matelotte," a snappy late 1930s nod towards the gypsy jazz giant, Django Rinehardt. Warm, original takes on this old style -- check it out!
The Baguette Quartette "Toujours" (2004)
The Baguette Quartette "Bon Appetit! Cafe Classics" (Avalon, 2004)
Josephine Baker "Cocktail Hour" (Allegro, 2000)
Jazz singer Josephine Baker is one of the most fascinating stars of the old, Depression-era French music halls... An African-American expatriate who found greater acclaim on the Continent than in the colonies, Baker ditched her bluesier Stateside competitors such as Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters, and found fabulous celebrity as a French cabaret singer. She sang bilingually, in a chirpy voice which may take some acclimation on the part of new listeners. This 2-CD set shows Baker's breadth, with semi-operatic swoops countered by blues-laden sizzles. As with the other Allegro Cocktail collections, this is an affordable, idiosyncratic and rather enjoyable. Two CDs for the price of one, with the main drawback being the complete lack of liner notes. It's barebones packaging, but spiffy musique.
Josephine Baker "The Fabulous Josephine Baker" (RCA, 1962)
Josephine Baker "Josephine Baker" (Sandstone, 1992)
Josephine Baker "The Art Deco Series: Breezin' Along" (Sony, 1995)
Josephine Baker "Star Of Les Folies Bergeres" (ASV, 1998)
Josephine Baker "A Portrait Of Josephine Baker" (MCI, 1998)
Josephine Baker "Bonsoir My Love" (DRG, 1998)
Josephine Baker "1927-1939" (Fremeaux, 2003)
Josephine Baker "Star Of Les Folies Bergeres (International French Stars series)" (EPM, 2008)
Bourvil "Le Milleur De Bourvil" (EMI-Odeon, 1998)
Bourvil "L'Essential" (EMI, 2002)
Bourvil "1946-1953" (Fremeaux, 2007)
Bourvil "C'est L'Piston" (Rym Musique, 2001)
Bourvil "A Bicyclette -- International French Stars series" (EPM, 2008)
Bourvil "La Tactique Du Fantaisiste" (2008)
Bourvil "Chansons Francaises : La Tactique Du Gendarme" (Stick Music, 2008)
Bourvil "Paris Music Hall" (Orphee, 2008)
Lucienne Boyer "Parlez-Moi D'Amour" (ASV Living Era, 1997)
I'm not sure how big a shadow Boyer cast in the land of legends, but I certainly have a soft spot for her tender, fairy-tale arrangements and lilting songs of love and regret. These sentimental tunes were recorded in the 1930s, during the peak of her fame, and represent a softened, somewhat genteel take on the French cararet style. Lovely stuff with rather sparse arrangements. Recommended!
Lucienne Boyer "The Lady In Blue" (EPM, 1998)
Lucienne Boyer "Les Etoiles De Chanson" (MME, 1999)
Lucienne Boyer "Les Etoiles De Chanson, v.2" (MME, 2004)
Lucienne Boyer "1930-1948" (Fremeaux, 2003)
Another excellent collection of classic chanson from this famed chanteuse... This 2-CD set spans nearly a decade past the sinlge-disc ASV album listed above, and as such only overlaps it by about ten songs -- the entire second disc is devoted to Boyer's work in the 1940s, and it's lovely stuff. Although the arrangements flirt with the lush orchestrations of the pop vocals era, for the most part, it's still straight, old-school chanson, with fuller, richer modern sound quality. Boyer's voice is lovely throughout, although she did become more fluid and lyrical as she became a more seasoned performer... Great stuff: highly recommended!
Aristide Bruant "Le Meilleur De Aristide Bruant" (EMI-Odeon/Disques Pathe, 1998)
A 2-CD set of this famed cabaret singer and comedian Aristide Bruant (1851-1927), who is famously recognized, swaddled in his trademark red scarf, from the paintings of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec... Bruant's career preceded the advent of the record industry by several decades, but he was still around in the 1920s and made some notable recordings for Pathe, many of which are collected here...
Aristide Bruant "Montmerte - Enregistrements Originaux: 1905-1914" (Demon, 1995)
A 2-CD set...
Eva Busch "1939-1940" (Chansophone, 1995)+
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