Germaine Sablon "Le Chant Des Partisans" (Marianne Melody, 1994)

Jean Sablon "J'Attendrai" (ASV Living Era, 1995)
Of the great Depression-era French singers, Jean Sablon may be my favorite. He had a natural, easygoing grace, and a jazz-informed Tin Pan Alley feel that makes him sound like sort of a Gallic Bing Crosby. These two dozen tracks -- all recorded in the 1930s -- are Sablon at his peak, and the several tracks which also feature the great gypsy jazz guitarist Django Rinehardt are just icing on the cake. Lovely, warm-hearted, eminently enjoyable music.

Jean Sablon "World Famous Crooner: 1931-1950" (Fremeaux & Associes, 2003)
The title of this 2-CD collection is kind of a pun: this is a collection of recordings Sablon made abroad, while in England, Argentina and the U.S. Unfortunately, it's also not the best stuff he'd ever recorded -- he's working with unfamiliar bandleaders, and musicians who also were clearly not familiar with him or his musical strengths. It's an interesting historical curio, but the music doesn't swing as his best records do.

Jean Sablon "C'est Si Bon" (Naxos, 2003)
Another glorious collection of sweet, sweet songs from Jean Sablon's golden years...This disc easily rivals the ASV album listed above; it's well-programmed and packed full of delicious, doleful, delightfully corny romantic songs (and a few comedic numbers as well...) And oh, that voice! Oooh-la-la! Sablon was surely the greatest crooner in all of France. Highly recommended.

Henri Salvador "Volume 1: Maladie D'Amour: 1942-1948" (Fremeaux & Associes, 2000)
Cool old recordings from a remarkably multi-talented guitarist and vocalist who was a disciple of Django Reinhardt's, back in the WWII era. Following the war, Salvador swiftly went his own way, carving out a career that found him recording big band swing, Brazilian-style samba and other exotica, latin jazz, takeoffs on American rock, romantic ballads and humorous ditties. Some of the material is super-schmaltzy, in a Carmen Dragon kinda way, although other tunes swing mightily, and even have a Slim Gaillard-ish hepcat edge. This 2-CD set is the second in a series that gathers dozens of hard-to-find recordings. Salvador appears as a featured artist in various orchestras and small combos led by Ray Ventura, and as a bandleader himself. It's great stuff, and by Disc Two, which picks up in 1947, he's really found his groove. Hepcat big band material not unlike Louis Prima or Cab Calloway (who gets a Gallic shout-out in the soundtrack to the film, Mademoiselle S'Amuse...) -- boisterous yet classy, and well worth checking out!

Henri Salvador "Volume 2: Le Loup, La Biche Et Le Chevalier: 1946-1950" (Fremeaux, 2001)
More great oldies by this unique postwar showman. This second 2-CD set features Salvador working again with bandleader Ray Ventura, as well as Katherine Dunham, Emil Stern and Jo Boyer. C'est magnifique!

Henri Salvador "Ses Plus Grandes Chansons" (Universal, 2001)
A somewhat woeful 2-CD set of his later work. This collection is divided into two parts: Disc One is of "Chansons Douces," sweet songs, recorded between 1955-63 for the Barclay, EMI and Mercury labels, while Disc Two is of comedy numbers, recorded in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and early '80s. The romantic material is mostly pretty torpid, deeply, deeply mired in the too-classy, over-orchestrated, syrupy pop vocals style of the 'Fifties pop vocal genre. (Admittedly, Salvador does have a nice voice for crooning, but the music will literally put you to sleep... There's a nice remake of "Le Loup, La Biche Et Le Chevalier," but that's about it for this disc. The comedy numbers have much more to offer, but it's still slim pickin's. I mean, what can you say when a Frenchified remake of the disco hit, "Shame Shame Shame" actually is the best thing on the album? Well, there's also "Mais Non, Mais Non," Salvador's too-literal remake of Piero Umiliani's "Mna Mna," and the "Dracula Cha Cha Cha," but really: how many "Listen! I-Am-Pouring-Booze-Into-A-Cup-And-Clinking-My-Glass-Oh-How-Tipsy-I-Am!!" novelty numbers do you need? Or fake laughter songs? Or stuttering imitations of mental disabilities? Salvador's career seems to have lost its fizz fairly early on... What's missing is the swing and bounce of his earlier work, and the sharp Latin flavor. Or really, any spark or spontaneity at all. A disappointing retrospective.

Henri Salvador "Room With A View (Chambre Avec Vue)" (Blue Note, 2001)
A remarkably vigorous album for a fellow who's been recording since the 1940s... This disc sticks to jazz ballads and is very slick, and often quite goopy... but it's also got some lovely, lyrical moments. Even this late in the game, Salvador is certainly worth checking out.

Henri Salvador "Performance!" (Koch, 2002)

Henri Salvador "Ma Chere Et Tendre" (EMI, 2003)

Henri Salvador "Reverence" (V2/Circular Moves, 2007)
Elegant, modern-day French chanson pop vocals from onetime swing-cabaret guitarist Henri Salvador, who was a firebrand in his youth, but who is much mellower nowadays. Salvador recorded most of the tracks in Brazil, and from the cover art -- which features hints of Brazilian bossa nova -- and the track listings, which include duets with Brazilian superstars Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, I had expected a full-on Braziliophilic lovefest. In some regards, this is true: most of the songs are arranged and led by cellist Jacques Morelenbaum, who was Veloso's bandleader for much of the 1990s, and he leads a large group of musicians in Rio, including pianist Joao Donato, who rides elegantly atop the lush orchestrations. The sound, however is mostly straightforward chanson set, with echos of French crooners such as Charles Azvanour and Serge Reggiani, with some brassy big band interludes that seem a bit Tony Bennett-ish. Both Gil and Veloso acquit themselves nicely, neither being a stranger to classy, croony vocals. The first couple of times I auditioned this disc, I was a bit put off -- it seemed a little overripe -- but it's growing on me. Definitely worth checking out.

Vincent Scotto/Various Artists "1922-1947" (Fremeaux, 2005)
A 2-CD set gathering dozens of recordings by some of the greatest French stars of the early 20th Century, performing the work of songwriter Vincent Scotto...

Vincent Scotto/Various Artists "Les Chansons Eternelles" (Chansons Eternelles, 2007)

Suzy Solidor "1933-1939" (Chansophone)

Suzy Solidor "1933-1952" (Fremeaux, 2005)

Berthe Sylva "Les Roses Blanches" (EPM, 1998)
Billed as the greatest of the Depression-era chanteuses, Sylva certainly had a strong, authoritative air about her -- not strident or overstated, simply very clear and very perfect. She sounds rather reserved in comparison to Edith Piaf, but these 1930s Odeon recordings are still very moving and will captivate your attention. The arrangements are also quite striking -- compact, tightly crafted, and the apex, perhaps, of monophonic recording. Nothing is lost, cramped or muddled, and the light orchestrations by bandleaders Andre Valsien and Andre Cadou are, well, simply perfect for every tune. Sylva apparently lived a fast life, and died penniless and young in 1941. A pity, but these pre-war performances are quite a legacy.

Berthe Sylva "Coeur D'Or" (Forlane, 1995)

Berthe Sylva "Coeur D'Or, Volume 2" (Forlane, 1995)

Berthe Sylva "Souvenirs" (Dom, 1996)

Berthe Sylva "Les Chansons Eternelles" (Chansons Eternelles, 1998)

Berthe Sylva "Etoiles De Chanson" (1999)

Berthe Sylva "1929-1937" (Fremeaux, 2005)

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