Following on from Nick Mondello's YouTube interview with Sacha Boutros a couple of days ago I knew I had to hear the album and check it out to see if it is as good as Nick made it out to be.
It is! It's compelling - the voice drawing me in like the proverbial moth to a flame.
Je Reviens te Chercher (Becaud): Returning to a lover many years after breaking up. The voice is typically French even though Sacha is American born and bred. I ask myself: "Why didn't I stick in at French when I was at L'école?" Fortunately, my linguistic limitations didn't detract from my enjoyment.
Si tu Vois Mon Mère (Bechet): In English, If You See my Mother. Beautiful and bluesy, as I would expect from a Bechet composition, there's some nice work from trumpet and guitar to complement the vocal.
Ne Me Quitte Pas (Brel)/I'm a Fool to Want You (Sinatra): A medley of two thematically related songs. Amsallem's sympathetic accompaniment and the voice/trumpet dialogue all combine to make this one of the album's highspots.
April in Paris (Duke/Harburg): More voice/trumpet dialogue. Belmondo also solos in Chet Baker mode and with more humour.
Et si tu n'existais (Dassen): Sensuous and seductive vocal plus tightly muted trumpet over a gentle, contemporary rhythm.
La Javanaise (Gainsbourg): A 1963 hit for the composer. Again the voice captivates as do the solos by Amsallem and Lippi.
Smile (Chaplin): Emotive vocal, meaningful trumpet, who could ask for anything more?
Love in Portofino (Dalida); Sacha skillfully juggles the English, French and Italian lyrics with ease. Not so surprising as this former pro footballer can sing in 14 different languages. Belmondo's trumpet solo however, sounds pure American.
In the Still of the Night (Porter): Voice over bass creates the mood depicted by the album's title. Guitar chords and a bass fade out conjures up an image of two lovers walking hand in hand on the banks of the Seine.
La Belle Vie (Distel): Better known outside of France as The Good Life and made famous by Tony Bennett it's a happy way to approach the album's closing time. Trumpet and piano featured with the rhythm swinging like crazy as les tout ensemble fade away.
Merci Sacha and Co. Lance
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