Jill Barber?s nod to classic chansons, both French and quebecoises, is so evocative at points that it almost amounts to a case of aural false memory. The Vancouver-based chanteuse wasn?t yet born when these songs first appeared in the `30s, `40s and `50s, nor were many of us ? and yet the sense of place and time on this disc is so strong that you could swear you were once in this imagined grainy, black and white footage.
Wisely opting for stripped-down chamber-jazz arrangements, Barber, an avowed francophile, approaches material associated with Piaf, Gainsbourg, Salvador and others with reverence, but retains enough sexy playfulness and gentle self-awareness to make them her own.
Whether she?s surrendering to the moody Melancolie, turning the heat up a notch in Je cherche un homme or reclaiming the anti-war evergreen Quand les hommes vivront d?amour, Barber proves herself an interpreter worthy of this daunting material.
Rating: ****
Podworthy: Sous le ciel de Paris
Chansons will be available Jan. 29. Here?s a sneak peek, with Quand les hommes vivront d?amour:
Bernard Perusse
Twitter: @bernieperusse
Source: http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2013/01/27/new-music-review-chansons-jill-barber-outside-music/
andy pettitte tyler clementi kevin kolb sarah shahi george clooney rutgers dharun ravi
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