First, let's get a few things straight, because I can already hear the rumours flying: "Have you heard, Julien Clerc had recorded a jazz album!" And the jazz purists snickering: "Who does he think he is? Sacrilege!" And Julien's fan club pleading: "Don't leave us behind, Julien, don't drift into unknown waters - come back to us!" All sides can rest assured: true to form, Julien Clerc is still singing songs, in French, in his usual style - the only difference being that the songs on his new ...
First, let's get a few things straight, because I can already hear the rumours flying: "Have you heard, Julien Clerc had recorded a jazz album!" And the jazz purists snickering: "Who does he think he is? Sacrilege!" And Julien's fan club pleading: "Don't leave us behind, Julien, don't drift into unknown waters - come back to us!" All sides can rest assured: true to form, Julien Clerc is still singing songs, in French, in his usual style - the only difference being that the songs on his new album started out as 'Made in the USA' standard tunes. Many of these same numbers have also been borrowed and transformed by jazzmen, but it doesn't necessarily follow that 'American standard = jazz'. Julien returns these songs to what they were originally: popular music. Many of them were actually written for musicals. Where did this idea originate? Julien admits that he has long been under the spell of these gorgeous, enduring American classics. The thought of singing them himself gradually took hold, until one day, to quote Julien, "I decided to take the bull by the horns." With the help of friend and agent Bertrand de Labbey, the project started to materialize. First, they needed to find a common thread, which turned out to be the singer who best symbolizes American song: Frank Sinatra, of course. But even though all the songs on Julien's new album were previously recorded by this legendary crooner, the link only serves the practical purpose of tying together the album, which is neither a homage to nor an imitation of Old Blue Eyes. Once the songs had been carefully selected, Julien asked several of his colleagues - Maxime Le Forestier, Alain Souchon, David McNeil, Carla Bruni, Benjamin Biolay, and Jean-Loup Dabadie - to write lyrics in French, because the only French lyrics with any kind of history on the album - not written specifically for Julien - are those for Night and Day. And to spread his joy and passion even further, Julien invited his colleagues to sing duos with him, an invitation readily taken up by Ms Bruni and Ms Sanson. The next piece of the puzzle fell into place in the form of Jean-Claude Petit, the musical arranger. Like a top couturier, he dressed up the melodies, wrapping them in harmonious arrangements and orchestral overtones. Jean-Claude also invited some of the finest jazzmen in Europe to play a few guest spots, either as back-up to Julien or as solo performances between the verses, adding a jazzy touch here and there and infusing the album with a special Euro-American flavour. The mix included French jazz artists Jean-Luc Ponty and Bireli Lagrene, Manu DiBango (from Paris by way of Cameroon), Belgian artists Philippe Catherine and Toots Thielemans, and Romania's Florin Niculescu. A few words about the soloists: * Jean-Claude Petit is a pianist, musical arranger, and composer. Armed with an assortment of diplomas from Paris' prestigious Conservatoire National Supérieur (National Music Conservatory), he started out as a jazz musician in the '60s, later becoming one of the most sought-after arranger-composers, first in show business and then in cinema. He has collaborated with Julien Clerc on many occasions, as well as with Gilbert Bécaud, Juliette Gréco, Claude François, Serge Lama, Mort Shuman, and Joan Baez, among others. On this particular album, his piano solo can be heard on the song Pour te plaire [Pleasing You]. * Jean-Luc Ponty won first prize in violin at the Conservatoire de Paris, and later - with the blessings and encouragement of Stéphane Grappelli - became a proficient jazzman as a member of the Humair, Louiss, and Ponty (HLP) trio. During a visit to the USA, he worked with Frank Zappa, and then moved permanently to the States in 1973. With his jazz/rock band, Ponty is one of the few French jazzmen to have achieved a celebrated career in the USA, having played with some of the biggest names in jazz and rock. You can hear him on the electric violin on Laisse faire la musique [Leave It to the Music]. * Gypsy guitarist Bireli Lagrene was already improvising riffs at the age of 7, in true Django Reinhardt fashion. Recording his first album at 13, he soon outgrew his child-prodigy stage and is now held in the same esteem as the top artists he shares centre stage with in Europe and the USA, such as Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucia, and Larry Coryell. * Manu DiBango started out as a jazz musician and is now a saxophonist, singer, vibraphonist, and composer. He became incredibly successful with the album SOUL MAKOSSA, and currently devotes himself to spreading African music to the four corners of the world. He plays a soprano sax solo on Volons vers la lune [Fly Me to the Moon]. * The famously eclectic Philip Catherine is a remarkable jazz guitarist, capable of moving from an intimately emotional playing style, in keeping with Django Reinhardt's legacy, to delirious jazz-rock jams. He has played with such stellar artists as Jean-Luc Ponty, Larry Coryell, Charles Mingus, Didier Lockwood, and Chet Baker. In Bal des adieux [Good-Bye Dance], he demonstrates his expressive, intimate acoustic guitar technique. * France has been Romanian Florin Niculescu's home base for the past few years. A true musical phenomenon, Florin plays all forms of violin like a virtuoso, from classical violin to Gypsy fiddle to jazz stylings. On the track London Town (where Django Reinhardt's playing partner lived during World War II), Florin's style is highly evocative of Stéphane Grappelli. * Toots Thielemans is a living legend: a wonderful guitarist and whistler, he also practically invented the jazz harmonica, of which he is still the uncontested king. His work possesses a resonance, musicality, and virtuosity unlike anyone before him. The composer of the jazz standard Bluesette, Toots' work has also graced the soundtracks of various TV films and movies. His press book is impressive: Benny Goodman, Dinah Washington, George Shearing, Quincy Jones, Paul Simon, Peggy Lee, and Billy Joel are among the many artists who have benefited from Toots' talents. Back to Julien Clerc and a bit of little-known trivia: when he was young, before the Beatles hit the music scene, Julien listened to a lot of jazz, especially Black musicians, including Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder. But let's make it Clerc (which rhymes with clair, meaning clear): this is NOT a jazz record!
