Back in the summer of 2015, Irish troubadour Damien Rice gave a surprise late night concert on a Paris sidewalk. Despite Rice’s hoarse voice, and the occasional banging and clanking noise from his roadies hauling equipment, this petit concert video is quite beautiful. Listen to Damien’s french fans singing his english lyrics, as one unseen fan provides occasional excellent harmonies (was actress/singer/collaborator Mélanie Laurent among the crowd?) Love it.
Category: Music
Chanson Du Jour “Les Feuilles Mortes”
Chanson Du Jour 10/30/2016 Yves Montand – Les Feuilles Mortes
Looking outside the cafe window on Blackstone Boulevard, multi-colored leaves are swirling about Lippit Park. Autumn seems fully arrived, and this beautiful melody came to mind.
“The Autumn Leaves” is a jazz standard covered by Harry James, Doris Day, Chet Baker, Bill Evans, Erroll Garner and many others.
The song originated in France in 1941 as “Les Feuilles Mortes.” It was composed by Hungarian-French composer Joseph Kosma and lyrics by poet French Jacques Prévert.
The song and was made popular by the cool singing Yves Montand. This clip appears to be from a film – if you know the title, please leave a comment.
Yann Tiersen and More in Moscow this Weekend
Moscow does not believe in tears, but apparently it believes in celebrating Halloween. Moscow Times’ Andrei Muchnik picks his gooviest Halloween events for the weekend, including a concert by Yann Tiersen, composer of the Amelie soundtrack. Da!
If you are short the 2000 rubles for the live Halloween show at Crocus City Hall, give a free listen to Tiersen’s latest from his new album”EUSA”
Halloween is almost here. This weekend almost every bar and club in Moscow will hold its version of a pre-Halloween party, but if you’re not in a mood for trick or treating, there’s plenty of awesome gigs you can go to instead. From one of the most popular British bands in Russia to a great French composer, here are our top picks.
READ FULL STORY at Source: Muchnik’s Picks: Placebo, Yann Tiersen and More Music in Moscow on the Weekend
Sète is celebrated more than ever the memory of Georges Brassens
It is a double anniversary which is celebrated in Sète, birthplace of the poet and musician. Born October 22, 1921, Georges Brassens would have been 95 years. And in a few days, on 29 October, the 35th anniversary of his death is commemorated. The city therefore is celebrating all week at the festival “22 V’LA Georges”, organized by the association Cap Brassens.
FULL STORY at Source: Sète is celebrated more than ever the memory of Georges Brassens
Jacques Brel and his secret home of the French Riviera
In the 60s, Jacques Brel has hidden his forbidden love with his mistress, Sylvie Rivet, in a house in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, on the edge of the Mediterranean. This is where he wrote some of his most beautiful songs like “Amsterdam”, “Matilda” and “The flat country”. The new owner, an Italian, wanted to keep the soul of the house and of the great artist who has occupied.
READ FULL STORY at Source: Jacques Brel and his secret home of the French Riviera
Chanson Du Jour: Dans Ma Rue
Chanson Du Jour 10/28/2016: “Dans Ma Rue” performed by Zaz
This is not only a great home-studio performance by Zaz, but comes with a Serbian lyric translation (a bonus for the many Serbs who visit my blog.)
In English, the songs begins:
I live in the corner of old MontmartreMy father comes home sozzled every nightAnd to feed the four of usMy poor mother works in the wash-houseWhen I’m sick, I lean out the windowI watch outsiders pass byWhen the sun comes outThings appear that scare me a little
So – life isn’t easy for the young girl in this song. I wish her father would take a break from getting sozzled and instead take his daughter out to visit the Zoo, buy her an ice cream cone (deux boule!) at Berthillion’s Glacier on Ile St Louis, and then pick out a pretty new dress at La Marelle.
However, my guess is that Dad will just get sozzled again.
In this video, Zaz displays some impressive chanson chops, and I really like her piano accompaniment (the young man’s name is not listed, so let’s call him “Yaz”). Yaz not only tickles the ivories with a nice feel for Les Blues, but at the end of the song, he tends to the video recording streaming to the MacBook sitting atop the piano. Merde! These hotshot multi-taskers are costing us jobs in the video production business. Hey Zaz and Yaz, walk a mile dans ma rue!
“Dans Ma Rue” was made famous by the great Edith Piaf in 1946. The song was composed by Michel Emer (June 19, 1906 – November 23, 1984)
Pas De Merde 