Author: Salvador, Henri

Release Date: 12-02-2002

Details: Amazon.ca It's not every day that an 80-something crooner steps out of American obscurity with an album of warm-as-fresh-pastry cabaret music. Of course, Salvador is no Henri-come-lately. He's famous in France and francophone former colonies (such as his native Cayenne, French Guiana), with decades of television and recording work to his credit. With Room with a View it's time for Stateside listeners to play catch up. This album was reportedly recorded on the verge of Salvador's retirement, and though the sound is classique, many of the songs are of recent vintage. Salvador's charming, half-spoken vocals will resound with listeners familiar with the suave stylings of such deceased cabaret practitioners as Charles Trenet and Walter Hyatt. There's also a bit of Danny Kaye in his phrasing on the album's lighter fare, such as the brass-band-flavoured "Mademoiselle"--no surprise given Salvador's extensive comedic resumé. Younger audiences primed by the ironic, sophisticated grooves of Dimitiri from Paris and Money Mark will delight in much of the instrumentation here. The album is, in fact, a triumph of production and arranging. Full orchestras are cued, at times, at the same volume as a single instrument, reduced to the level of pure atmosphere. One track, "Il Fait Dimanche", has a funky vamp that demands to be sampled for the contemporary dance floor. Another, "Faire des Rondes dans L'Eau", subsists on strummed guitar and a trap set, with the occasional gypsy-style, savoury violin part added for spice. Throughout, Salvador presents himself as an astute, sympathetic performer. On "Je Sais Que Tu Sais", it's hard to tell where his whispered voice ends and the drummer's light brushes begin. Apparently, swingers--in the jazz sense of the word--get better with age. --Marc Weidenbaum

UPC: 072435367102

EAN: 0072435367102

Languages: English

Binding: Audio CD

Item Condition: UsedVeryGood