Putumayo Presents: French Cafe
 | Putumayo World Music, 2003, Audio CD Customer Rating: 34 reviews Recommend |
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Although far from definitive (no Edith Piaf in sight!), this enchanting compilation delivers a perfect aural snapshot of what spending a late summer afternoon in a French cafe actually feels like. The supreme elegance and understated approach that lie at the core of these 13 tracks will delight fans of sophisticated pop. As is the case with previous Putumayo releases, the sequencing is seamless, combining the endearingly old-fashioned flavor of George Brassens with the iconoclastic romanticism of George Gainsbourg and the sultry whispers of a youthful Brigitte Bardot. Better yet, the disc spends some valuable time introducing listeners to a new generation of French musicians who have embraced the traditional chanson format while incorporating fresh elements into the mix. Try the light-as-a-feather caress of female vocalist Enzo Enzo, the sweet playfulness of the electronica-informed Mathieu Boogaerts, and the irrepressible optimism of Paris Combo — a jazzy quintet that represents the French cafe ambiance at its cosmopolitan best. — Ernesto Lechner
- Fibre de Verre - Du Berry, Belle
- Marilou Sous la Neige - Gainsbourg, Serge
- Si la Photo Est Bonne - Barbara
- Juste Quelqu'un de Bien - Cokenstock, Kent
- Je M'Suis Fait Tout Petit - Brassens, Georges
- Elaeudania Téïtéïa - Gainsbourg, Serge
- La Mer Opale - Biolay, Benjamin
- Ondulé - Boogaerts, Mathieu
- Un Jour Comme un Autre - Riviere, Jean-Max
- On N'A Pas Besoin - Du Berry, Belle
- Mal Ô Mains - Sanseverino, Stepha
- En Douce - Charles, J.
- La Fée Clochette - Lamy, P.
Title: Putumayo Presents: French Cafe
Sales Rank: 2127 in Music
Artist: Various Artists
Label: Putumayo World Music, 2003-11-11, Audio CD, 1 Disc
Package Dimensions: 5.51 x 4.96 x 0.39 inches, 0.18 pounds
- In Paris
- It really does feel like I'm sitting in a cafe in Paris. It makes me want to go to France!… More reviews
- Tre' Bon
- Everything about this made me yearn to return to France, as i had been there just the year before. The light beat to the chanson songs made me wish i was sitting on the cobbled streets of Paris or the south of France, enjoying "un cafe" and watching everything just pass me by as i lingered on every sip of the always-fabulous rich brew that French all did… More reviews
- We love it
- I am French Canadian, my husband English and we both love it. It's very European. More reviews
- Est-ce que vous fumez ce soir?
Listen, I know it's universally fashionable to bash the French these days. And I won't pretend I'm above it. Sometimes it seems the French go to great lengths to be unlikable. But, after listening to this collection, I just can't bring myself to be another jackal heaping on the abuse. Sure, the French can be relentless with their humorless, self-righteous, hypocritical pretensions. But… More reviews
- Sip your cafe au lait and people watch at your own French Cafe
- Putumayo's French Cafe is a charmant blend of old and new from such luminaries as Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin, Barbara and Serge Gainsbourg, mixed with modern panache from the Paris Combo, Sanseverino, Polo, and Coralie Clement (whose breathy delivery is a cross between Birkin and Astrud Gilberto). Clement recorded her debut album Salle Des Pas Perdus… More reviews
