Trenet, Ah, dis! Ah, bonjour!

One thing I like about writing this series on listening is that I can do whatever I want. (Yes, there’s probably some line I could cross that might get Professor Carol’s attention, but that hasn’t happened and probably won’t.) Today, I want to branch out into a new genre.

I found this video by a circuitous path, as is often the case. One thing leads to another until you see something really well done and interesting. I wasn’t looking for Trenet or anything French or anything having to do with Swing. But here we are.

Charles Trenet (1913-2001) rose to fame in Paris in the 1930s. He was both singer and songwriter when that was not the norm. His often whimsical and nonsense lyrics earned the nickname “Le Fou chantant” (the singing madman). You would likely recognize his most famous song, “La Mer.” With English lyrics and under the name “Beyond the Sea,” it became a hit sung by Bobby Darin in 1959.

Swing dominated popular music of the time. It originated in the U.S. in the 1920s, but it took on many forms, combining with other styles and moving to other countries. A dose of country music and blues turned it into Western swing. In Europe, it melded with Gypsy and Klezmer styles. We can’t sort out swing’s complex origins or influences here, but we can listen to various manifestations, as we have done a few times in the past.

The Avalon Jazz Band focuses on the swing style of the Parisian cabarets before WWII. They note the Zazous, the rebellious youth culture of the time, the influence of the Gypsy and Klezmer styles, and the influx of Russian immigrants and Jews from Eastern Europe.

But I am also drawn to the acoustic sound and the virtuosity. That comes through well, I think, in this 1938 song by Trenet. Certain styles and venues require amplification, but something gets lost in the process. It’s nice to have a reminder of how good acoustic music sounds.