The Baguette Quartette "Rendezvous -- Parisian Cafe Music" (1997)
This San Francisco Bay Area ensemble plays French musette along with the occasional tango, and is one of the coolest acoustic acts around. Expatriate accordionist Odile LaVault contributes driving accompaniment to dozens of faithful renditions of Parisian cafe music from the 1920s and '30s, performed with a compelling, enthusiastic love of the material, and plenty of sheer musical know-how. Her fellow musicians also have great feeling for the style, and both of these albums are a treat. Check out The Baguette Quartet webpage for more information.

The Baguette Quartette "L'Aire De Paris" (1998)

The Baguette Quartette "Chez Moi" (2001)
Another nice album, with plenty of classic compositions written by the likes of Gus Viseur, Charles Peguri and Paul Misraki. Bay Area jazz guitarist Will Bernard is on board for this edition of the band, and adds some nice, sleek touches. Stylistically, this has some new sounds, mainly a couple of swing-flavored tunes, including Viseur's "Matelotte," a snappy late 1930s nod towards the gypsy jazz giant, Django Rinehardt. Warm, original takes on this old style -- check it out!

The Baguette Quartette "Toujours" (2004)

The Baguette Quartette "Bon Appetit! Cafe Classics" (Avalon Records, 2004)

Josephine Baker "Cocktail Hour" (Allegro Records, 2000)
Jazz singer Josephine Baker is one of the most fascinating stars of the old, Depression-era French music halls... An African-American expatriate who found greater acclaim on the Continent than in the colonies, Baker ditched her bluesier Stateside competitors such as Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters, and found fabulous celebrity as a French cabaret singer. She sang bilingually, in a chirpy voice which may take some acclimation on the part of new listeners. This 2-CD set shows Baker's breadth, with semi-operatic swoops countered by blues-laden sizzles. As with the other Allegro Cocktail collections, this is an affordable, idiosyncratic and rather enjoyable. Two CDs for the price of one, with the main drawback being the complete lack of liner notes. It's barebones packaging, but spiffy musique.

Josephine Baker "The Fabulous Josephine Baker" (RCA, 1962) (LP)

Josephine Baker "Josephine Baker" (Sandstone, 1992)

Josephine Baker "The Art Deco Series: Breezin' Along" (Sony, 1995)

Josephine Baker "Star Of Les Folies Bergeres" (ASV Living Era, 1998)

Josephine Baker "A Portrait Of Josephine Baker" (MCI, 1998)

Josephine Baker "Bonsoir My Love" (DRG, 1998)

Josephine Baker "1927-1939" (Fremeaux, 2003)

Josephine Baker "Star Of Les Folies Bergeres" (EPM, 2008)

Eddie Barclay "Huit Melodies De Stephen Foster" (Mercury Records, 1952) (LP)
You've heard of the French label, Barclay Records, right? That was this guy. Pianist, bandleader and nightclub owner Eddie Barclay (ne Edouard Ruault, 1921-2005) was by all accounts a raffish figure, to put it mildly. He was also a champion of the French jazz scene and a savvy businessman who helped steer France's postwar record industry into the modern era. Before World War Two, he played cabaret gigs under his birth name, then adopted the Eddie Barclay persona in the late 'Forties when he opened his own club -- Eddie's -- and began to dabble in running his own record labels. Around the time this album was made, Barclay traveled to the United States, where he learned about the new "microgroove" technology that made 45rpm singles and LPs widespread in the States. He took the idea back to France, and aggressively introduced the new formats to an eager new audience. He created Barclay Records in 1953, and quickly built it into one of the biggest and most influential labels of the postwar era. Barclay specialized in several things, notably pressing French editions of hip new records from the US -- discs by R&B and jazz artists such as Ray Charles and The Platters -- and steering numerous established artists such as Stephane Grappelli, Charles Aznavour and Jacques Brel onto new creative paths. Barclay also nurtured a new generation of French pop stars, launching the careers of several top stars, including Hughes Aufray, Mireille Mathieu, rocker Eddy Mitchell, Dalida, and many others who dominated French popular music in the late 1950s and '60s. In the 1970s, Eddie Barclay eventually sold a large share of his label to Polygram, and it was eventually absorbed into the Universal Music conglomerate -- adding countless titles to their vaults, not just French artists, but also a healthy trove of music from Africa, Brazil and elsewhere.

Eddie Barclay "Eddie Barclay" (Barclay Records, 1966) (LP)

Eddie Barclay "Le Grand Orchestre Symphonique" (Barclay Records, 1971) (LP)

Aime Barelli "Un Ange Comme Ca" (Marianne Melodie, 1999)
Jovial, robust postwar swing music from French bandleader, Aime Barelli, a trumpet player who was a fixture on the 1950's Monaco nightclub scene. Barelli was sort of a Harry James/Russ Morgan type player, on the simpler, poppier end of the spectrum, but with a certain uncomplicated charm. In contrast to his rather bland instrumental numbers, these tracks from 1949-55 are mostly fun, French-language vocal performances, with Barelli splitting the lead vocals with Jose Bartel, and chanteuse Lucienne Delyle singing on "Monte Carlo." An excellent set of lively big-band bombast, with a groovy Gallic twist.

Aime Barelli "Grands Orchestres De Music Hall" (Marianne Melodie, 2007)
A gentle set with Barelli dipping into Dixieland and light R&B, covering songs by Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton, Glenn Miller, et.al., all in a pointedly smooth style... Mostly the emphasis is instrumental, with less French-language vocals than one might like, but there are a few tunes that are fun... The instrumental-only tunes aren't really any different than American or British bands of the same era (or earlier: this 2-CD set covers 1950-55...) and as a result don't really wow me. Nostalgic material, but not essential; I'd recommend the collection above before this one.

Aime Barelli "Un Ange Comme Ca" (Marianne Melodie, 2006)

Luc Barney/Various Artists "Les Tresors De L'Operette" (Barclay Records, 1978) (LP)

Luc Barney "J'ai Du Boire Un Peu Trop" (Marianne Melodie, 19--?)

Luc Barney "44 Succes Inoubliables" (M. C. Productions, 19--?)

Joss Baselli "Les Archives De L'Accordeon" (Marianne Melodie)

Andre Bauge "Prince De L'Operette Francaise" (Musique Memoria, 1990)
The son of opera singer Anna Tariol-Bauge -- best known for her roles in Jacques Offenbach's operettas -- French baritone Andre Gaston Bauge (1893-1966) was an opera and operette singer himself. He recorded widely (as seen in these reissue collections) and also performed in several 1930s films.

Andre Bauge "L'Inoubliable" (Forlane Records, 1990)

Andre Bauge "L'Inoubliable, Volume 2" (Forlane Records, 1994)

Gilbert Becaud "Salut Les Copains" (Marianne Melodie)

Adolphe Berard "La Grande Voix Du Caf' Conc's" (M.C. Productions, 19--?)
Affectionately known as "Monsieur Berard," Adolphe Berard (1870-1946) was a prolific recording artist and music hall star of the Belle Epoque. An early star of the French recording industry, cutting over four hundred tracks between 1906 and 1931. This generously programmed CD collects a fraction of those songs, twenty-two songs in total.

Marcel Bianchi "Guitare Et Compagnie" (Vogue/POP 12 Records, 19--?) (LP)
Initially famous as Django Rinehardt's rhythm guitarist in the late 1930's Hot Club Of Paris lineup, Marcel Bianchi (1911-1997) took up the mantle of French jazz guitar and pushed the style into modernity, absorbing the sleek, softer tonalities of Charlie Christian and Les Paul, and anticipating the cool vibe of jazz modernists like Joe Pass, et. al. Bianchi's career was thrown into turmoil at the onset of World War Two: he was drafted into the French army but immediately captured by the Germans during their initial 1940 blitzkreig. He escaped and fled first to Cannes and then to Switzerland, where he worked for the remainder of the war, collaborating extensively with drummer Jerry Thomas. After the war, Bianchi began to work primarily as an electric guitarist, and later took up steel guitar, cutting a bunch of Hawaiian-style lounge/exotica records in the 1950s and '60s. Bianchi also worked extensively as a session musician and sideman, backing French stars and touring Americans, including Josephine Baker, Tino Rossi, Dizzy Gillespie, and others. He recorded prolifically for several decades, releasing countless singles, EPs and albums, including this rock-flavored set, which doesn't credit him on the cover, but lists him as the composer on all the tracks.

Marcel Bianchi & Les Hawaian Troubadours "Guitare Hawaienne " (Polygram Records, 1992)
Instrumental exotica from Marcel Bianchi and his island-oriented group, Les Hawaian Troubadours. He recorded about a half dozen full albums with this band, with this CD release gathering sixteen of their best tracks.

Marcel Bianchi "The Exciting Electric Guitar Of Marcel Bianchi, 1945-1954" (Djaz Records, 19--?)
This generous 2-CD set includes some of Bianchi's exotica material, but focusses more clearly on his straight jazz recordings, showing him as a bridge between the driving swing sound of Django Reinhardt and the sleeker, cool jazz guitar styles of the 1950s and 'Sixties, still forceful, but with greater tonal range. Most tracks are recordings of Bianchi leading his own band, though there are also several tracks with Bianchi as a featured artist in the orchestras of Jacques Helian and Jerry Thomas, and even one track cut with American saxophonist Don Byas. It's all very listenable and fun... This edition also includes copious liner notes and a detailed biography. Great stuff!

Raquel Bitton "Rhythm Of The Heart" (RB Records, 2013)
(Produced by Raquel Bitton & Rafa Sardina)
A sweet, subtle, classy album by French-born chanteuse Raquel Bitton, who is best known for her stage show in tribute to Edith Piaf. On this album, Bitton glides skillfully and soulfully through a number of Latin American styles -- tangos, boleros, bossa nova and rumba -- with wonderful French-language tunes gleaned from the repertoire of Corsican crooner Tino Rossi, a French superstar who specialized in "Latin" flavored material in the 1930s and '40s. Bitton's versions are sublime, and bring a richness and immediacy to these songs that is a pure delight. Lush, emotive, redolent with melodrama and romance, this is exactly the way these songs should sound. Recommended!

Marie Bizet "En Public" (Pathe Marconi, 1982) (LP)
A comedic music hall performer and film actor, Marie Bizet (1905-1998) appeared in prewar comedies such as Sing Anyway (1940) and 1938's Lights Of Paris, which also starred singer Tino Rossi. The timeline of the songs on this archival collection is unclear -- no dates -- but they probably go back as far as her 1930's heyday, and perhaps include her recordings of the late 'Fifties and early 'Sixties. Sort of a French version of Gracie Fields, I suppose.

Raymond Boisserie "Anthologie D'un Virtuose De L'Accordeon: 1951-59" (Marianne Melodie, 19--?)
A 2-CD set of instrumentals by accordionist Raymond Boisserie, mostly with minimal backing by guitar, though sometimes by larger bands or light orchestras...

Marcelle Bordas "Succes Et Raretes: 78 Tours... Et Puis S'en Vont" (Marianne Melodie, 2012)

Gino Bordin "Virtuose De La Guitare Hawaiienne: 1930s Paris" (Grass Skirt Records, 2009)
In the dawning years of the 20th Century, Hawaiian music hit the shores of France pretty much the same way as it did elsewhere, through showcase performances at grand fairs and exhibitions, swiftly followed by tours by pioneering Hawaiian performers. Although the exotic appeal of the new style clicked with listeners, few French musicians were able to master the style, at least not until guitarist Gino Bordin stepped up to the plate. Born in Vincenza, Bordin was one of the tens of thousands of Italian immigrants coming to France after the First World War -- he swiftly moved up in the ranks of France's musical elite, and when the Hawaiian music bug hit him, Bordin became the dominant figure in a particular musical niche. Bordin was one of the first French players to master Hawaiian-style slide guitar, and he applied it to a variety of popular genres, including waltzes, French chanson and musette, as well as good old "hapa haole" Hawaiian songs (novelty pop songs written to appeal to non-Hawaiian listeners). This disc gathers twenty-five prime recordings from Bordin's extensive catalog, recorded for a variety of labels between 1931-1937. The sound quality is great, the accompanying booklet is both chatty and informative, and the music is a lot of fun (although, admittedly, a bit more prim than some of the tunes being recorded by actual Hawaiians during the same era...) All in all, a great historical document with a lot of groovy vintage music... This is the second release from the fledgling Grass Skirt label: let's hope number three is equally exciting.

Bourvil "L'integrale!" (EMI-Pathe Marconi, 1979) (LP)

Bourvil "Le Milleur De Bourvil" (EMI-Odeon, 1997)
Mainly known as a film actor, Andre Robert Raimbourg (aka Bourvil, 1917-1970) appeared in dozens of films across a nearly three-decade career, mainly in comedic roles. He also recorded about three hundred songs, also mostly humorous material. Raimbourg took his stage name from the tiny village of Bourville, in Normandy, where he grew up in the interwar era. He found his calling as a performer entertaining his fellow soldiers in the French army during the onset of World War Two, and was cast in his first film roles during the conflict, though it was really during the postwar era that his career flourished. Later in life he fell prey to multiple myeloma and died from the aggressive bone cancer at the age of fifty-three. Like many stars of the 1940s and '50s, most of his work came out on singles and EPs, with a steady flow of best-of retrospectives issued later on LP and compact disc. This 2-CD set gathers thirty-six of his most popular recordings, including some of his best-known songs, such as "Le Crayon," though his best known hit, a 1959 version of Noel Roux's "Salade De Fruits," does not appear here, even though it was also released on the Pathe label.

Bourvil "Le Tac Tac Tigue De Bourvil: L'integrale!" (EMI-Odeon, 1997)
If you're really into it, this 10-CD set(!) is probably the most definitive collection of Bourvil's musical career we're ever likely to see: over 200 songs, the bulk (though not all) of his work. And yes, it includes "Salade De Fruits," which is the first track on Disc Seven.

Bourvil "L'Essential" (EMI, 2002)

Bourvil "1946-1953" (Fremeaux & Associes, 2007)

Bourvil "A Bicyclette: International French Stars Series" (EPM, 2008)

Bourvil "La Tactique Du Fantaisiste" (2008)

Bourvil "Chansons Francaises : La Tactique Du Gendarme" (Stick Music, 2008)

Bourvil "Paris Music Hall" (Orphee, 2008)

Henri Bourtayre/Various Artists "Les Chansons De Ma Jeunesse" (Marianne Melodie, 2006)
A collection of hit songs by composer Henri Bourtayre, covered by a variety of artists...

Lucienne Boyer "Parlez-Moi D'Amour" (ASV Living Era, 1997)
I'm not sure how big a shadow Boyer cast in the annals of legend, but I certainly have a soft spot for her tender, fairy-tale arrangements and lilting songs of love and regret. These sentimental tunes were recorded in the 1930s, during the peak of her fame, and represent a softened, somewhat genteel take on the French cabaret style. Lovely stuff with rather sparse arrangements. Recommended!

Lucienne Boyer "The Lady In Blue" (EPM, 1998)

Lucienne Boyer "Les Etoiles De Chanson" (MME, 1999)

Lucienne Boyer "Les Etoiles De Chanson, v.2" (MME, 2004)

Lucienne Boyer "1930-1948" (Fremeaux, 2003)
Another excellent collection of classic chanson from this famed chanteuse... This 2-CD set spans nearly a decade past the single-disc ASV album listed above, and as such only overlaps it by about ten songs -- the entire second disc is devoted to Boyer's work in the 1940s, and it's lovely stuff. Although the arrangements flirt with the lush orchestrations of the pop vocals era, for the most part, it's still straight, old-school chanson, with fuller, richer modern sound quality. Boyer's voice is lovely throughout, although she did become more fluid and lyrical as she became a more seasoned performer... Great stuff: highly recommended!

Georges Brassens "50 Succes Essentiels: 1952-60" (Marianne Melodie)
A 2-CD set covering the yearly years of French songsmith George Brassens...

Aristide Bruant "Le Meilleur De Aristide Bruant" (EMI-Odeon/Disques Pathe, 1998)
A 2-CD set of this famed cabaret singer and comedian Aristide Bruant (1851-1927), who is famously recognized, swaddled in his trademark red scarf, from the paintings of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec... Bruant's career preceded the advent of the record industry by several decades, but he was still around in the 1920s and made some notable recordings for Pathe, many of which are collected here...

Aristide Bruant "Montmerte - Enregistrements Originaux: 1905-1914" (Demon Records, 1995)
A 2-CD set...

Eugenie Buffet/Polaire "1918-1936" (Chansophone Records, 1994)
A split CD featuring tracks from two Algerian-born French actress-singers, Eugenie Buffet (1866-1934) and Emelie Marie Bouchaud (aka Polaire, 1874-1939). Both women found fame in the French cabarets and music halls, starring in various productions; Buffet seems to have traveled widely, appearing across Europe, as well as tours of Africa and North and South America. Polaire was the sister of author and singer Edmond Dufleuve (1870-1945) who recorded only a few songs in his own career.

Eva Busch "1939-1940" (Chansophone, 1995)
Lovely stuff from a German singer, Eva Busch, who left Deutschland when Hitler came to power in 1933. She reestablished her career in Paris, where she recorded and performed for several years until her 1941 arrest in Nazi-occupied France, subsequently spending several years in prison. These prewar, French-language recordings are sublime -- perfectly performed chanson from an artist entirely comfortable singing in a second language. Great music, highly recommended.

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