Henri Salvador

American audiences will embrace Henri Salvador like he's a Grandpa Moses of bossa nova. It's not every day that an eightysomething crooner steps out of U.S. 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 (like his native Cayenne, French Guiana) and has decades of television and recording work to his credit. Now, 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 cabaret practitioners such as Charles Trenet and Walter Hyatt. There's also a bit of Danny Kaye in his phrasing on the album's lighter fare, like the brass-band-flav ...
2002-02-12 - Blue Note Records
Related Playlists