Chic Suite Trio
Serge Gainsbourg's timeless classic 'La Javanaise' - a song he originally wrote for Juliet Greco and which was first released in 1963 - has probably been covered a million times by a million different artists (OK, so probably a slight exaggeration there), although some attempts - it has to be said - have been more successfully than others...
Fortunately the artists featured in this post most firmly fall into the former category - as in the capable hands (or should that be voice) of Caitlin Seager's disarmingly seductive vocals, ably accompanied by Wallace Stelzer on double-bass and the guitar of Brent Vaartstra - New Yorkers Chic Suite Trio's incredibly sympathetic, jazz-infused twist will immediately transport you to an intimate back-street Rive Gauche café, where - with the air thick with the waft of Disque Bleu smoke - Gainsbourg's immortal song permeates every nook and cranny...
But that's actually not the reason for this post.
The Trio have also tackled Zazie's "Chanson d'ami" - originally recorded for her 1998 album "Made in Love" - and a classic example of the Chanson Triste. I've long admired (from afar) Isabelle Marie Anne de Truchis de Varennes and her ability to craft bittersweet tales of the pain of, and falling in and out love - in it many guise - and "Chanson d'ami" is the ultimate heartfelt tale of not being able to let go; "...It's not because of the one you kiss, That's not the reason why I'm crying, If that's what you think you're wrong, It's not because she took my place, That's not the reason why I'm mad with you, If you don't want me anymore, We might as well leave each other..."
Here the trio take a minimalist approach, stripping the song back to its bare-bones and while Caitlin's voice may not quite convey the range of emotion of the original, clever use of guitar and especially the sombre bass provide the air of melancholy and despair.
Check out their interpretations, below.
To be honest, I like these... A lot.
Chic Suite Trio
Fortunately the artists featured in this post most firmly fall into the former category - as in the capable hands (or should that be voice) of Caitlin Seager's disarmingly seductive vocals, ably accompanied by Wallace Stelzer on double-bass and the guitar of Brent Vaartstra - New Yorkers Chic Suite Trio's incredibly sympathetic, jazz-infused twist will immediately transport you to an intimate back-street Rive Gauche café, where - with the air thick with the waft of Disque Bleu smoke - Gainsbourg's immortal song permeates every nook and cranny...
But that's actually not the reason for this post.
The Trio have also tackled Zazie's "Chanson d'ami" - originally recorded for her 1998 album "Made in Love" - and a classic example of the Chanson Triste. I've long admired (from afar) Isabelle Marie Anne de Truchis de Varennes and her ability to craft bittersweet tales of the pain of, and falling in and out love - in it many guise - and "Chanson d'ami" is the ultimate heartfelt tale of not being able to let go; "...It's not because of the one you kiss, That's not the reason why I'm crying, If that's what you think you're wrong, It's not because she took my place, That's not the reason why I'm mad with you, If you don't want me anymore, We might as well leave each other..."
Here the trio take a minimalist approach, stripping the song back to its bare-bones and while Caitlin's voice may not quite convey the range of emotion of the original, clever use of guitar and especially the sombre bass provide the air of melancholy and despair.
Check out their interpretations, below.
To be honest, I like these... A lot.
Chic Suite Trio
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