Ann Savoy
has long been a Francophile. A French major in college, she later became a major player in the
Cajun
music scene through her work in the
Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band
and the
Magnolia Sisters
. More recently, she has become more widely known as the organizer of two well-received
-based compilations,
Evangeline Made
and
Creole Bred
, as well as
Adieu False Heart
, her 2006 collaboration with
Linda Ronstadt
. But with this disc she travels to the motherland, so to speak. Bidding adieu to Louisiana and
music, she sets sail for France to explore Parisian hot
jazz
stylings. She puts her French fluency to good use in her sultry readings of
"Si Tu Savais"
Django Reinhardt
's
"Melodie au Crepuscule."
On the other hand, her English singing on
"If You Don't I Know Who Will"
falls short of being truly incandescent. She acquits herself far better on her handling of
standards
"The Way You Look Tonight"
"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered."
On these tunes, her voice glides effortlessly over the melodies.
Savoy
, however, probably achieves her strongest vocal on the old
Billie Holiday
classic
"Getting Some Fun out of Life,"
where she fully projects the sense of joie de vivre that the song talks about.
is ably supported on
If Dreams Come True
by her backing band, whom she calls
Her Sleepless Knights
. Her key accompanists are fiddler
Kevin Wimmer
and guitarist
Tom Mitchell, Jr.
. Both men are given ample opportunities to solo throughout the disc.
"The Very Thought of You,"
for instance, affords each man a chance to shine; it also features some fine piano playing by
's son
Wilson Savoy
. Sometimes the performances do suggest an excellent
lounge
band to the extent that you can almost hear the audience applause after a solo. Still,
offers a delightful, charming musical excursion of Paris' romantic Left Bank. ~ Michael Berick