The French Project: The New, New Wave
Sept. 16-18 at Northwest Film Forum
As anyone who has even peeked at my blog knows, I'm a big fan of French-language pop music. The thing that constantly amazes me is the quality and quantity of music produced in the sixties and seventies. And most English-speakers have never heard it. Sure, maybe you've caught some Serge Gainsbourg or Jacques Brel, but that's just the beginning. The more you dig, the more you discover. There are gems all over the place. That's why I was greatly looking forward to this new presentation by the French Project. I missed their first concert, which featured a lot of Gainsbourg, so I was going to see this show not matter what. For those unacquainted, the French Project is a group of six performers who play, sing and generally put on a show. It features Erin Jorgensen, Charles Smith, Basil Harris, Sara Edwards, with guests Sari Breznau and Kirk Anderson, all playing a vast array of instruments surprisingly well.
I came in expecting a little Brel, perhaps some Ferrat and maybe - if I was very lucky - some Felix Leclerc. But no, they didn't swing that way. They began the show with English-language pop songs such as "Someday, Some Way" and "Sultans of Swing" in French. That was fine; one could even say cute, as were the group's stage manners and many of the arrangements. As the program progressed, they screened a few films with live music accompaniment. They didn't do a whole lot for me, but they were a nice touch. Though quite entertaining, I couldn't help wondering where this was all going. It wasn't until just before intermission that it became abundantly clear. During a rendition of "La vie en rose," singer Charles Smith abruptly switched from French to German which ushered in a time of Teutonic occupation. The program promised "secret special guests." Little did we know that the "guests" would be an entire nation.
Although the switch to German was intriguing, the entire program seemed slightly unfocused. Happily, all of this was dispelled by the very gratifying second half. This was where they really concentrated on the music - even though they found a lot of chances to make fun of Germans. Why not? They're a big target. And the group actually seemed more at home in this format, performing the Beatles, Kraftwerk and even a tune by Erich Korngold. Each number was excellently performed and had quite an effect on the audience. Nestled in all the German-ness was Charles' parody of Truffaut's The 400 Blows, a film about a troubled French kid who does a lot of running away. In his version, after about two minutes, he gets tired of running and simply strolls offscreen. It was quite a hoot. After that, we hear Sam Cooke's "Change Is Gonna Come" and we're back in figurative France for the finale: "Ca plane pour moi" by Plastique Bertrand. And so the evening came to a close.
Although I had expected a deluge of French music (and the abject French-ness that entailed), I found the show extremely enjoyable. The German surprise was ultimately a good thing, though I had initial doubts. The performances during the show's second half were truly excellent. I had a great time and I can't wait to see what the French Project will do next. Sadly, this review is coming out after the end of their run at the Northwest Film Forum, so I can't urge you to attend. But I can greatly recommend taking in whatever they offer next. France has a lot of great music to offer and even though there's a lot of nudging and winking going on, every tune is giving a very competent reading by these superior musicians.
