| Chanson française |
At first glance, when I received this album and caught sight of the French song titles on the back cover, I felt a wave of nausea. These were the songs that saturated the French airwaves at a time when FM radio didn’t yet exist, and only a handful of stations repeated them endlessly. It was an era when music programming felt like a closed loop. Thankfully, personalities like Yves Montand had managed to keep me from turning my back entirely on these little ditties. So, when I saw the title À Bicyclette, I knew that would be the first track I’d listen to.
I remembered Montand performing it at the Olympia in Paris always on the cusp of perfection. And what a surprise: Becca Wilkins, with her delicate, jazz-inflected touch, offers a compelling reinterpretation, casting new light on these French standards. She clearly loves the French language, yet never tries to conceal her British identity. On the contrary it adds a kind of charm, a subtle tension that elevates the whole album. It also reminds me of something I’ve long suspected: for many English speakers, French culture seems to stop somewhere around 1965.
Becca Wilkins was thinking of Montand too. She explains: “One evening after a gig, I was listening to a French music program on the radio and stumbled upon a track by Yves Montand’ Sa Jeunesse. I was instantly captivated and knew I had to sing it myself. That moment sparked the whole project. I fell in love with the poetry of these songs and the way they captured a moment in time.”
And yes, it feels completely natural. After all, Montand was always surrounded by top-tier jazz musicians. His recordings bear witness to that. And on the other hand, how does one even follow an artist like him? For a French performer, it would have been near-suicidal to take such a risk. But Becca Wilkins pulls it off, thanks to her acute artistic instinct and a personal vision that allows her not only to make each song her own (which, believe me, is no small feat), but to enhance every track with a subtle new glow.
She adds: “I always feel something special when I play this music, and I’m struck by how deeply the stories resonate with the audience, even those who don’t speak French. At first, I would hand out translations at my concerts, but I noticed that people stopped reading them, they were connecting with the music in a way that transcended language. As jazz musicians, we’re used to telling stories without words. This project is a beautiful example of that.”
You find yourself caught off guard, moved by the dramatic weight she lends to a song like Barbara, as she pulls it gently into the present day. Then comes La Mer, finally given the full poetic grace it has always deserved. This is the version I had always wished to hear, far from the belting renditions of mainstream artists whose showbiz flair left me cold. Becca Wilkins finds the exact rhythm and tone that let these poetic texts breathe.
The arrangements are what truly set this album apart, elegant, deliberate, and crafted not only to suit her clear, expressive voice, but to infuse each track with a sense of nostalgia, romance, and lyrical beauty. And here we see just how singular an artist Becca Wilkins is: she arranged every track herself.
If you have even a passing interest in French chanson, this very British take on it might just be the most charming, artful way to discover it.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor for All About Jazz
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, April 21st 2025
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Musicians :
Becca Wilkins | Vocals,
Olly Chalk | Piano, Synth,
Sam Ingvorsen | Bass,
Billy Pod | Drums
Tracklist :
Hymne à l’amour, Pt.1
Emmenez-moi
À bicyclette
Sous le ciel de Paris
Barbara
La mer
Amsterdam
Je hais les dimanches
La bohème
Nuages
Hymne à l’amour, Pt.2