| Jazz |
We eagerly awaited Terez Montcalm’s new album, which will be released on February 16th. It will bring joy to both French-speaking and English-speaking audiences, as Terez Montcalm is undoubtedly one of the most important francophone vocal artists who has honed her craft for years. She is not only an excellent guitarist but also a passionate soul music singer. It is in this musical style that she sought inspiration, capturing songs that people born between the 1950s and early 1970s certainly know. For more details, I refer you to the recent interview I conducted with Terez Montcalm.
With our friend Jean-Marie Ecay on guitar, along with the whole creative team she has collaborated with for years, this album offers round bass lines reminiscent of the golden era of Serge Gainsbourg. These details are for the benefit of English-speaking listeners who have also danced to a number of his tracks in England and the USA, as well as those he composed for Jane Birkin. Terez Montcalm has appropriated 15 songs, each one an intergalactic hit, in both French and English. The result is a remarkably intelligent and perfectly executed work, featuring titles such as “J’attendrai,” which has been playing for a while on Bayou Blue Radio. But there are also surprises in store for you, as this album is truly a pearl of incomparable richness.
There are many reasons to thank Terez Montcalm. First and foremost, her rendition of “J’attendrai” is a far cry from the infamous massacre inflicted upon it by Claude François – her version is inspired and culturally significant. The musicians accompanying her, most likely thanks to Terez Montcalm’s meticulous appropriation and arrangement work, found it easy to pour their souls into these tracks and contribute numerous intricate details that have perfected this new CD. Terez’s distinctive voice, powerful and captivating, takes us from one track to another, particularly on this album. It demonstrates how she is a truly exceptional interpreter, to the extent that one could imagine this album coming straight out of the golden era of Motown or Stax. And never mind the fact that there are only five original tracks; this amount of dedication deserves respect.
In a European landscape increasingly filled with ethereal and shallow projects, Terez Montcalm stands out. She is an interpreter who knows how to perfectly modulate her voice to be both intimate and soar with absolute lyricism within a single track. This is something typically found only among the great American interpreters. Undoubtedly, “Step Out” is an album that will go down in history – it is a collectible album that sparkles like champagne bubbles and could be discussed for hours. But undoubtedly, the best thing is to listen to this album, a CD that inevitably becomes indispensable from the very first track. Whether you are a fan of soul or jazz, you won’t be able to resist it!
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, February 9th 2024
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