Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » : Cyrille Aimee Live

4

: Cyrille Aimee Live

By

Sign in to view read count
: Cyrille Aimee Live
As a little girl, Cyrille Aimée would climb out of the bedroom window of her home in Samois-sur-Seine, near Fontainbleau in northern France and run off to join local gypsies by their camp fires, playing jazz and singing just as they did with Django Reinhardt (who is buried nearby).

Reinhardt never managed to acclimatize himself to the international stardom that eventually came his way as a guitarist. He was forever yearning back to those happy, carefree days in northern France.

Similarly, the fierce joy Cyrille Aimée felt singing round the manouche camp fires is what she tries to communicate to her audience in New York night clubs like the Poisson Rouge where this stunning live album, was recorded.

It's what brings her shows alive and makes her to stand out from the current crop of girl singers. There's a sense that she is in touch with something wild, free and authentic... and it elicits whoops of joy from her fans.

Not that Aimée sings manouche, and not that her band plays manouche. She takes care to provide a remarkably varied program, ranging from a nicely subdued version of "It's A Good Day," which Peggy Lee used to sing with Benny Goodman, to Thelonious Monk's "Well You Needn't," stopping off at Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin.'" Through it all, her musicianship—and that of her band—is impeccable.

"Nuit Blanche" is her own, catchy chronicle of a sleepless night. She follows it with a number by Sidney Bechet, "Si Tu Vois Ma Mere, (If You See My Mother)," from which you'll gather that the lady is faithful to her roots but also conscious of the need to keep things up to date. This she does with a great version of Stephen Sondheim's "Live Alone And Like It."

Then, following such fireworks, Aimée deftly winds up the show with "Each Day," a bossa she wrote with guitarist Michael Valeanu. All in all this is a masterly performance from a young lady destined to be a star...if she isn't one already.

Track Listing

It’s A Good Day; Nuit Blanche (White Night); Si Tu Vois Ma Mere (If You See My Mother); Live Alone And Like It; Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’; Off The Wall; Day By Day; It’s Over Now (Well You Needn’t); Three Little Words; Each Day.

Personnel

Cyrille Aimée: vocals; Adrien Moignard: acoustic guitar; Michael Valeanu: electric guitar; Dylan Shamar: bass; Dani Danor: drums.

Album information

Title: Cyrille Aimee Live | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Mack Avenue Records

Comments

Tags

Concerts

Apr 23 Tue
Apr 23 Tue
Apr 24 Wed
Apr 24 Wed
Apr 25 Thu
Apr 25 Thu

For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.