Steve Ross and Jean Brassard
Allons Enfants—Encore une fois!
Pangea, NYC, July 14, 2922
Reviewed by Ron Forman
The words that come to mind in describing Allons Enfants – Encore une fois! are c’est magnifique. Steve Ross had found the perfect partner in Jean Brassard to perform a wonderful collection of French and English songs built around a French theme. Ross, rightly called the Crown Prince of Cabaret, is a marvelous pianist with an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music. Brassard is a dynamic performer who can transform himself into the song’s character and can use a singing voice appropriate for that character. The verbal interplay between Ross and Brassard was always amusing. The two work smoothly together, whether Ross is accompanying Brassard on piano or joining him in a duet
Ross opened with a dazzling medley of French songs that began with Edith Piaf’s “L’Hymme a l’amour,” was followed by Jacques Brel’s “Carousel,” and ended with Piaf’s “La Vie en rose.” Ross in English and Brassard in French combined to perform Charles Aznavour’s “Le Temps.” Ross mentioned that when asked what the French mood is, he answers “despair,” and many of the evening’s songs had that mood. Ross performed Gilbert Bécaud’s “Et Maintenant” in French and followed with the English version (“What Now My Love”) with Brassard accompanying him on harmonica.
Guest star Karen Akers explained “L’Accordianiste” before performing it accompanied by Brassard on accordion. Before his soft and touching performance of “The Last Time I Saw Paris,” Ross described how a saddened Oscar Hammerstein wrote the poem following the German invasion of France in 1940; Jerome Kern set the poem to the music, and it turned into an Oscar-winning song. Ross sang “Harlem on My Mind” in a voice à la Ethel Waters, who had introduced the song in Irving Berlin’s As Thousands Cheer. As the song was meant to be about Josephine Baker, it was hilariously followed by Bassard who appeared on stage with a band of bananas around his waist as he performed “J’ai deux amours” as Baker had done. They paid tribute to Charles Trenet with two of his songs, “La Mer” and “Que reste-t’il de nos amours?” and Brassard explained how the lyric to the English version of the latter, “I Wish You Love,” tells a very different story from the French lyric.
The duo combined for a luscious Michel Legrand medley in both English and French. Brassard produced much laughter with the very funny song “Madeleine,” about a poor guy waiting for Madeleine. Next to closing he beautifully performed a song written in 1780 “Plaisir d’amour” whose melody was used for the Elvis Presley hit song “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.” The closing number to this vastly entertaining, almost two-hour-long show, was Cole Porter’s list song “Can-Can,” with Ross going on and on about who can do the can-can, and the laughter built as he kept singing the many lyrics. For the encore, the audience joined in whenever the phrase that I used to describe the show appeared in the song “C’est Magnifique.”
