I’m tripping through the decades today to a chilly Saturday morn in February 1983, when I boarded a commuter train to Philly. I was 17 and, as with previous solo swings into the Big City, not quite sure how to get to where I wanted to go—though, to be honest, that was half the fun. I generally stepped off the train at or near Reading Terminal and then wandered the streets, popping into a store or stopping a beat cop to ask for directions to this or that destination. (Fun fact: The Men in Blue pointed me the wrong way more often than not.) Regardless, this day, I arrived at the Ritz III, an arthouse at 2nd and Walnut Streets, with time enough to buy popcorn before the mid-day matinee of Piaf: The Early Years. Why I wanted to see that specific movie, which was originally released in 1974, I no longer remember, though I’d wager a recent review in the Philadelphia Inquirer played a part. Brigitte Ariel, who starred as real-life French singer Edith Piaf (1915-63), was singled out for praise, while the soundtrack—which featured Ariel lip-syncing to Piaf impersonator Betty Mars—was applauded.
For good and not ill, that film served as my introduction to both subtitled fare and chanson songs. Jazz and bossa nova turned my ears in the years to come, first as folk-related and R&B-adjacent bon mots and then, by my 40s, as full-fledged interests.
I start there because we all start somewhere.
Kat Gang, whose name alone makes me predisposed to like her, mixes and matches the music forms on her enchanting new album, Bossa & Bordeaux. The breezy 10-song, 39-minute outing blends French and Portuguese ballads and beats, and—in the best jazz tradition—features her bowing out for a stanza or two in most songs while her bandmates (Matthew Sheens on piano, Pat Brennan on guitar, Phil Palombi on bass, and Matt Chiasson on reed instruments) step to the fore. Years ago, Melody Gardot explored the space between notes on her fado-influenced The Absence album; Kat and band do the same here. The clutter-free production allows the songs to breathe, reminding me of Peggy Lee circa her classic 1958 collaboration with pianist George Shearing on Beauty and the Beat! as well as Bebel Gilberto on my favorite of her albums, 2007’s Momento.
Bossa & Bordeaux came about from the group’s weekly gigs at the ritzy NYC supper club The Nines, where guests are “encouraged” to dress up. The effortless segues from bossa nova to chanson and back again are a marvel, while Kat’s lilting vocals pirouette across the syllables with the grace of a ballerina. One need not understand French or Portuguese to enjoy the 10 songs, I feel compelled to add; the performances bridge the languages via the heart. It’s available to stream from all the usual suspects and can be purchased via Bandcamp.
The Old Grey Cat 