Charles Trenet
photo: conrad poirier · public domain ↗Charles Trenet brought the bounce of American jazz records into French chanson, singing his own whimsical, surreal lyrics over tunes light enough to seem effortless. 'La Mer,' written almost on a whim, became one of the most recorded songs in the French language and the template for a strain of chanson that prized charm over drama — generations of French singers, Aznavour included, learned from how casually he could make a melody swing.
Chevalier's playful, theatrical stage delivery gave the teenage Trenet a model for how much personality a singer could put into a light song — early on, Trenet was known for doing exaggerated impersonations of Chevalier, and Chevalier's influence showed clearly in his own explosive singing style.
listen forThe winking, theatrical delivery on 'Boum!' carries the same music-hall showmanship Chevalier brought to 'Louise.'
The jazz syncopation and swing feel planted by the Gershwin records his mother played at home stayed in Trenet's songwriting even after he'd fully absorbed French chanson form and his own love of jazz.
listen forThe bouncing, syncopated rhythm of 'Y'a d'la joie' carries some of the same jazz-age lift as 'Rhapsody in Blue,' condensed into a three-minute song.