Henri Salvador was a French singer, musician and dancer whose talents were so exceptional and profound, we don't really have anyone of comparable status in the U.S. Salvador played guitar and trumpet, he sang beautifully and he had French hits in virtually every music genre, including jazz, pop, chanson, cabaret, rock 'n' roll and bossa nova. He also appeared regularly on TV singing, dancing and playing, encapsulating the French spirit and soul.
Like Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier and Yves Montand, Salvador represented the essence of French showmanship. Whenever I hear Salvador's voice, I think immediately of Paris. In fact, when I was in Montreal several years ago, the French restaurant where I was having lunch was playing him on its sound system. I had no idea who it was, not because I didn't know Salvador's voice but because I was unfamiliar with the song playing. Salvador's catalog was eclectic and wide-ranging, My family is used to me making them uncomfortable as I grill waiters for the names of remarkable artists and songs on their iTunes system if unknown to me.
Salvador wasn't a dabbler in the stage but a full-fledged entertainer and recording artist who made everything look easy. Born in French Guiana in 1917, he emigrated to Paris in the 1930s and was spotted by Django Reinhardt, who employed him as his accompanist. During World War II, Salvador was stuck on the French Riviera and joined French bandleader Ray Ventura just as he fled Vichy France for South America. Ventura was Jewish.
After the war, Salvador returned to Paris with Ventura and began his recording career and flourished in the 1950s with the arrival of the 10-inch LP. The rise of television also found Salvador on TV variety shows, and he twice appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in New York. In the 1950s, he was among the first to write and record rock 'n' roll songs in France, partnering with songwriter Boris Vian. They collaborated on more than 400 songs that ranged from blues to beguines.
Admittedly, Salvador recorded and performed a sizable amount of junk, including dreadful novelty songs and hammy material that either is appreciated only by the French or was done to pay the bills. His jazz-pop recordings were executed at a much higher taste level and remain stunningly beautiful today. His compartmentalization makes one wonder who the real Salvador was—the elegant, sensual balladeer or the silly, comic music-hall singer. Perhaps both.
Today, I'm featuring 10 of my favorite Salvador jazz-pop recordings. Henri Salvador died in 2008 at age 90.
Here's Salvador with Ray Ventura singing Hey Ba-Ba Re-Bop in 1946..
Here's Salvador singing and playing guitar on A Saint-Germain des Près in 1955...
Here's Salvador singing Salvador Plays the Blues in 1956...
Here's Salvador scatting and playing guitar on Stompin' at the Savoy in 1956...
Here's Salvador in 1957 singing Maman La Plus Belle Du Monde...
Here's Salvador singing and playing guitar on Il n'y a Plus D'Amands in 1957
Here's Salvador in 1961...
Here's Salvador singing Dans Mon Ile in 1963. Salvador originally recorded it in 1958. Antonio Carlos Jobim has said the song was major influence on him to slow down the samba and create the bossa nova...
Here's Salvador singing L'Inspration in 1963...
Here's Salvador singing Count Basie, Neal Hefti's Lil' Darlin' set to lyrics by Frank Tenot and Daniel Filipacchi, two jazz broadcasters, in 1963...
Bonus: Here's the original Dans Mon Ile in 1958...
And here's Salvador playing and singing La Petite Jacqueline in 1957...
And one for the road. Here's Salvador playing and singing Syracuse in 1962...
