Brel at his best – delivered with the biting tone that made Brel one of the most brilliant social commentators of the 20th Century, yet with a warmth that offset his critical vision with a real love of life! Arrangements and orchestrations are by the mighty Francois Rauber – a bit fuller and richer than on other Brel albums – in a manner that seeks to deepen the feeling of the tunes without overwhelming them in emotion. Beautiful work throughout – and with titles that include "Madeline", "La Statue", "Les Paumes Du Petit Matin", "Bruxelles", "Les Bourgeois", "Les Biches", and "Chanson Sans Paroles". Beautiful! LP, Vinyl record album

The lovely Francoise Hardy is one of our favorite singers in 60s French pop – and here she tells the story behind her music and her long and storied career – all with a voice that's nicely different than the one she uses in her tunes, and which gives us a whole different version of an artist that we already love! This is the first translation of Hardy's book into English, done by Jon E Graham – and the story moves up to the final years of the 20th Century, and offers a glimpse into Francoise life long past her hit records on the charts, to show the evolving challenges and triumphs of an artist who kept on creating, and challenging the world around her. 309 pages, hardcover, with some black and white images. (Books, French) Book

A sparkling postwar musical fantasy of Paris – one made up of a host of famous themes from French pop music of the 20th century, all set to lush string arrangements by a young Michel Legrand! The album's not as upbeat or jazzy as some of Legrand's later soundtrack work, but it's got a wonderful quality all its own – a warmly romantic vision of a Paris that was still putting the pieces back together less than a decade after WWII, presented in a way that glosses sweet sounds over darker corners with a vaguely eerie feel. The record instantly made Legrand an international favorite, and features "The Last Time I Saw Paris", "Paris Canaille", "Autumn Leaves", "A Paris", "La Vie En Rose", "Under Paris Skies", and "April In Paris. (Jazz, French) CD