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Dreamy sounds from the legendary Michel Legrand – working here in a mode that's maybe a bit more lush and romantic than some of his later soundtrack work – yet at a level that's still head and shoulders above most of his 50s instrumental contemporaries! The set's got a melancholy vibe throughout – that sense of leaving that not only evokes a visitor having to head home after a trip in Paris, but also all the sadness and loss that the city experienced during the wartime years as well – even later, as American Gis had to head home – and were an obvious market for a record like this in the US! Tracks include "Bonjour Paris", "French Can Can", "Le Mer", "Two Loves Have I", and "A Paris Dans Chaque Faubourg". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including Yves Montand singing "Joli Maie", plus the tracks "Domino", "Pigalle", "Clopin Clopant", "Le Gars De Rochechouart", and "Boum". (Jazz, French) CD

Sexy stuff from one of the most famous French stars of the 60s – a record that has Brigitte Bardot working in the same sort of slinky territory as Serge Gainsbourg, but with a slightly different feel overall! The album's a bit jazzier than some of Bardot's later work – with great backings from Claude Bolling and Francois Rauber – served up with some occasional Latin touches, of the type you might find in some of Gainsbourg's music of the time. Backings are somewhat large, but never sleepy – and titles include originals by Bolling and Serge Gainsbourg – titles that include "C'est Rigolo", "Pas D'Advantage", "Noir Et Blanc", "Rose D'Eau", "Invitango", "El Cuchipe", and "Les Amis De La Musique". LP, Vinyl record album