French superstar Patricia Kaas pays homage to classic French chanson with the studio album Piano Bar. Kaas, however, sings the French chansons predominantly in English; on nine of the thirteen tracks. The songs of Jacques Brel, Edith Piaf, Charles Trenet, Gilbert Bécaud, Yves Montand, Michel Legrand and Charles Aznavour are not just covers; Kaas' renditions and the subtle arrangements add something
… fundamentally new. Much of the music from this album has been incorporated into the film And Now ... Ladies And Gentlemen (premiere May 2002), a Claude Lelouche film. In Kaas' film debut, she plays a singer who performs in a luxury hotel in Morocco and falls in love with a criminal sailor, Jeremy Irons. Piano Bar is a strong and intimate album, on which Kaas' silky voice comes into its own. (SvdP)more
