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Concert Review
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www.worldmusiccentral.org, Concert Review >>
Triple Door, Seattle, WashingtonOctober 31, 2005
Halloween in Seattle is serious business for some. Even on a blustery night, some partygoers plaster on the make-up, wigs and don an array of creative costumes. The French in general are not too enthusiastic with the ancient Celtic holiday turned commercial holiday with a capital "C". Back in France, the French celebrate All Saints' Day and honor the dead from October 31st to November 2nd. But there wasn't a saint or chrysanthemum in sight when the French group Paris Combo hit the stage. The quintet which features a microcosm of the French Diaspora were good sports. They didn't seem to mind the costumed folks and even apologized for appearing underdressed on such an occasion.
Vocalist Belle du Berry just couldn't seem to figure out why no one, costumed or not, was dancing to the combo's infectious mix of gypsy swing, French chanson, Latin rhythms and Turkish-Arabic songs. True to her tenacious French roots, she persisted, offering up slow sultry songs for lovers and high-octane gypsy swing for singles to kick up their heels. And to her credit, a small group of enthusiastic partygoers did some how manage to extricate themselves from the tables and booths that fill the large venue and fulfill Du Berry's wishes.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Paris Combo opened the first set of the evening with Je Reve Encore. The witty Ennemis Siamois, (a song about lovers who are glued to one another). David Lewis performed double duty bouncing back and forth between a grand piano and the microphone where he played some very steamy trumpet. The Latin-Cuban Señor followed this and still the audience members remained anchored to their seats. While all the musicians were fun to watch, the focus was on French-Algerian Potzi who resembled a young Django Reinhardt as his fingers set loose on a run of arpeggios steeped in gypsy swing. For most of the set the guitarist tucked away in his corner of the stage evoked a vintage image from another era. Certainly he would have fit into the gypsy jazz scene of the 1930's, and in the spirit of Halloween, he was honoring belated jazz legends with his sultry glances at audience members and his fast fingers on the frets of his acoustic guitar. Perhaps the audience was too mesmerized to dance.
But back to Du Berry who dusts off a slow and moody number, Sous La Lune hoping that someone, anyone would take up her offer. Do the people in Seattle not like Ravel-Satie-esque piano and under water trumpet solos? Ah, oui, ah, non? Peut-etre? So the group kicked into Hi Low In with its shuffle beat and swing guitar. Throughout the evening, Paris Combo proved why they are not so easily categorized and flirted with various music genres from Catalan rumba to Latin-Cuban and Turkish-Arabic. And by the encore, Du Berry's persistent charm and fabulous vocal phrasing, Lewis' go-man-go trumpet, a rhythm section to die for and Potzi's swinging guitar provoked a handful of costumed partygoers to take a corner of the venue hostage and dance.
Paris Combo has visited the Emerald City (Seattle) a few times already and each time the group returns with cleverly penned songs laced with Du Berry's wry humor. Perhaps next time, the combo will return with a witty song about Halloween in America. And hopefully, Paris Combo will perform at a venue with a designated dance floor. Otherwise, these musicians will have patrons dancing on tabletops and swinging from chandeliers.
Meanwhile in France, trick or treat empowered Halloween and its commercial allure rallies against a more established tradition. In an ironic turn of events, an American pop band donning Disney-inspired costumes and candy corn colored hair apologizes for being overdressed on such a somber occasion. At least that is how this Francophile imagines it.
-Patty Lynne Herlevi 11/03/05 >> go there
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