Ma Chère et Tendre

by Mark RomanoHenri Salvador has the patina of a truly seasoned musician. His soft earthy voice shimmers like silky drops in the tropical sun. His placid sensual vocals put the listener at ease from the downbeat. In this finely crafted work, he continues in the same pleasurable vein, a mélange of jazz, tropical, and pop threads. He moves seamlessly from one style to another, as if he has done so for centuries. In some of his earlier albums, his songs contained more humorous rowdiness. However, the wizened maestro found jazz a few decades ago and his career underwent a rebirth. The sense of humor is still there, but now there are the beautifully simple melodies over percolating tropical rhythms infused with tight jazz arrangements. Some of the songs were penned by the very gifted Keren Ann Zeidel, who wrote some tracks on his Chambre avec Vue. The nonchalant expertise here makes for a fine album to be enjoyed with champagne and a lovely companion. Highly recommended.