Laura Fygi....

Laura Fygi - who celebrated her 15th anniversary as a solo singer last year - returns to her French roots on her new CD Rendez-Vous. Fygi was raised bilingual: her mother spoke French to her and her father Dutch. On her 11th album, she combines her love of the Great American Songbook with the beautiful sounds of her mother tongue. "I just selected my favourite classics and sang them in the most poetic language I know. It's a combination of recognition and emotion."

The collection of songs on Rendez-vous is inspired by the famous Hot Club de France-era, of which Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli are well-known exponents. Hot Club de France was a famous jazz club in Paris in the 1930's, established to protect and promote jazz music. As a result, major international jazz musicians were able to perform in France and many American and European musicians owe their success to the activities of this French organisation. As it was forbidden to sing in English during the war, well-known songs of American composers were translated into French at the time. So, with the exception of 'Caravane', the tracks on Rendez-Vous are all French classics. Fygi asked Philippe Elan, a Frenchman living in the Netherlands, to translate the lyrics of 'Caravane' in French.

The world-famous tracks from Cole Porter, Kurt Weill, Glenn Miller and George Gershwin and others were adapted by Laura's own band. "We started in the summer of 2006 by selecting the repertoire, the rhythms and the soloists we would like to invite. My pianist Hans Vroomans laid the foundation for all the new arrangements after which the rest of my band perfected them. Their involvement is significant for this album; it's the reason why this record is so special," says Laura. Rendez-vous is produced by Ruud Jacobs. Similar to Live At Ronnie Scott's, this album has a truly intimate club vibe. Laura: "I just love that intimacy; the idea that the songs are performed just for you, as if you are the one in front of the stage."

The album features guest performances by David Kweksilber on clarinet, Gert Wantenaar on accordion, Tim Kliphuis on violin and Bert Boeren on trombone. Another remarkable guest is French superstar Dave (born in the Netherlands) with whom Laura performs a stunning version of 'Dansez Maintenant'. "He has been living in France for the last 40 years, so he didn't know who I was. But he said that if Michel Legrand thought I was good enough, he certainly couldn't refuse the offer!" Guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg from the famous Rosenberg Trio contributed his gypsy-sounding guitar solos to 'Nuages' and 'Caravane'.
Rendez-Vous is a wonderful CD of jazzy evergreens sung in French. The album will see a worldwide release on 27 April. Laura Fygi will be touring in Asia , where she has been a true superstar for many years. In the spring of 2008, she will embark on a theatre tour in the Netherlands.
http://www.laurafygi.com/