Best Jazz Cabaret Singers

CABARET-JAZZ: THE BEST CONTEMPORARY SINGERS, CHANTEUSES AND ENTERTAINERS

Photos from L to R: 1-Charles Aznavour and Mick Micheyl in Stany Ropemaker's film "Paris Music Hall " (1957). Micheyl is one of France’s cabaret greatest singers. Yet, she is totally unknown to American cabaret singers. 2-The legendary cabaret singer Mick Micheyl on the cover of her album; this LP received the prestigious French Song/Records award “Grand Prix du Disque 1953”. None of Mick’s songs features in any American cabaret repertoire!! Mick’s song “Un Gamin de Paris” is a cabaret classic and one of the world greatest cabaret hits! Totally unknown in the United States!!

You surf the Internet, you visit cabaret singers websites, you read flyers and reviews of chanteuses and cabaret entertainers CDs, performances et al…and you don’t know what to make out of these charades, displays of thousands of talents and propaganda scenarioed by publicists and highly paid agents and managers. In America, the word “Cabaret” is so freely and so irresponsibly used by singers, reviewers, critics and promoters. Americans by nature and by raison d’être resist foreign influence, especially European culture, European cinema, European music (British Invasion is an extreme rarity and exception), European political dogma (Remember the Monroe Doctrine!), and even foreign sports. So how come, “cabaret” a totally foreign-European term is so dear to the heart of so many torch and sentimental singers in the United States? Why do they call themselves “cabaret singers”? Are they really cabaret singers? Do they sing like Mick Micheyl, Zizi Jeanmaire, Patachou, Line Renauld, Gabriella Ferri, Mistinguet, Maurice Chevalier? NO! Do they sing songs like “Un Gamin de Paris”, “Paris C’est Une Blonde”, “Padam, Padam”, “Mon truc en plume” ? NO ! Few French songs by Brel and Piaf are sang by American cabaret singers. Kurt Weill is a favorite

Photo: The legendary French cabaret star, Zizi Jeanmaire in 1956 at Les Folies Bergere in Paris, France.2-Poster of the Cabaret Musical “Can Can”, starring Zizi Jeanmaire. Can-Can is a 1953 Cole Porter’s musical, based on a book by Abe Burrows. In October 1954, Can Can premiered in London at the Coliseum Theatre with a formidable cast including Irene Hilda, Gillian Lynne and Edmund Hockridge. It was an enormous success. On April 30, 1981, Can Can premiered with Zizi Jeanmaire at the Minskoff Theatre, in New York.

The show closed after 5 performances! It was “too French” for the taste of the American audience. Jeanmaire has many cabaret songs hits; they are performed by cabaret singers around the world, except in the United States! In France, ten singers out of ten know who Jeanmaire is. In the United States, one out of 1,000!

Poster of the Cabaret Musical “Can Can”, starring Zizi Jeanmaire. Can-Can is a 1953 Cole Porter’s musical, based on a book by Abe Burrows. In October 1954, Can Can premiered in London at the Coliseum Theatre with a formidable cast including Irene Hilda, Gillian Lynne and Edmund Hockridge. It was an enormous success. On April 30, 1981, Can Can premiered with Zizi Jeanmaire at the Minskoff Theatre, in New York. The show closed after 5 performances! It was “too French” for the taste of the American audience. Jeanmaire has many cabaret songs hits; they are performed by cabaret singers around the world, except in the United States! In France, ten singers out of ten know who Jeanmaire is. In the United States, one out of 1,000!

It is a learning experience to visit American cabaret singers websites, as well as cabaret organizations and societies websites where tons of singers (males and females) are listed and portrayed as cabaret singers. Some are authentic, while many are not. Yet, they are still listed, and the number of listings escalates day by day. In Volume IV “Showbiz, Pioneers, Best Singers, Entertainers and Musicians from 1606 to the Present”, I wrote extensively on the subject. Several chapters exceeding 100 pages focused on the multiple aspects, facets and characteristics of cabaret and cabaret chanteuses and singers in the United States and around the globe.