Artist.......: Irene Jacob and Francis Jacob
Album........: Je Sais Nager
Label........: Passport songs music
Genre........: Chanson
Catnr........: n/a
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Apr-19-2013
str.date.....: 2012
quality......: VBR/44.1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: n/a
track title time
01. Jihad Et Cruzada 04:13
02. Au Fond De Toi 03:55
03. Je Sais Nager 03:14
04. Communion 03:57
05. Henri 03:42
06. Les Corps Les Plus Simples 03:52
07. Sumatra 04:25
08. Ouvre Les Yeux 04:18
09. Mon Essence a Moi 04:39
10. L' Ami 02:09
11. Ne Serait Y Pas 04:23
12. Communion Interdite 03:44
Runtime 46:31 min
Size 75,6 MB
Release Notes:
She is an internationally renowned actress who has
starred in movies made by some of the finest
directors in film. He is a world jazz guitarist,
composer and arranger. "They had known each other
for decades; as siblings and life-long friends,
IrΦne and Francis Jacob had shared games, Paris
apartments, and an intense engagement with jazz,
film, and philosophy. But one day, in the music
room where their grandmother used to practice, they
began making music together" (per their bio).
IrΦne's acting career which includes both stage and
screen, began auspiciously when, at the age of
twenty-one, her first role was in Au Revoir, Les
Enfants (1987), directed by Louis Malle. Just a few
years later she received the leading role in The
Double Life of VΘronique (1991), by Polish director
Krzysztof Kies'lowski, a performance for which she
won the best actress prize at that year's Cannes
Film Festival. Not long after, Kies'lowski cast her
again, in the leading role in Red (1994), the third
film of Kies'lowski's Three Colors trilogy. Many
consider Kies'lowski to be one of the greatest film
directors who ever lived, and these two films are
among his masterworks.
Francis Jacob developed an interest in music when
he was very young and growing up in Geneva,
Switzerland, eventually gravitating to the guitar;
his earliest influences were Jimi Hendrix and B.B.
King, among others. Music brought him to the
Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he
pursued jazz guitar. After college, he lived and
played for several years in Paris and also in
Brazil before settling in New York City and
becoming an integral part of the jazz scene there.
His continuing interest in world music often
brought him into contact with musicians from
Senegal and other parts of Africa and he absorbed
these musical and rhythmic influences into his
music.
Although this is IrΦne's first time singing
professionally, her acting career has prepared her
well in terms of using her voice as an instrument
of expression, as well as her storytelling skills
informing her lyric writing. She played both a
singer and a music teacher in The Double Life of
VΘronique, she has also written songs for years and
at one point she took lessons in jazz singing.
Francis brings many years of experience as a
composer, arranger, and performer combined with a
decidedly global combination of musical influences.
Francis wrote all the music on Je Sais Nager, the
lyrics were written by IrΦne on some songs, Francis
on others, and they collaborated on a few. He has a
nice way with a melody, and she has a nice way of
delivering it, as on the following.
For Je Sais Nager (I Know How to Swim), IrΦne's
sweet and intimate sounding voice is exceptionally
pleasing, paired with the combined global musical
influences that are reflected in Francis' writing,
production, and choice of musicians to work with on
this project. GrΘgoire Maret guested on jazz
harmonica, also appearing are Moroccan jazz
vocalist Malika Zarra, steel drum specialist Melvin
Dean, Afro-Peruvian percussionist Pichio, and
Brazilian percussionist Gilmar Gomes.
Throughout the album, the mix of musical styles
maintains a mood of light playfulness that is
distinctly French. Here is another track where the
beautiful melody is perfectly expressed by the
vocal, paired with simple instrumentation, all
inspired by the beautiful landscapes of the
Indonesian island of Sumatra.
There are twelve delightful tracks in all on Je
Sais Nager. A good bit of the development of this
project was transatlantic, with IrΦne in Europe and
Francis in Brooklyn. IrΦne elaborates:
ôDistance is part of this meeting, this secret
space we created between us, which often happens in
spite of distance. ThatÆs one of our challenges, in
the stories weÆre approaching, and all the musical
landscapes Francis creates, there is this distance,
this need to travel, to meet the other, to
encounter this adventure. For me, our work is a
great chance to connect with someone who is both my
brother and a great musician.ö