Deja Nous
Entertaining and educating through lively performance of jazz and cabaret music en Francais
5/7/07DC Trip
Deja-Nous just returned from a very successful music tour to Silver Spring and Easton, Maryland, both near Washington DC. We were enthusiastically received at each of the several venues we played. We started out on Friday morning at the French Immersion Program at Sligo Elementary School where we had over 300 kids dancing and singing along to our children’s rhymes and Samba tunes. That afternoon, we performed at a seniors’ home, where the residents enjoyed swinging to our Michel Legrand, Charles Aznavour’s favorite.That was a lot of fun!
On Saturday evening we performed two shows at the Black Box Theater. For this venue, we presented our “mature” program, with some compelling songs from Jacques Brel, Edith Piaf, and Claude Nougaro. The audience was thrilled by our performance and wanted more, so for an encore we delivered a rousing “Au suivant!” from Brel.
On Sunday we were in Easton’s Chez Lafitte for a Sunday Brunch. It was very upscale and very nice! I felt as if I was surrounded by older family members, all with warm, smiling faces, gathered around well flowered tables for a special occasion. And it was a special occasion for both the audience and the band….We enjoyed playing our repertoire, showing the diversity of French music to a very appreciative audience.
This tour was a wonderfully rewarding new adventure for Deja-Nous and was a total success. We were delighted to receive the same enthusiastic response from each of the very different audiences we played for during the tour. We plan to prepare another trip to the DC area in the coming year!
4/20/07Kids on the Block
Earlier this spring, Jean-Jacques performed in a variety show put on by Kids on the Block, and it's going to be broadcast on VCAM over the next week. The schedule is as follows:
- Friday, April 20, 4:20 PM
- Tuesday, April 24, 11:00 PM
- Wed, April 25, 4:00 AM
- Wed, April 25, 10:00 AM
- Wed, April 25, 4:00 PM
If you're interested in viewing this show, I'm part of it with Glenn, at the beginning. I think that we're the third act! Enjoy! We did a couple of songs with Abby Sperry. She was the accompanist pianist for the entire show, and she's a member of the Latino band Grupo Sabor.
Have a great sunny week-end!
4/07In the Studio
For something a little different, Jean-Jacques and members of Deja-Nous are recording a collaborative song by Jean-Jacques, based on a poem of Maggie Rodgers, age 11.
"It's very inspiring poem, going straight to your heart, and I was really amazed by the wisdom of a young person. She knows so much about life already and has a wonderful perspective about it! I couldn't resist but putting these words into a song!"
Keep an eye out for updates about this recording!
12/15-16/06Back at the FlynnSpace
What was special about this program is the tribute to Jacques Brel. 10 songs that we did in the first half. A lot of emotional, physical commitment. Jacques Brel wrote texts with such power!
The program of the show was:
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What a fun show. And we ended each night with an encore of Les Champs-Elysees.
5/06-6/06 Tour in Paris!
I spent 2 weeks in Paris, singing in 6 different places, making good contacts and great friends. I was invited to sing au "Lapin Agile". It’s one of the oldest Cabaret in Montmarte, where the now famous painters, poets, writers used to gather, argue and redefine new Art Movements. It was very impressive for me to sing there, knowing that singers like Brassens, Nougaro (one of my heroes) made their debuts. I sang a song of Jacques Brel, "Amsterdam," after rehearsing very little time with the house pianist. Everything came from my guts and I have to say that the public enjoyed the raw performance that I delivered.
I want to go back to Paris with our band or to explore more in the Quebec area in front of a French audience. It's a total, different experience.
1/06 Deja-Nous on TV
Deja-Nous has been going through some changes! With the line-up in flux, Jean-Jacques, Nate, Peter, and Terri Conti on accordion, recorded live for public acces with Rik Palieri for his great program Songwriter's Notebook. Keep an eye out for us on VCAM.
8/17/05 CD Review in 7 Days and Free Press
Today Casey Rea reviewed The Romance of Paris in 7 Days, and an awesome review it is. Of our rendition of C'est si bon, he says, "Pianist Nate Venet's playful ivory work on opener "C'est si bon" is captivating, and bassist Mike Sperber provides clever rhythmic punctuation. Psaute's charmingly rugged voice is the real focus, however. Like a francophone version of Dick Van Dyke's Mary Poppins chimney sweep character, he bowls you over with affable melody." Of Mademoiselle Maman he says, "the kind of tune that makes you sigh deeply between sips of wine. Percussionist Matt Guzowski's hi-hat shuffle and restrained cymbal swells give the track a breezy quality that nicely complements Psaute's tender vocal delivery." Une Petite fille "positively seethes with passion and regret."
Also, Brent Hallenbeck reviewed our CD in the Burlington Free Press on June 30th: This kind of disk doesn’t come out of Burlington (or, technically, Hinesburg’s AdAstra Recording Studio) too often. Deja-Nous is a four-piece group featuring Colchester resident Jean-Jacques Psaute on vocals – en Francais – and bouncy jazzy tunes as well as some more dramatic numbers written by the likes of Jacques Brel. Does that sound pretentious? It’s not. Psaute, pianist Nate Venet, drummer Matt Guzowski and bassist Mike Sperber are clearly having fun here, making “The Romance of Paris” more than just a pleasant disc to listen to while having a romantic French dinner. Tres bon.
Both were great reviews. Now if only they bring people to our show this weekend...
6/15/05 New CD, and Jazz Fest Update
Well, it's finally happened, Deja Nous has released our first CD, The Romance of Paris. We spent an evening and a half at Ad Astra Recording with Peter Engish, who did a wonderful job in the short amount of time we gave him. The result is awesome, and is available for purchase in the merchandise section of our website (special thanks to Shaun Varney of Paleface Sound for providing the support and duplication through his online store).
Our gig this past weekend at the Jazz Fest went very well. We were on Church St in front of Leunig's under their tent. The weather was oppressive, but that didn't keep us from having a good time, or the patrons from enjoying the music. We also picked up a lot of listeners in the street, and even got some air time on the Channel 3 News. Our next event will be a show at the FlynnSpace in August. Stay tuned...
4/20/05 Flynn Theatre Show Success
The report from the Flynn says that there were close to 1,000 people who attended the show. That's great, and more than I expected, really! The net result is that the American Red Cross will be able to buy 90,000 meals for the Tsunami victims. It was a real success and this event could become an annual for the American Red Cross. Once again THANK YOU for everyone involved in this project, both those who participated and those who attended. Love.
Hopefully before too long we'll have a new CD available for purchase as well. Keep checking for availability.
3/12/05 World Music for Asia Benefit Show
On April 19th at 7:30 PM there will be a benefit concert at the Flynn Theatre to benefit the American Red Cross International Response Fund. This project got under way immediately after the devastating tsunami hit Southeast Asia, and has finally come together into what promises to be a great show. There will be nine acts, each one bringing music from a different part of the globe:
- 35th parallel - "MediterrAsian Jazz." Specializes in MediterrAsian Jazz and is presented by tabla artist Gabe Halberg and multi-instrumentalist Mac Ritchey.
- Burlington Taiko Group - "Japanese Drums." Japanese drumming from a group deeply committed to keeping their sound authentic - they even make their own equipment from traditional materials.
- Jean-Jacques, Nate & Cie - "French Cabaret." Perform popular French songs in the tradition of Jacques Brel, Edith Piaf and others. Mike Sperber and Matt Guzowski provide support on bass and drums.
- Left Eye Jump - "American Blues." An American Blues band playing urban style electric blues. Led by guitarist and vocalist Dennis Willmott.
- Madera - "Flamenco." The signature sound of this three piece band is Flamenco-Nova, a unique blend of Flamenco and Bossa-Jazz arrangements of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luis Bonfi tunes.
- Sambatucada! - "Brazilian Ensemble" An Afro-Brazilian percussion band that has delighted audiences at celebrations and community events all over Vermont with its huge sound and pulsating rhythms.
- Samputu/Ingeli Group - "Music from Rwanda." African music and dance from Rwanda. The group's founder, Jean Paul Samputu, is also a tireless worker for social justice and an HIV/AIDS educator.
- Laslo Cameo - "Australian Music." Formerly SKELTON CREW, this group plays traditional Australian folk music. Ted Donlon (bass, vocals), Leslie Campos (fiddle, acoustic guitar), Randy Bulpin (guitar, vocals), and John Drenavich on drums complete the band.
- Tammy Fletcher - "Gospel Soul." A soul singer known for her extraordinary voice and uncanny ability to adapt to a wide variety of styles including Gospel, Rock and Roll, Opera, Blues, and Country.
Tickets for the show are available by calling 86-FLYNN, or at the Flynn Box Office for a donation of $20 and up. 100% of the proceeds are going to the Red Cross, so thanks are due to the Flynn and all the performers.
3/12/05 New Website Goes Live
At 3:35 AM theromanceofparis.com officially got a facelift. The site has been live for almost exactly 365 days, so in honor of its birthday we decided to give it a fresh look. New media files, images, and many new pages of content make this a big step up from the basic two page site we had previously. A few things to note in particular are:
- - New audio and video clips
- - New photos
- - Translations into English of the lyrics to many songs
- - A theromanceofparis.com e-mail list
Hopefully before too long we'll have a new CD available for purchase as well. Keep checking for availability.