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The song La Vie En Rose was performed by Ann Hampton Callaway as a part of her concert Jazz Goes to the Movies. The performance took place on June 25th at Feinstein’s/54 Below Club, where the concert ran for several dates (Feinstein’s/54 Below, 2019). The song, originally written and performed by Edith Piaf, has been covered by many singers, including Louis Armstrong’s jazz version. The set list for the concert from 18 songs organized in two acts included covers of popular songs from movies, such as Judy Garland’s Over the Rainbow from the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. An interpretation of the song Just One of Those Things, performed initially by Cole Porter in the musical Jubilee, was also one of the concert’s highlights. While the performance for La Vie En Rose featured Calloway’s piano self-accompaniment, the concert was backed by the performance of a jazz quartet, including a pianist, bassist, drummer, and saxophonist.
The original song belongs to the traditional pop genre and presents one of the signature songs in Edith Piaf’s career. Callaway’s performance styles the initial song in the jazz genre and is more similar to Louis Armstrong’s version in tempo. However, the mood of Callaway’s interpretation is different from both versions, switching from a calm and melancholic adagio in the beginning to more energetic and frantic towards the crescendo at the end of the song. The effect increases the emotional response to the song, emphasizing its meaning in finally finding the joy of true love.
The original song was created in the post-Great War era of music, which is reflected in the song’s emotional context and inspirational, positive meaning. In the post-war period, the audience was in need of motivational songs, so the song encouraging people to find beauty in everyday life, similarly to wearing rose-colored glasses, was instantly loved by the audience. The jazz interpretation of the song from the 1950s is more romantic and relaxed in tone compared to the original. Even though the peak of the jazz genre’s popularity belongs in the 1920s, the 1940s and early 1950s marked the development of the modern jazz form. The genre evolved from the more creative and free bebop style popularized by the younger generation of jazz musicians. Furthermore, while jazz is not as popular in modern music, it provided a foundation for popular R&B and hip-hop genres. The connection allows jazz music to maintain its popularity, and jazz compositions and concerts are still popular in the circles of music lovers.
The Jazz Goes to the Movies concert was performed in Feinstein’s/54 Below Cabaret in New York City. The place is famous for its connection with Broadway and location in the basement of Studio 54, which acts as proof of the place’s cultural significance. Feinstein’s/54 Below hosts a wide variety of shows by different musical artists in various musical styles, including jazz and opera. A significant part of shows hosted by Feinstein’s/54 Below was highly acclaimed by the public and received many awards.
I enjoy the music because it gives a twist to familiar compositions while adding more to the original composition’s meaning. I like the dynamics and range in Callaway’s performance and how they are balanced compared to the original composition. In addition, I also enjoy watching the performance because of the way the artist maintains contact with the audience focusing the attention on the chorus. Lastly, I find that the singer’s vocal range adds more layers to the material, mixing perfectly with the different moods of the song.
Reference
Feinstein’s/54 Below. (2019). Ann Hampton Callaway – ‘La Vie En Rose’ [Video]. YouTube.
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