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A jazz vocals theme courtesy of Gabi Hartmann

Riding the crest of a wave

A few years ago I was interviewing Jesse Harris circa Surpresa which I loved at the time and still do, Harris of course the songwriter and guitarist who wrote ‘Don’t Know Why’ – a mega smash for Norah Jones 22 years ago.

In the course of the phone conversation Harris started talking about some of his collaborators. He riffed about being mates with Brad Mehldau before Brad was famous and told me tantalisingly about a tape he had somewhere of their early work together when Brad was playing some sort of clapped out Fender Rhodes.

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Hartmann’s appeal spans chanson, jazz and easy listening

Harris when we spoke was working with Melody Gardot a lot and we talked about their work together a bit.

Beat a trail, rosbifs

And then chat turned to chanson and the French icon, Barbara. Harris then, fairly nonchalantly it must be said, mentioned a new singer that I had never heard of – Gabi Hartmann.

A singer, songwriter and guitarist from Paris as I discovered from that position of blameless ignorance whose influences range from jazz to French and Latin music, her first album was released in January 2023 and rocketed to the top of the jazz charts in France – streaming figures are in the millions.

Being the eager beaver I can be when sufficiently revved up and tipped the wink I went off to find a few Gabi Hartmann songs to listen to before all that. And sure enough I really liked ‘Always Seemed to Get Things Wrong’. Sufficiently moved I pompously suggested the singer to a chum who runs a jazz club and said that the singer would be perfect for his boîte. Yep you suddenly start thinking in whatever French you can muster when a singer like Hartmann is around. I heard nothing back.

Time for a Hart to Hart

She still isn’t much known on this side of the Channel. Or at all. But next week there’s a chance that a few French Londoners who have definitely warmed to her may well take up the chance to catch her as she will be making it along to the London Jazz Festival to play a cavernous venue near Sloane Square. The canny rosbifs among you who like to catch an artist before they become huge might be itching to get along too. And why not.

Surfy guitar, theremin flavoured

As for ‘Take a Swing at the Moon’ it’s a Harris-Hartmann song. He’s on it. But it’s Hartmann’s gamine, timeless, lead vocal that is the main focus plus some wonderfully arranged swooping strings by Maycon Ananias, a rhythm section and a waft of reliably spooky theremin (played by Oan Kim) a sound that always goes down well in these quarters.

A riposte to the notion that ‘Another dream goes to your head’

The lyrics – including the most evocative bits ‘All night long you’ve been thundering you would take a swing at the moon, another dream goes to your head’ – I suppose tackle delusions and the subject of taking a punt on fulfilling your dreams. Or not. As the case may be.

The takeaway, plot spoiler, is sunny resolution and a riposte against cynicism – a happy ending perhaps.

There’s been an argument but the protagonist (le guess who?) is affirming she will sing – after all.

The melody is wonderful, it’s stepped out of a dream itself. And that theremin sound adds uncanny texture towards the heel of the hunt.

And the ambivalent sensuality we all cling to sometimes that however gauzy and ethereal is here something of an amulet and protective in the face of life’s multiple vicissitudes thanks to the swoonsome strings and overall mood.

What’s the use of us arguing? Won’t you let me sing you a tune? All night long you’ve been thundering you would take a swing at the moon.