Croisille, Nicole
Jazzille
"Midway between Jazz and French song, Nicole Croisille stands out as one of France's finest singers. From the Saint-Germain-des-PrEs jazz cellars to Broadway shows, she has shown her love of song, Black American music in particular, as proved in her debut album, `Halleluya I Love Her So', a title borrowed from Ray Charles. The silver screens brought her international stardom. In 1966, she recorded the world-famous `Chabadabada' with Pierre Bahouh, composed by Francis Lai for the Claude Lelouch's movie `Un Homme et Une Femme'. In 1987, she recorded Jazzille, her most swinging album, featuring the best French rhythmists of the time: AndrE Ceccarelli on drums and Jean-Marc Jafet on bass; and first-rate guests: Toots Thielemans, Didier Lockwood and Manu Dibango. This disc won the hearts of jazz fans who acclaimed her in 1988 at the Paris Bataclan and then in the 180 concerts she gave in the French provinces." Patrick FrEmeaux