Aristide Bruant

He was not only a poet but the most important "chansonnier" of the Belle Époque. Aristide Bruant invented realist songs and became an icon in Montmartre, the cheeky, mocking symbol of popular Paris. For many, he was also "the man in a black coat and red scarf" on posters made immortal by Toulouse-Lautrec. This collection prepared by Jean-Baptiste Mersiol is definitive: it is the most complete set so far of all Bruant's works, with 72 original titles he recorded between 1905 and 1912, plus versions of his material by the artists who represented his repertoire best, from Yvette Guilbert and Marc Ogeret to Patachou and Yves Montand. This is a historic retrospective that sounds like an audio postcard from the Paris suburbs of the early 20th century.