Singer, composer and lyricist, Pauline Frechette is described as “first and foremost a communicator and entertainer” in a genre that runs between Neo-Classical and New Chanson. This Hammond, Indiana-born lady, comes from a family of 11 children and a musical heritage starting from her great-grandfather, Josef Vezina, a violinist who founded the Quebec Symphony, down to her father, Lou Frechette, who played the largest unit organ in the world for the Chicago Black Hawks at the Chicago Stadium, and several of her sisters, uncles and brothers who are artists or musicians.
All musicians have to decide whether to play the same songs the same old way or whether to challenge themselves periodically. Some, like Paul Desmond, play the same way their entire career. With others, like John Coltrane, music was a continuous process, and so listeners came to expect something different with each release.
Sometimes an artist will play one way for a while and then switch gears, back and forth. Miles Davis comes to mind – he went from playing classic jazz with his original quintet, to modal jazz, to post-bop with Wayne Shorter, to fusion and so on. Pauline Frechette does much of the same with her musical performances.
She has performed all over the world with numerous legendary artists including Paul McCartney and Cher. And can be heard singing duets with Neil Diamond on his “Live In America” CD and on soundtracks, including “Aladdin” and “Rent.” She can go from purely classic piano pieces to beautifully sung melodies backed by full orchestral arrangements.
And then she can perform poignantly elegant, stripped-down, jazz-blues inspired songs such as “Love in the Afternoon”, featuring the exquisite bass accompaniment of none other than the legendary Stanley Clarke.
Pauline Frechette has proven her versatility on numerous occasions, by stepping beyond the framework of genres and the performance arts in general – she plays the piano and the violin, she has studied acting, she writes musicals and has even recorded as a rock singer. It’s incredible. On “Love in the Afternoon” however, she is at her finest. This is an exploration of a musical theme that seems to be dissolving in the haze of time, and which both Frechette and Clark, bring to life with sophistication and subtlety.
Pauline Frechette has it all and caresses the keys with a skill and emotion. The depth of feeling, plus the expression in her voice, is so heart-stirring as to be almost painful in its beauty. She brings a smoldering intensity to the music.
While the strings caress and soothe the soundscape, Stanley Clark’s bass is plucked gently to thump like a heart skipping a beat, in joyous anticipation of the wonder to come. The hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that is generated on this recording is owed to a large extent to the extreme talents of these two artists.
The beauty of the song is almost indescribable, making so much of pop-music seem so utterly trivial in comparison. The musical arrangement is perfect and the song draws you in with beautifully articulated words, dreamy vocal shadings, and subtle invitations throughout – the perfect music for an afternoon of romance!
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