Customer Reviews

Serendipity Street

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This is truly a gem. I was lucky enough to stumble upon this cd at Open Door Music in Saugatuck, MI (great music store by the way - say Hi to Ron) where Chantal was playing. There are some remakes (Crazy by Patsy, At Last by Etta James, etc...), and some of her own (wow!) - and each and every one leaves you wanting more - I found myself waiting on a breath to see what comes next - and it just gets better with each track. She's kinda of Norah - kinda Eva - but every bit original Chantal! Can't wait for the next one.

chantal chamberland is the next great thing. she is from quebec province and lives in the burlington/hamilton, ontario area and has stuck pretty close to home, playing the blues and jazz clubs (1505 club) around hamilton and only rarely venturing to toronto.

at last, because chantal's albums (this is our time and serendipity street) are so good, her talent could not forever be denied and she is getting some play in the usa and sang at the montreal jazz festival in july, 2004 and brought down the (outdoor) house. i had a chance to see her perform in a small venue --where she is at her best -- in saugatuck, michigan this past august.

chantal has a bluesy, husky voice, a la eva cassidy or even janis joplin at times, but not as raw, and her song selection is a mix of her own compositions -- (it's you, the first cut on serendipity street, is one of hers, and is great, as are old standards fever and why don't you do right, on this is our time) -- and classics, billie holiday, ella fitzgerald, edith piaf and lena horne (cry me a river).

chantal sings in flawless and beautifully accented english and french and plays a mean guitar in her own accompaniment. she also has some great jazz trio back-up, particularly on serendipity street. she is somewhat shy and self-deprecating, with an easy stage manner, and warms to the audience in person; some of this comes through in her recordings.

the best song and my favorite on this is our time is la vie en rose; chantal sings it slowly and plaintively. several of the songs are her own compositions, some good, some so-so; this was her first "big" album. she did a small (four song) album entitled chantal five years ago and she no doubt wanted to demonstrate her creativity.

all of the songs on serendipity street are great, classic choices particularly since i fell for you and the last one -- fittingly -- at last. chantal gives them both a belting out blues and jazz delivery and shows her versatility and ability to shift gears effortlessly from one style to another.

i bugged amazon to get chantal chamberland's two cds several months ago and for a while they had them, but now they are unavailable. if you can find them, buy them both. if you can find the old one with four songs, buy that one too. if you get the two new ones, though, you will be getting in on the ground floor of the next great north american female folk/blues/jazz vocalist -- vive la chantal.

A friend had this CD by Chantal Chamberlain. It blew me away. I never thought I would hear a voice and musicians doing Peggy Lee's best that were worth listening to. She is out of this world as far as I am concerned. It's mood music. A rainy afternoon and a cup of tea and a voice as smoothe as silk.

I am a amazed that Chantal Chamberland doesn't have a larger followig in the US and perhaps she does closer to the Canadian border. She sings a sleepy smooth jazz that is close to Deana Bogart and Bonnie Raitt. A great CD and I plan to buy her latest CD soon.

I heard Serendipity Street while browsing a music store in Atlanta, GA. I am not a very impulsive buyer of music, but I couldn't leave her voice behind. Her rendition of all the songs on this disc are unique and resonate long after she has finished singing. I am so glad that this Quebec treasure has found its way South. Eventually, I left the store with two copies -- one for me and one for friends.