Product Details

• Actors: Various Artists
• Format: Best of, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Live, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Eagle Rock Ent
• DVD Release Date: February 19, 2008
• Run Time: 79 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0012EI8ES
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #114,291 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Edith Piaf is generally regarded as France's greatest ever popular singer and was the most popular French performer from the thirties right through to her early death in 1963. She has remained hugely influential ever since and this concert at Montreux in 2004 is a testament to her enduring popularity even 40 years after her death. Backed by a small jazz ensemble led by pianist Baptiste Trotignan, local stars Michael von der Heide, Régine and Catherine Ringer are joined by international artists Ute Lemper, Barbara Morrison and Angélique Kidjo to pay homage to "The Little Sparrow" as Piaf was affectionately known.

Tracklisting: 1) Padam, Padam (instrumental) - Baptiste Trotignon 2) Sous Le Ciel De Paris - Baptiste Trotignon 3) Mon Dieu - Michael von der Heide 4) Amants D'un Jour - Michael von der Heide 5) Elle Fréquentait La Rue Pigalle - Ute Lemper 6) Embrasse-Moi - Ute Lemper 7) Accordéoniste - Ute Lemper 8) Padam, Padam - Régine 9) Mon Manège À Moi - Régine 10) Autumn Leaves - Barbara Morrison 11) C'est À Hambourg - Catherine Ringer 12) La Fille Et Le Chien - Catherine Ringer 13) La Goualante Du Pauvre Jean - Catherine Ringer 14) Johnny, Tu N'es Pas Un Ange - Angélique Kidjo 15) Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien - Angélique Kidjo 16) La Foule - Angélique Kidjo 17) La Vie En Rose - Everyone!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Various "takes" on "The Little Sparrow", March 10, 2008

By	Steven I Ramm "Steve Ramm "Anything Phono... (Phila, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

With all the Academy Award excitement about the Oscar for actress Marion Cotillard who played the role of Edith Piaf (but didn't do the singing) in La Vie En Rose, Eagle Rock has made a timely release of this 70-minute concert from the 2004 Montreux Jazz Festival. If you know, and love Piaf's recordings, you will either love or hate this program depending on whether you want exact musical arrangements of her performances or, tiring of the standard arrangements, want to hear new ones performed by a variety of international artists (all, but one, in French). If you are only just coming to know Piaf, you will hear one or two big "hits" and another 14 or so lesser known songs that she recorded.

There are no introductions or comments made by any of the performers, except to have the artists' names announced by Montreux Jazz Fest producer Claude Nobs, so it's music for the whole show.

In addition to French singers like Regine and Catherine Ringer (both new to me), the concert includes West African singer Angelique Kidjo and German Chanteuse Ute Lemper. Barbara Morrison, the Michigan born jazz and blues singer is the only one to sing in English. The chosen song "Autumn Leaves" is not one usually associated with Piaf and Morisson's take is strictly jazz.

The arrangements by pianist Baptiste Trotignon, whose band accompanies the singer (after two instrumentals on their own) are much more jazz oriented than Piaf ever used. She was a "caberet" singer, not a "jazz performer".

The camera work and sound are excellent.

The "Finale" consists of all the performers "riffing" on the Piaf classic, "La Vie En Rose", and dancing around the stage to audience applause for nearly six minutes. Personally, I'd have preferred one serious interpretation of Piaf's trademark tune.

So, you will not learn much about Piaf from this tribute - and the liner note booklet is a bit confusing in it's text - but if you've got all Piaf's recordings and want to hear different interpretations of them, this DVD should serve the purpose.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"

3.0 out of 5 stars Ringer Was Fun, But Otherwise This Is So-So, February 2, 2009

By	Craig Connell (Lockport, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

A half dozen or so performers sing Edith Piaf songs in this tribute to the famous French cabaret singer, who had been memorably portrayed in the recent film, "La Vie En Rose."

Of the group, my favorite was Catherine Ringer. She had spunk, a devilish look in her eye and reminded me more of Piaf (in the film) than anyone else here.

All the numbers in here are sung in French except for "Autumn Leaves."
I would have liked some English subtitles for the names of the songs and the performers, since I was not familiar with any of them. They're all excellent singers.

The musicians were solid, more to Montreux Jazz Festival theme than Piaf's cabaret material. The photography was very good; a sharp picture and a well-photographed concert.