VW Scene International September 2016

Although vintage British psychedelia is viewed by many these days as an Alice In Wonderland-style enchanted garden full of beatific flower children innocently gathering flowers or chasing butterflies, there was always a more visceral element to the scene. Pointedly free of such fripperies as scarlet tunic-wearing gnomes, phenomenal cats and talismanic bicycles, the power trio format that was popularised by the likes of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience spawned a host of imitators. As the Sixties drew to a close and pop evolved slowly but inexorably into rock, psychedelia gave way to a sound that was harder, leaner, heavier, louder.

Christmas in September, the brand new single from Irish folk singer Heidi Talbot is a beautiful modern day Christmas song. Written by Boo Hewerdine and produced by John McCusker, the song was recorded in Talbot's own studio in the Scottish Borders countryside and finished in various hotel rooms across America. Christmas in September features Richard Bennet (Mark Knopfler, Neil Diamond), Glenn Worf (Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette), Nigel Hitchcock (Tom Jones, Robbie Williams), John McCusker, Phil Cunningham, James Mackintosh and Adam Holmes…

Souvent considéré comme le chanteur qui a su fusionner les traditions de la chanson française avec l'énergie et la verve du jazz américain, Claude Nougaro est né à Toulouse le 9 septembre 1929. Fils d'un chanteur d'opéra et d’un professeur de piano, il est élevé en grande partie par ses grands-parents, dévorant la musique non seulement classique mais aussi les chansons de Charles Trenet et d’Édith Piaf, ainsi que le swing américain de Louis Armstrong et Glenn Miller.