Bad Reputation: A Tribute to Georges Brassens

A co-production of Barbès Records and Ugly Duckling Presse, marking the release of a limited-edition book+music boxed set.
Pierre de Gaillande sings his English translations of George Brassens’ songs with special guests singer-songwriter Dawn Landes, accordionist Jean Jacques Franchin, and Brassens’ longtime accompanist Joel Favreau.

From the 1950’s through the late 70’s, the late George Brassens redefined French Chanson. He was an anarchist bard whose poetic songs could be raunchy, polemic or poignant and he went on to become one the most emblematic French singers of the 20th century.

Franco-American singer and composer Pierre de Gaillande has taken on the impossible task of translating Brassens’ songbook, to pretty astonishing results. The resulting album, Bad Reputation, has all the style, content, wit and musicality of Brassens while sounding like an original work. The best way to describe the project would be to compare it to the perfect movie adaptation of a book classic. Think Stanley Kubrick or Raoul Ruiz. Pierre’s translations are now being published in book form by literary publishing house Ugly Duckling Presse. To celebrate, UDP, Barbès Records and the cultural offices of the French Embassy are joining forces at 92YTribeca to present a tribute concert to Brassens featuring the Bad Reputation band, Dawn Landes and Brassens’ guitarist, the legendary Joel Favreau, who will be playing the US for the very first time.

The addition of Joel Favreau to the bill is a dream come true for Pierre de Gaillande. Joel Favreau was Georges Brassens’ faithful guitarist for the last fifteen years of the singer’s life and while Joel tends to stay away from the adoring Brassens circles who have enshrined the master in numerous festivals in France, he was suitably impressed by Pierre de Gaillande’s work and decided to lend his guitar to Pierre’s project. Joel will also perform his own rendition of Brassens’ music with accordionist Jean Jacques Franchin.

Tickets: $15

At the 92YTribeca.

Bad Reputation website