Album Review: Douce France Sweet France from Margot Sergent

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Album:  Douce France Sweet France
Artist:  Margot Sergent
Label:  Zoho Music
Website:  https://margotsergent.com/

A bilingual French-born jazz singer who doubles on harp, Margot Sergent has a magnetic quality belies her age, spinning mature stories that beckon the listener's undivided attention.  Her 2023 outing Douce France Sweet France moves through an array of tunes from the reflective mood of "Keep the Moon in Mind" to the daydreamy ambience of "The Apartment Next Door," and the joyful buoyancy of "Douce France," embracing the pleasures of life.

Each tune depicts another phase of life, a different experience along the journey, and always being intimate with the audience about the encounters.  Sergent's voice is expressive, mirroring the images projected in the lyrics so audiences can follow her narration, always from a viewpoint suspended above the scenes.  "La Boheme" offers the listener a seat in the balcony as Sergent's charismatic vocals unfold a heartfelt story in the vane of the enduring Edith Piaf.

The solemn atmosphere of "Dans Tas Bras Mon Ange" is fashioned from Sergent's fluid movements across the harp strings and Patrick Brennan's pliant guitar strokes, moving in a soothing choreography that lulls the listener into a comfy repose.  The gyrating rhythm of "La Rua Madureira" is sparked by Sergent's flouncy vocals that turn lighthearted and jubilant along "Silent Steps."  The depth of emotion in Sergent's vocals is demonstrated powerfully in "L’Hymne à l’Amour," as she propels the melody with a bellowing resonance.

Endowed with a powerful voice and an instinct to compose lyrical phrases on the harp that whittle into meaningful stories, Margot Sergent is a blazing candle on the mantel of illustrious artists that have crossed over generations.  Her music is a buffet of several elements from blues and swing to operatic, orchestral, chamber, cabaret, and ambient. She is a caliber of her own, comparable to a number of artists and standing out in the field.

Musicians:
Margot Sergent - voice, harp
Patrick Brennan - guitar
Alec Safy - bass
Linus Wyrsch - clarinet
Ben Silashi - drums
Victor Goncalves - accordion

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