Chansons

Canadian chanteuse Jill Barber paid her dues on the acoustic-folk coffeehouse circuit before she realised that romantic jazz ballads were her destiny. Her latest album, <i>Chansons</i>, is an elegant selection of classic French songs such as “Sous le Ciel de Paris” and “N’oublie Jamais.” With an impeccable accent honed at a French-language immersion school in the south of France, this native of Port Credit, Ontario, sings like a modern-day Edith Piaf. Her warm contralto coos through songs like “Petite Fleur” and “Je Cherche un Homme,” evoking a simpler, more romantic era.