The Hot Sardines, an authentic New York City-based jazz band, released their newest album C’est La Vie on Aug. 4. The album arrived with ten highly complex tracks including covers and reinventions of jazz classics as well as original songs written by Elizabeth Bougerol and Evan Palazzo.
The co-writes of C’est La Vie founded the lively Hot Sardines back in 2011, getting their start by playing various underground parties in Brooklyn. Since then, they have released six albums in total, all aiming to reinvigorate classic jazz music for the modern-day ear and spread their brand worldwide. With flourishing success taking them away from home time and time again, the band decided to record more music leading Bougerol to more thoroughly explore French influences which quickly took over what is now C’est La Vie.
The new album is a bilingual project with tracks both in English and French, providing listeners with newly interpreted classics from “Moon River” to “La Vie En Rose” along with various impressive, original compositions. When it came to the track’s production, Bougerol and Palazzo called on collaborators from all over the world ranging from Los Angeles all the way to Beijing. The pair aimed to create a stripped-down sound to help them record nearly one-hundred-year-old songs remotely with modern technology while keeping their original spirit and polish alive. With transient instrumentals and Bougerol’s timeless voice, the album takes listeners on a beautiful musical journey and sets a relaxing tone encapsulating the essence of the motto “C’est La Vie.”
The album is complete with track after track of slow and smooth jazz numbers supported by strong string and horn instrumentals with Bougerol’s voice slicing through it all. The co-founder’s vocal talent and control can be heard in every song and even takes on the Audrey Hepburn classic “Moon River.” Though the reinvention begins with seemingly risky harmonies presenting themselves as shaky and out of place, when the song picks up with a more classic jazz nightclub vibe and a laid-back tempo, it begins to truly shine. The classic lyrics continue to express the heartbreaking contradictions of relationships, but the musical composition supports the album’s title and overall message, conveying a newer interpretation to not take those heartbreaks so seriously because c’est la vie.
When it comes to original songs sprinkled throughout, “Adieu L’amour” stands out among the rest with its diverting and more serious sound. From the very start, the song seems to mix with Latin American styles with its faster pace and conga drum-like sound. Where the song continues to divert is in its lyrics, which have outward emotions of spite and blame against the love whose lies “closed the door” possibly going to show that living by the shrug of the shoulder motto of “that’s life” isn’t as easy or as possible as it seems. What brings the track back to the unity of the jazz album is the strength of the band’s playing and Bougerol’s controlled vocals occasionally slipping into French.
Throughout the album, there are numerous other highlights including a hushed “La Vie en Rose” duet between Bougerol and Bob Parins along with “Meet Me at the Bottom of the Bottle” which ends the album on a fantastic note. C’est La Vie is now available on various platforms along with a touching music video for “Moon River” directed by Greg Mottola.
On top of their new album, The Hot Sardines have also lined up tour dates for 2023-2024 which began on July 15th and will continue sporadically through April. The band will visit locations all over the United States, Tokyo, and Toronto, including select stages across New York State including a debut at the infamous Carnegie Hall.
Hot Sardines 2023-2024 Tour
July 15 Huntington, NY Chapin Rainbow Stage
September 12-16 New York, NY Birdland
September 23 Morristown, NJ Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival
November 10-11 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
November 27-30 New York, NY Joe’s Pub
December 7 Amherst, MA Bowker Auditorium
December 16 Tannersville, NY Orpheum PAC
December 19-21 Tokyo, Japan Blue Note
January 19 Richardson, TX Eisemann Center
January 20 Austin, TX Parker Jazz Club
January 21 San Antonio, TX Jazz, TX
January 24 Phoenix, AZ Musical Instrument Museum
January 25-26 Las Vegas, NV Myron’s at the Smith Center
January 27 Kansas City, MO Folly Theater
February 14 Toronto, Canada Koerner Hall
April 19 New York, NY Carnegie Hall
April 20 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
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