D'anse Combeau Orchestra
(1982) "We've always wanted to come to America," declared chanteur D'anse Combeau, interviewed backstage after an enthusiastic reception at Louis La Bamba's club in downtown Portland. The big band, allegedly from France, features a large brass and percussion section, with guitars and keyboards, and enhanced by a graceful and melodious femmes chorus. But the man at the front of the stage, the inimitable D'anse Combeau himself inflates the whole souffle with his iconic style of classic pop music, sung to a light latin tempo. A languid rendition of In the Ghetto is followed by a Bob Dylan folk song, How Many Roads Must a Man Walk Down, and then Got to Revolution, crooned with numerous grins, grimaces and gyrations by the slim singer, bedecked in red silk pantaloons and a white matinee jacket. The crowd loves him and roars its approval.
He prefers air conditioned venues so that his audiences can remain cool even during the heat of his performances, he said, when female fans sometimes toss their underwear at him on stage. "They say, 'I'm too hot' and throw their panties on stage. It's a message of love. They want to spread their warmth to someone who wasn't quite so hot."
In the light of day the duo behind the theatrical presentations, band leader Jon Newton, and namesake singer, Jim Baldwin, describe their invention as an impromptu brainstorm during a musical presentation about two years ago. It provoked a big response, said Newton, and they decided to expand upon the idea. "Its been a lot of fun, but also a lot of work." he said. The balance between fun and work was beginning to fall into the laborious side of things, he added.
Sacre bleu! Is there a Waterloo on the horizon for this Gallic ensemble?
