A born showman with a gift for melody, Ray Ventura was not only one of France’s great jazz promoters: the band he founded as “Les Collegiens” was one of the most brilliant orchestras in the golden age of music-hall. From pieces by Paul Misraki like “Tout va tres bien Madame la Marquise” and “Qu’est-ce qu’on attend pour être heureux?”, to splendid performances by Henri Salvador and Sacha Distel, this 3CD set of Ventura’s recordings chosen by Dany Lallemand looks back on the career of one of the most emblematic characters in French popular song. Claude Colombini Fremeaux