Mychelle Colleary & Sheldon ForestONE NIGHT ONLY
The last time I was in Paris (1999) I visited L’Ecluse. Alain was working somewhere else, married with kids. But, the staff, food, and wine remained as remembered – perfect. And as before, a few days ago, I walked in and found not much had changed. FOOD & WINE, FABULOUS. The new addition was a piano... Et alors, I’ll be singing at my favorite spot in Paris this Thursday night!visit L’Ecluse
15, quai des Grands Augustins (6ème)
Réservation :
01.46.33.58.74
Métro/accès :
RER et M° St Michel
Accueil groupe
jusqu’à 12 personnes.
En plein cœur du Paris historique à proximité de Notre Dame et de la place St Michel, c’est l’ancien cabaret de l’Ecluse.
mychelle sings in Paris at L'EcluseMy First time in Paris....
I was 24 years old... already a wino and with great appreciation for fine food.
My spoken French back then wasn’t the best, as I had studied only with a private tutor & on my own for a few months before I arrived.
I wandered into this lovely wine bar (with impeccable food), which is literally just around the corner from the Fountain St. Michael (for those not familiar with Paris - it is a landmark where folks meet up- a very important thing before le cell phone) in/next to the Latin Quarter).
I made friends with the people who worked at L’Ecluse.... By first insulting them saying French reds were better than California reds but then said “ You can’t touch our whites, they’re WAY better.” After which, being me... I went, looking everywhere for some place that sold California wines, finally found a place and bought a California Chardonnay – Acacia, I think – which at the time I loved, but have since grown out of – too oaky/buttery.
I took my lovely bottle of Chardonnay to the wine bar (a wine bar that only serves wine from Bordeaux – meaning, not Chardonnay, wrong region) mid-afternoon, when I knew there wouldn’t be much in the way of clientele... And presented to the staff to taste. While we were waiting in the wine bar for the bottle to chill down in a bucket of ice... The director, Alain... I could tell was clearly developing a crush on me.
After bringing the wine, (that trip) I don’t think I ever paid for anything again in that wine bar. Could be that Alain had that little crush, but more likely it was the guerilla niceness of actually bringing in a very nice (expensive as an import) bottle to share.
I met up with some friends – other music students from SJSU, completely accidentally, on the street one day. I was going to Holland but they said I absolutely needed to come back to Paris for Bastille Day because Jean Michael Jarre was giving a huge concert in La Défense, with a laser light show over all the buildings.
So, I did and invited Alain. I said we’d (me and my American friends) supply the food (because we’d have to get there early to reserve a spot – think free concert in Central Park) and he could bring the wine.
OMG – he brought the most fabulous, likely reserve (and likely very expensive) wines with him. I was horrified to have to drink these magnificent wines out of a paper cup. But, yeah.. Of course, we did it anyway.
It was a magical night.
The last time I was in Paris (1999) I visited L’Ecluse. Alain was working somewhere else, married with kids. But, the staff, food, and wine remained as remembered – perfect. And as before, a few days ago, I walked in and found not much had changed. FOOD & WINE, FABULOUS. The new addition was a piano... Et alors, I’ll be singing at my favorite spot in Paris this Thursday night!
I hope you can join us!
if you do, please leave a comment and let other fans of live music share your enthuseiam via web 2.0
Bisouxxx,
Mychelle
myspace
Mychelle Live at the Iridium, NYCMychelle Colleary is a four time MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs) Award nominee for outstanding Jazz Vocalist.
Hip, flip, and always sure of herself... tongue-in-cheek edge...sassy...
her vulnerability and open emotionality seem to be her truest assets...
a singer who takes chances vocally... a confident voice with engaging nuances... riveting
~ John Hoglund, Backstage
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