The Wonderful Things To Come: The Songs of JC Hopkins Melissa Lesnie & Jean-Baptiste Franc

• 1 Rainy Afternoon In The Latin Quarter 00:51
• 2 The Wonderful Things To Come 03:53
• 3 Let's Pick Up Where We Left Off 03:47
• 4 Remember When 02:45
• 5 I Will Always Be There For You 03:33
• 6 Gabrielle 03:06
• 7 It's A Lovely, Lovely Thing 01:54
• 8 A Grand Way To Live 03:14
• 9 Not So All Alone 03:39
• 10 The Leaves Are Turning Brown 02:36
• 11 Do You Want to Go to France? 03:25
• 12 I'm Getting Over You 02:12
• 13 Painter Song 02:13
• Total Runtime 37:08

Info for The Wonderful Things To Come: The Songs of JC Hopkins

The Wonderful Things To Come - The JC Hopkins Songbook. a new album by Parisian vocalist Melissa Lesnie and pianist Jean-Baptiste Franc of original compositions by JC Hopkins: The album features intimate, exclusive interpretations of Grammy-nominated songwriter's unabashedly romantic jazz tunes, performed by Paris-based duo Melissa Lesnie (voice) and Jean Baptiste-Franc (piano), with jazz quartet (William Brunard, double bass and Jonathan Gomis, drums), and additional string quartet arrangements by Daniel Garlitsky. Based in Brooklyn, the composer and songwriter JC Hopkins has built a career in the entertainment industry on originality and quality, co-authoring songs for Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, and other major singers. His ensemble the Biggish Band has performed with Norah Jones, Jazzemia Horn, Jon Hendricks, Andy Bey and Elvis Costello, among others. In February 2022, Hopkins traveled to Paris to produce an album of his own songs in an intimate setting, Studio Libretto. World champion of stride piano (2018) Jean-Baptiste Franc was entrusted with the task of recording these songs (many for the first time), alongside Australian-born jazz singer Melissa Lesnie, with whom Franc had already released a first album of standards in 2020. Of the ten songs on the album, some were entirely new compositions written in the wake of the pandemic; others among Hopkins's most beloved hits, such as Painter Song, originally recorded by Norah Jones. The Wonderful Things to Come is a hope-filled journey through memory, romance, cohabitation and second chances. The JC Hopkins Songbook showcases not only the composer's skill as a lyricist and melodist, but also the talent and tenacity of these Parisian musicians at a time when the City of Lights was reawakening following the pandemic, with many lost souls seeking a soundtrack to a better world they are building for themselves and their communities.

Melissa Lesnie, vocals
Jean-Baptiste Franc, piano
Benoît Torres, double bass
Jonathan Gomis, drums

Melissa Lesnie
Born in Australia, Mélissa studied Musicology at the Sydney Conservatorium before moving to Paris. She has performed at many of the iconic jazz venues in the French capital, including Le Petit Journal, Le Bal Blomet, Le Piano Vache, 38 Riv and Le Barbizon. She also sings at restaurants and hotels including Les Deux Magots, Le Crowne Plaza and Lutetia Hotel’s Bar Josephine. She has paid tribute to Josephine Baker in official events organised by the Mairie of the 13th arrondissement (inauguration of a sculpture in Josephine Baker’s honour) and at Mme Baker’s former residence at Le Vésinet for the Journées du Patrimoine. With the jazz collective Octave et Anatole, she sang for the 2022 ceremony honouring recipients of the Legion of Honour. Overseas concerts have brought Melissa to Croatia and to Cambodia (where she has sang at the Raffles hotels in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and at the famed Knai Bang Chatt resort in Kep).

Melissa has recorded four albums, including two projects with the pianist Jean-Baptiste Franc (Stride Piano Champion of the world, 2018). She has collaborated closely with the composer JC Hopkins (Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux). She relishes the Great American Songbook and swing repertoire, connecting with her audience through good old-fashioned storytelling and a delicately spun musical phrase. She sings Billie Holiday with fresh ears… and fresh heartache. Melissa also secretly plays theremin.

This album contains no booklet.