FAMILY
Physically, Thomas Dutronc is probably one of the most handsome guys in the French music scene. Son of a recently deceased discreet singer/model and a legendary nonchalant cigar smoker, the artist born in 1973 is a fan of gypsy jazz, of which Django Reinhardt is the spearhead, a style that found its glory days in the 30s.
He started out working with his father and then Matthieu Chedid in the early 2000s before accompanying on guitar Françoise Hardy on several of her albums. This close relationship since adolescence (probably due to the father's notorious infidelities) led the singer to regularly take her son to the Olympia to applaud (among others) Souchon and Eddy Mitchell. Music being a family affair, Thomas released his first solo album in 2007.
Winner of a Victoire de la Musique and a double platinum disc, "Comme Un Manouche Sans Guitare" reveals a gifted artist whose lyrics are almost entirely personal while the music and arrangements are the result of various collaborations. The career of the "son of" is launched and he releases a series of records including an album of covers ("Frenchy" in 2020) then a duet with his father Jacques "Dutronc et Dutronc" which filled all the zeniths of France in 2022. On this occasion, I met the singer and smelled his patriarch's cigar up close. A timeless memory during which Thomas told me that his favorite Françoise Hardy songs were "La question" from 1971 and "Que tu m'enterres" from 1980. During his youth in Corsica, he began to learn music with his friends and then perfected his skills alongside renowned guitarists such as Stochelo Rosenberg, Angelo Debarre, Romane and Florin Niculescu.
NEW TOUR
To promote the album "It's Never Too Late" released in September 2024, Thomas started a new tour last week, the first date of which was in Courbevoie (92). Maxime, Eric, Jérôme, Rocky, David and Aurore make up the orchestra accompanying Dutronc on stage, who wears his Ray-Bans glasses and a beautiful dark suit; class is a trademark he cannot deny! A whole part of the show is devoted to new tracks and, between gypsy jazz and rock n'roll, the son pays a vibrant tribute to his mother on "Des ronds dans l'eau". This track by Pierre Barouh dating from 1967 reflects on a beautiful person who reflects on the meaning of life, love, and the difficult times from which we must bounce back like "rounds in the water" without being considered the village idiot.
For recent songs, Thomas's elegance invites the listener into universal themes (in keeping with the aforementioned song) in search of hope, exoticism and sincerity. "It's never too late" to forgive others and Thomas Dutronc is far from "The end of his age" as he sings in this album imbued with a palpable maturity.
In the gardens of Cognac on Friday, July 4, 2025, Thomas will present his new songs with the attention and simplicity we know him for and perhaps he will pay tribute to his mother who passed away last June by singing "Dans tes yeux", an evocative and nostalgic recent title. Between pop and acoustic music, there is no doubt that the Parisian will have the welcome he deserves from 18:45 p.m. on the Blues Paradise stage before the evening rockers, The Kills. Reservations are available on https://bluespassions.com/
Diego OnTheRocks
