Another musical birthday, French multi-genius Boris Vian was born March 10, 1920 (d. 1959, heart attack)…
Vian was a writer, poet, musician, singer, translator, critic, actor, inventor and engineer. He is best remembered today for his novels. Those published under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan were bizarre parodies of criminal fiction, highly controversial at the time of their release. Vian’s other fiction, published under his real name, featured a highly individual writing style with numerous madeup words, subtle wordplay and surrealistic plots.
Vian was also an important influence on the French jazz scene. He served as liaison for Duke Ellington and Miles Davis in Paris, wrote for several French jazz-reviews (Le Jazz Hot, Paris Jazz) and published numerous articles dealing with jazz both in the United States and in France. His own music and songs enjoyed popularity during his lifetime, particularly the anti-war song Le Déserteur.
Here is a little whimsy on the Mozzani harp guitar by Vian: “I have never been to Italy, so I had to write a song about it to get to know it…”
