Hoo-Ray to Honor France

I've posted songs and videos (alas there are but few...) from a good-fellow named Ray Jessel, who I knew very slightly, but it was a pleasure.  He passed away in 2015, but happily he'd led a full and vibrant life.  Ray was a successful TV writer for years -- for a long time on The Carol Burnett Show and The Love Boat, as well as The Bob Newhart Show, The Smothers Brothers Show, Head of the Class and much more.  He also wrote two Broadway musicals, one about Sherlock Holmes called Baker Street (which even had a hit song, "A Married Man" -- that was recorded by none-other than Richard Burton!), and another collaborating with Richard Rodgers on his last show, I Remember Mama.

Late in his career, Ray "reinvented" himself and became a cabaret performer -- and a joyous one at that -- singing and playing piano with an evening of storytelling and his songs.  Some were tender, lovely ballads.  Some from proposed musicals he was working on.  But many were wildly-funny pastiches.  He even appeared on America's Got Talent singing one of the latter, and got voted through to the next round.  (You can find the things I've posted of him by searching for "Jessel.")

I've gone too long without posting anything from Ray, and figured that to honor the French voting on election day today, that would be as good a reason to jump back in with a song of his, "Mon Amour," from his CD, The First Seventy Years (which you can find here).  As Ray notes in his introduction, the song is entirely in French, but he's sure that everyone will be able to understand it all.  You will...