Martha Wainwright has breathed fresh life into the songs of Edith Piaf in a bold and fearless presentation that has taken both her and her audience well outside their respective comfort zones. The show was first staged in New York in June under the guidance of the producer Hal Willner, a two-night engagement that resulted in the live album Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, à Paris, which was released this week. In London, accompanied by many of the same musicians, including Doug Wieselman on guitar, Thomas Bartlett on piano and her husband, Brad Albetta, on upright bass, and a small string and horn section, Wainwright returned to her theme with studied passion.
Although she has been fascinated by the songs of Piaf since childhood and