The self-styled mystery man of contemporary French pop, singer/songwriter Gérard Manset spent his career in the margins of the mainstream, steadfastly avoiding the press interviews, live performances, and promotional commitments so vital to commercial success. His uncompromisingly stark and intimate music nevertheless captured a rabid cult following, and despite (or perhaps because of) his extended retreats from the musical landscape, each new Manset record was celebrated as an event by listeners and critics alike.
Manset was born in the Paris suburb of Saint Cloud on August...