With her new album Rêverie, London-based vocalist and improviser Becca Wilkins invites listeners on a deeply personal journey through the world of French chanson, reimagined through the expressive lens of jazz. A devoted Francophile who spent formative years in Normandy and studied both French and music at university, Wilkins brings a rare depth of understanding to this repertoire. Drawing on classics by Brel, Piaf and Trenet, as well as more obscure gems, she shapes each song into a modern soundscape—retaining the emotional weight of the originals while allowing space for improvisation and spontaneity.
Backed by a sensitive and dynamic trio, Rêverie was recorded almost entirely in single takes, giving the music a raw, live energy that mirrors its on-stage life. We caught up with Becca to talk about memory, melody and the delicate balance between homage and reinvention.
Your connection to France runs deep—how did your time in Normandy and your studies shape the direction of this album?
I think my French connections have laid dormant for a few years, so it feels very serendipitous to have stumbled onto this music and be exploring my Francophilia again! That said, there were a few arrangements that really highlighted certain memories of my time in Normandy. La Mer, for example, reminded me of trips to Deauville, often on grey, wintery days, but still feeling something very special in the fresh, salty air and deserted beaches.
Do you see Rêverie more as a tribute to chanson, or as a transformation of it?
I think this project is very much a new take on chanson. I wanted to bring a different presentation of this music to audiences, especially for those who might not even be familiar with a lot of the repertoire in the first place.
How do you balance honouring the original spirit of these songs with introducing contemporary improvisation?
Everything that happens musically in this project comes from the lyric. The choice of harmony, the pacing of the pieces and indeed the improvisation. Olly, Sam and Billy are all incredible improvisers and every solo comes from a place of furthering the narrative.
There’s a strong live feel to the album. Was it important for you to capture that sense of spontaneity in the recording process?
For me this music exists in its purest form when played live, so the album captures that. We recorded nearly all the songs in one full take, with very little editing and overdubs. The stories ebb and flow collectively and so it just made sense to record the songs in as close a way as possible to how we would perform them.
Can you talk about the dynamic with your trio on this album—what did each musician bring to the table?
I’ve known these guys for a long time and am big fans of their playing. So much so that there are duo moments between myself and each member of the band dotted throughout the record. I’ve always really loved the synergy and the sheer range of possibilities when playing duo, so it was a real joy to be able to explore that musical dynamic as well as the full band numbers. The ensemble sound is really special, not just because of Olly, Sam and Billy’s amazing musicianship, but I think also due to the fact that everyone is really invested in the music.
You arranged all the songs yourself. What were some of the biggest challenges in translating chanson into a jazz quartet setting?
I think perhaps the most challenging part of the arranging process was to ensure I wasn’t using the same tricks every time! A lot of the original chansons are in ¾ time, and minor keys, so I had to be creative in my methods to shape the arrangements. Some times I stayed fairly close to the feel of the original and then gradually unraveled into more of a jazz sound, and others I started with grooves and rhythmic features to work around.
Do you see Rêverie as a one-off concept, or the beginning of a deeper exploration into French repertoire within your work?
I think this project is fairly self-contained. It’s very special to me, and I really love performing this music, but I have too many creative urges in me to keep me in the realm of French chanson for future projects/ albums.
You launched the album at London’s Pizza Express Jazz Club—what’s next?
We have one more date to finish off the album tour at the Lescar, Sheffield, on 25 June and we’ll be playing in London once more at the Crazy Coqs on 11 September thanks to Spice Jazz. That’s all for now but we’ll be booking more dates, hopefully some in France(!), for the next year or so.
