Also great as café music! Introducing famous tunes to savor the charm of musette

Queen of MusetteJean Peyronnin

Yvette Horner * Reine de Musette

Jean Peyronnin, a composer who epitomizes the world of musette born from Parisian popular culture.

This elegant waltz, composed in 1927, was premiered by the master accordionist Émile Vacher and has remained a beloved staple of the musette repertoire for nearly a century.

Its structure—graceful melodies carried by the accordion, underpinned by the light rhythms of guitar and mandolin—evokes the very scene of dancers slowly turning a waltz in a Parisian bal.

Nostalgic yet warm in tone, it’s also perfect as café background music.

A masterpiece highly recommended for those who wish to feel the atmosphere of France’s good old days or who are seeking refined accordion music.

PassionTony Murena / Joseph Colombo

Passion (Tony Murena – Joseph Colombo) – Accordion Sheet music

This piece, recorded in May 1942 by Tony Muréna and Joseph Colombo in the musette world born from Paris’s working class.

Though of Italian origin, the two made their mark in France and are known as innovators who fused traditional accordion music with elements of Gypsy jazz and swing.

The waltz woven by Muréna’s graceful accordion and the Ferret brothers’ guitars embodies the very passion of dancers in Parisian bals.

Created in the harsh wartime era, this work played a role in liberating people’s spirits; tinged with melancholy yet carried by a light, comfortable triple meter, it’s also perfect as quietly flowing café background music.

An ideal track for anyone who wants to feel the air of old, charming Paris.

IndifférenceTony Murena / Joseph Colombo

Dominique Paats – Indifference

As background music for a café, how about a waltz number whose graceful accordion tones are truly soothing? Co-composed by Tony Murena and Joseph Colombo, this piece is a classic of the musette genre, released in 1942 on the Odeon label.

Blending the tradition of the valse musette with the swing feel of gypsy jazz, it builds on a triple-time waltz, where the accordion’s dazzling melody interweaves with a sprightly guitar accompaniment.

Contrary to the suggestion of its title, “Indifference,” the piece—born in wartime Paris—embodies a light, escapist air and refined musicianship.

It’s recommended for those who want to enjoy a leisurely moment in a café or soak in the atmosphere of Paris’s good old days.

Style Musette / Style MusetteAndré Verchurenn

Style Musette / – by Koharu / Tetsuya Kuwayama [I tried singing #154]

This is a quintessential piece of valse musette, whose graceful accordion tones bring the atmosphere of a Parisian café to life.

André Verchuren won an accordion contest at the age of 16 and became a legendary performer, known in postwar France as the “king of the accordion.” This piece is beloved in Japan as a classic of musette as well; its bright, flowing melody rides on a light, lilting meter that sounds wonderfully pleasant.

Signature accordion techniques like tremolo and legato appear throughout, conjuring images of Parisians dancing in a bar.

It’s a highly recommended track for anyone who wants to relax in a café mood or experience the charm of French popular music culture.

Flambée Montalbanaise / Fire of MontaubanGus Viseur

Flambée montalbanaise (Valse)

Gus Viseur, who brought the elegant strains of the Parisian café accordion to the world.

Born in Belgium, he combined the traditional bal-musette with the improvisational spirit of gypsy jazz, opening new possibilities for the accordion.

This work is an instrumental released in 1940 on a 78 rpm record, beautifully fusing the grace of a waltz with the vitality of swing.

Created in collaboration with guitarist Baro Ferret and others, the performance blends the heat of the dance hall with compelling artistry.

Celebrated as a hallmark of innovation in musette music, it remains beloved today—perfect for leisurely moments in a café or for relaxing while imagining the street corners of Paris.

Sous le Ciel de Paris / Under the Sky of ParisHubert Giraud

Sous Le Ciel De Paris (Accordéon)

Hubert Giraud, born in Marseille in 1920, was blessed with a gift for jazz: he played harmonica in Django Reinhardt’s Quintet and later guitar in Ray Ventura’s big band.

In 1951, Giraud composed a piece for a film that, upon the film’s release, spread as a beloved classic capturing people’s hearts.

Set to a light, waltzing melody carried by the accordion, it depicts lovers strolling through Parisian street corners, vistas like the Seine and Notre-Dame, and the simple happiness of everyday people.

As a work emblematic of Paris’s postwar reconstruction, it was covered by Juliette Gréco, Édith Piaf, Yves Montand, and has continued to be sung abroad by artists such as Andy Williams.

It remains a quintessential musette number, rich with nostalgia and warmth, often heard in cafés and dance halls.

Musette Waltz of TruthÉmile Vacher

LA VRAIE VALSE MUSETTE (The True Musette Waltz)

Émile Vacher, who laid the foundations of bal musette—dance music centered on the accordion—in 1920s Paris.

Born in Tours, he taught himself the accordion from the age of just ten and began performing in workers’ dance halls in Montreuil.

This piece, recorded as a 78 rpm disc in the mid-1920s, features a lively ensemble of accordion, piano, and banjo over a triple-time waltz rhythm.

As the epithet “authentic” suggests, it is highly regarded as a work that embodies the true musette style within Parisian dance culture.

Counted among Vacher’s signature works—he left behind hundreds of recordings—it is included on the compilation album “50 TITRES 1927–1952.” It also makes ideal background music for cafés, recommended for anyone who wants to enjoy an elegant atmosphere reminiscent of the streets of Paris.