Drawing on a centuries-old literary culture, French chanson is all about text. While the figure of the guitar-vocalist chansonnier (think Georges Brassens) is considered the epitome of the genre, chanson has never ceased to evolve with trends. The classical and jazz orchestrations of the mid-20th century, immortalised by Charles Trenet, gradually gave way to rock and soul influences explored by Nino Ferrer and Françoise Hardy. English-speaking artists also inspired the French to venture into more impressionistic poetry, as seen in the work of avant-garde musical explorers like Alain Bashung.