I want to be black, sang Nino Ferrer in 1966, making explicit a key element of the singer/songwriter's inspirations. While absurdist comedy tunes brought home the bacon, this troubled genius was also a serious student of American rock, blues, and R&B. Like an Italo-French Warren Zevon, or his brother-in-arms Serge Gainsbourg, he veered between rasping provocations and romantic chanson, shifting styles with dexterity. Ferrer eventually recorded gorgeous tributes to the American South and the south of France, leaving his own multi-faceted imprint on both.