Career
His floruit dates are reconstructed on the basis of his reference to Jehan Bretel in his chanson d"amour De loial amour. Besides chansons d"amour, Jaques also wrote chansons dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The main source preserving his work is the Vatican Chansonnier.
Jaques wrote original melodies for his Marian songs, while most such works by other trouvères were contrafacta of pre-existing music
The plagal melodies, all in bar form, are simple, but include both isometric or heterometric tunes. Jaques"s complete œuvre comprises:
Ains que mi chant aient definement
Bele dame bien aprise
Chanter veul de la meillour
De loial amour jolie
Fine Amours, cui j"ai mon cuer done
Je sui cieus qui tous jours foloie
Loiaus amours qui en moi maint
Vierge pucele roiaus
lieutenant is doubtful whether this last one is Jaques"son
Unlike his other Marian chansons, it is a contrafactum of Lo clar tems vei brunezir by Raimon Jordan.
