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Touring the Tourist

by Spencer Ross

I've been here four months now and been listening to a lot of music, both new and old, mainstream and indie...I first heard of St. Germain when my neighbor, Kim, was telling one of my musical floormates, Matt, about them. So we popped them into my stereo and played it. I thought it was intriguing, but never thought I'd be able to buy it around here. I then heard them again in our coffee chain, Second Cup, they were playing the first track from it called "Rose Rouge." And after hearing Kim playing it again, I found out who it was and when I went to MusicWorld, it was the 18th or so top selling CD. So I picked it up, and must say, I'm glad I did. Tourist is a five star CD that can be listened to any occasion.

St. Germain consists of six musicians, conducted by Ludovic Navarre, and produced on Blue Note Records. Blue Note Records is one of the leading record labels for new jazz music. The interesting thing about St. Germain is that they're probably not best labeled as purist jazz like saxophonist Greg Osby, who is the other Blue Note artist I have in my CD collection. St. Germain is more of a technojazz, fusing jazz techniques and instruments with loop sounding drum beats and samples. Put it together and you have a sound that could be played in coffee bars and absolut vodka ads everywhere. Their first release, Tourist, is mellow, yet it's lively enough to keep your attention all the way through.

The CD opens with "Rose Rouge," which is a drumbeat with a lot of jazz cymbals, piano, bass, and a sample that loops and says "I want you to get together." Interspersed is saxophone solos, which give the jazz flavor. In "So Flute," Alexandre Destrez opens with a buzzing flute loop, then bongos come in, then the bass and beat. This style of music runs throughout the album and creates a sense of familiarity in each song, with its techno-like repetition, yet randomness, and its jazz-like improvision. Navarre is superb as a composer and conductor, allowing the musicians he uses on the album to spread out, solo, yet come together in songs that are atmospheric and mood enhancing- whatever that mood might be. Definitely one that can be thrown in your CD player at the office, school, your discman, anywhere, anytime.

12/27/00