TOURIST DESTINATION

Saint Germain. A Parisian boulevard where Jean-Paul Satre strolled, or a football team from the same city. Perhaps the French liqueur made with elderflowers. Those of a theosophical persuasion will want to bend your ear with tales of Saint Germain, an eighteenth century mystic, philosopher and ascended master. Whatever that is.

While all the above are true (give or take some metaphysics), the St Germain we are focusing on here is one who delivered cool nu jazz sounds from the turn of the twenty-first century, blending jazz and electronica, house and acid jazz. Welcome to the seductively sophisticated world of musician/producer Ludovic Navarre.

When Tourist was released in May 2000, responses were varied. Diehard jazz fans found it popularist and something of a dance-hybrid cash-in. Followers of house music were unconvinced that this particular fusion was valid, especially in clubs. But the general population of music fans thought it was simply wonderful. The infectious beats and sinuous melodies brought the album success worldwide. Gold record status in Australia, the UK, Italy, and other domains. Platinum in Canada and France. Tourist made the year-end charts in multiple countries for three years in a row. People loved the album.

So how does Tourist play over twenty years later? Like Beth Orton’s breakthrough we reviewed a little while back, it is certainly true that some of the percussive electronic textures linger a little too long and sonically date the production. It does sound millennial. But I’d argue the cool grooves and almost mesmerising arrangements more than make up for any beat-ageing.

Meanwhile, the features Navarre places over the top of his rhythmic foundation are thoroughly entertaining. Standouts are the short vocal sample from Marlena Shaw on opening track "Rose Rouge", the deft piano solo that follows Roland Kirk’s flute excerpt on "So Flute" and the fabulous Ernest Ranglin guitar work deployed on "Montego Bay Spleen". (Ernest Ranglin, by the way, is a marvellous guitarist who blends Caribbean, African and jazz chops to make a very tasty meal.)

Elsewhere the velvet growl of John Lee Hooker graces "Sure Thing" while some lively interplay between vibraphone and percussion makes "Latin Note" a foot tapper. A personal favourite is the gospel organ that opens "Land Of…" before the brass kicks in, leading to some neat laid back solos (trumpet, sax, piano).

The nine tracks on Tourist feel like a series of vivid postcards from exotic places, each offering an inviting snapshot and all tied together by the traveller who compiled them. Ludovic Navarre did well in making St Germain a desirable tourist destination, one you’ll want to visit again and again.

© Bruce Jenkins—September 2022