Search - Ludovic (St Germain) Navarre :: From Detroit to St Germain

Ludovic navarre aka ST-GERMAIN !

mgdraw@pacbell.net | los angeles | 08/02/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For those who recently tuned into the maestria of ST-GERMAIN,check out this album.It supposedly came out in 1991,is deffinitly more house then the acid jazz that was to follow with "boulevard"and the recent "tourist",but there is deffinitly a vision for things to come.Some of it can possibly remind the listener of CARL CRAIG's INNERZONE ORCHESTRA.Some of it could have escaped the NUYORICAN SOUL recording sessions.The sound is high and the groove is deep.Placed back in the context of it's original release date,it makes this album the legitimate predecessor for anything from deep house to acid jazz,and even when you get the occasional old school flavor,it never leaves an aftertaste."

A Deep House History Lecture by St. Germain

diro | Atlanta, GA | 12/28/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are no doubts the influence which St. Germain (aka Ludovic Navarre) has had with his releases Tourist and Boulevard. From Detroit to St. Germain shows us a little about the beginnings of Navarre's musical background. This album is primarily straight-up house music and not filled with the jazzy-french sounds which have come to personify St. Germain. There are certainly highlights to the ablum including "Walk So Lonely", "Prelusion", "Move", and "Deep In It". Soul Salsa Soul is probably the lynch pin of the album with it's fusion of Latin jazz-rhythms and house music; it is the song (along with "Deep In It") which most closely resembles Navarre's current work. [NOTE: no other tracks from this album made it to his latest releases besides "Deep In It"]. The songs on this album which I enjoyed the most were those where Navarre collaborated with the musicians who appeared on his later releases. St. Germain fans will enjoy this album - primarily because of the straight-up house/dance music - as well as for the glimpse into the past which it provides. If you have not experienced St. Germain I recommend starting off with either Tourist or Boulevard. Bottom line: All St. Germain fans should seriously consider getting this album."

The Essence of Detroit House

Theodore B. Riley | Atlanta | 08/12/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If I did not know it there is no way I would believe this guy (St. Germain) did not grow up in Detroit. His original influences must have been based out of the detroit Techno house scene (MayDay & Innercity). The song "Prelusion" is by far the best track on this cd but the other tracks (maybe not as smooth or jazzy as what we would get from St. Germain's later releases) are certainly up to par. This is a mid to uptempo house album that is definitely worth purchasing."