Boulevard - The Complete Series

The French tradition of fetishizing black American music didn't begin with Ludovic Navarre. Au Contraire! The French have been fixated on jazz since before World War II, making it a haven for American artists who were persecuted in their home country. Perhaps it should have come as no surprise, then, that the landmark album in jazz-house would come from the streets of Paris. From the opening Fender Rhodes notes of "Deep in It," there is little doubt why this classic 1996 album had to be re-released, this time with the hard-to-find "Alabama Blues" included. Exploring elements of house, reggae-dub, Latin, and bebop, some have argued that Navarre did little more than add his name and a few drum machines to the true talent of the hired musician. Admittedly, there are points when you can barely tell what makes this a modern electronic album. However, if Navarre's greatest feat is merely compiling the music of others, then it is still a feat that has had boundless influence on the electronic music scene and therefore deserves all the recognition it receives.