In the year 1996, Philips/Mercury organized a series of releases focusing on a specific time and music style of Serge Gainsbourg. For me, it was my first real introduction to Gainsbourg's music and his world. So, for the last 21 years, I have been obsessing about this man's music, which led me to publish a full biography of Serge as well as releasing a fictional work by him as well, with my press TamTam Books.
"du jazz dans le ravin" is a collection of Gainsbourg's early recordings, that are mostly jazz-based, but still in a pop song format. Lyrically, he was on the button of greatness. Like most English speaking people I sort of knew Gainsbourg through his recordings with Brigitte Bardot and of course, Jane Birkin. Beyond that, I knew very little till I bought this CD compilation. Compared to his pop and Latin-based pop music, I love his jazz period. At this time, he was singing in a croon, that conveyed wickedness and someone who can give great advice. The music is very seductive, but not always in the physical, sexual sense. He was a writer that could convey a world and make it into a "Gainsbourgian" landscape, and us listeners are just passing through the neighborhood.
His partner-in-crime was the great arranger/songwriter/jazz player Alain Goraguer. Gainsbourg throughout his career depended on these sort of musical characters, and Goraguer was the jazz guy for him. It's either Goraguer's jazz arrangements or the great recordings with electric guitarist Elek Bacsik and double bass player Michel Gaudry. A Minimal arrangement with Gainsbourg's voice floating over these two instruments. Yet, the songs are incredible. "Chez Les Yé-Yé" and others are Serge's most excellent commentary on the Paris world at that time (the late 1950s/early 1960s).
Often I'm overwhelmed when someone asks me what's the entrance to Serge Gainsbourg's music. For me, I'm one of those who gets one, I must have everything. To properly understand his work, you have to dive in with head and body - and head first!
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