As a prelude to the upcoming party season, keyboards whiz Alexandre Destrez and DJ Yass recently brought down the house at the newly revamped WAHM Lounge at W Doha Hotel & Residences.
The year 1995 was the first time Alexandre Destrez’s keyboards were heard on the album Boulevard with St Germain (Label F COM) that was selected Best Dance Album of the year by the UK press. His album Tourist (Blue Note) sold 3mn copies throughout the world, was rated No.1 in jazz sales when it came out in the US and was awarded three Victoires de la Musique in France.
Influenced by his grandmother’s colourful stories while she was running the mythical St Germain-des-Près Jazz clubs Le Tabou and the Whisky à Gogo in the 1960s, Destrez familiarised himself with the electro scene in 1994, when his personal jazz rendering contributed to the fame of the St Germain albums Boulevard and Tourist.
Alexandre has collaborated with numerous artistes on the French electro scene such as Shazz, Dimitri From Paris, Oscar, DJ Yass and with pop artist Overhead. He has released more than 20 singles and remixes as a pianist, composer, and producer. Today, Destrez is carrying on with this Electro Jazz adventure with the creation of Rive Gauche. He is backed up by the DJ producer, David H for composition, beats and samples, as well as by jazz musicians, each with their own talents. 
Following Deep In It and Street Scene (4 SHAZZ) on St Germain’s album Boulevard, Destrez swung into several years of collaboration with Ludovic Navarre, starting from the 1996 concert tour in France and Europe up to the recording of the Tourist album (Blue Note records) in 2001. Simultaneously, using the pseudonym Alejandro Del Abelgam, he became the accomplice of another phenomenon of the French House scene: Shazz. Community caught up with Destrez for a chat.
 
How was your Doha gig over the weekend? What about Doha’s audience stood out in particular? 
The concert was really great and we had a warm welcoming. People always love watching a musician and a DJ playing together. The people at WAHM were mostly all aficionados who came to the event, and the rest of the crowd, who were listening for the first time, seemed to enjoy our show.
 
How and when did you decide to take up playing keyboards? 
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve spent hours playing on a “Bendir” given to me by my father on a trip to Morocco. I always enjoyed listening to different music on vinyl. Then one day, my mother purchased a piano. I was 10 years old when I first started practising and have not stopped playing it since. 
 
What is your opinion on the contemporary French electro scene?
The French electro scene is more alive than ever. There are many young emerging producers and I think this is a very good thing for music and the future of the “French Touch.”
 
Why do you prefer to focus on electro jazz music? 
In 1994, I discovered electronic music thanks to my collaboration with the St Germain’s band. During this period, I was already an established jazz pianist. For the first time, I experimented with adding keyboards to electronic music. This offered me a lot of new opportunities and I am still enthusiastic about creating electronic music to this day. 
 
What do you think makes electro jazz so appealing to the club crowd?  
I think electro-jazz reaches a wider audience and my experience in traditional jazz gives an additional substance to the electronic music and brings colour and culture. Electro-jazz brings a festive and high energy vibe to young audiences which everyone can dance to.
How has collaborating with 
various producers and artistes helped 
you discover new dimensions to your music? 
I have had the chance to work in the studio and on stage with the best French producers and DJs. In my growing up years, I was not exposed to a lot of electronic music; I learned by experience. I have also worked with singers within the pop music scene. 
All these musical collaborations allow for mutual enrichment for DJs, producers and singers. Through this experience I have decided to make my own electronic jazz project: Rive Gauche (www.rivegauchemusic.com).