Jarre in America--Nothing Is Impossible

After all, it's happened before.

On April 5, 1986, Jean-Michel Jarre performed a legendary concert Rendez-Vous Houston: A City in Concert. The futuristic skyscrapers were the backdrop for a spectacular light and laser show which accompanied the concert. This concert had an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest outdoor "rock concert" in history, with figures varying from 1 to 1.5 million in attendance (Jarre has achieved world record events on several occasions). Rendez-Vous Houston celebrated the astronauts who had been lost in the Challenger disaster only two and a half months. Astronaut Ron McNair, a personal friend of Jarre, had been killed in the disaster. He was supposed to play the saxophone from space during the track "Last Rendez-Vous"; his substitute for the concert was Houston native Kirk Whalum. The event marked Houston's 150th birthday and NASA's 25th anniversary.

This year marks 25 years since the Houston concert, and Jarre has not made a return visit. I've read some of his remarks about America being old fashioned and completely disinterested in his art and performance. I don't agree. I think the problem is that Jarre's music has no popular outlet in the United States. People who are fans were probably introduced to the music by other fans. But where would fresh listeners get to sample the Jarre experience left to their own devices?

People who have spent the last 35 years without ever hearing Oxygene would probably be amazed to discover Jarre's discography and the diversity of styles. But it's also happening right now. Essentials and Rarities, a two-disk import, will be available in the United States June 7.