Gare du Nord

Originating in 2001 through the partnership of Ferdy Lancee and Barend Fransen, the Dutch/Belgian outfit Gare du Nord came together as a lounge-focused electronic act. After signing with Play It Again Sam, the group issued multiple albums in rapid succession during those initial years, opening with 2002's In Search of Excellolounge and wrapping up the sequence with Sex 'n' Jazz. Their association with Blue Note commenced in 2007 via Jazz in the City, an album centered on reinterpretations of the label's classic '60s and '70s material, spanning Duke Pearson's "The Phantom" to Ronnie Foster's "Mystic Brew." That same year brought Italian vocalist Dorona Alberti (KMFDM) into the lineup, where she took a central role. In 2001, Gare du Nord created a live-performing incarnation fronted by Alberti, leaving the studio operations under the direction of Lancee and Fransen. Further Blue Note projects followed, including 2011's Lilywhite Soul and the 2012 concert recording Lifesexy.