Bach is badgered

oh dear....

....had a heavy shopping spree the weekend gone, and on my travels, amongst my many musical purchases i happened upon a cd.....

....of Bach music for good money....

....the cd and sleeve are sealed in cellophane, and so i am in the dark as to the contents barring the information provided on the sleeve.

Basically a load of Bach 'excerpts' from popular pieces - the 'tunes' basically. Peludes from The Well Tempered Clavier, Toccata and fugue etc etc...you get the picture. Well, i'm no snob so i thought i would give it a punt...for the measely money they were asking.....

...have i built any tension yet............damn didn't think so...

the pieces by Bach are played by a Jacques Loussier!

Now, i'll admit, i hadn't heard of this guy from Adam. He looked like a qualified chappy for playing some Bach on the piano, and so what was i to know. Thought i would discover a previously unheard of performer....

...i'm boring you now.....:SLEEP:

....well, quite simply, it is absolutely prime turd material. How disappointed was i! They guy and his sidekicks are giving a jazz rendition. This made it even worse for me, as i stuggle to get on with jazz. Worst of all, he has bulldozed my favourite Concerto in D Major Full of all jazzy things - was that a sax i heard .
I had to turn off after that and dig for the Kennedy to retain some sanity (did ya see the irony there ) Sorry to all you jazz fans - not sure how you would get on with Mr Loussiers playing, but personally for me he has badgered, yes badgered my BACH!!

Has anyone heard this monstrosity, or did you have the intelligence to realise what you saw before nearly buying? I'm sure Jaques is a nice fella, and that his Air on a G String rendition fulfills the desires of those clientele with a nostalgia for a succulent cigar, but personally, i regret the day i ever clapped eyes on it.

Bit OTT? Whadya think?
Surely i'm not being snobby!

No seriously -is this guy well known? - you could have warned me.

THIS CD COMES WITH A JAZZ INTRUSION WARNING - BEWARE.

:chunder:

 

Nice post - you built it up nicely.

About Loussier. First time I heard him I was repelled. The problem is... it is still Bach, and Bach, to a certain extent, is swingable. So it is not that far removed. For instance, Keith Jarret keeps the swing when playing Bach (but without actually changing the notes); and I must say I prefer a straightforward treason like Loussier's to Jarret's swingification (a new, erudite, word ) of what really should be played differently.

What is more, I have a friend who is a jazz band player. The other day we were sitting in a bar, and we came up with a game: I'd give him a Bach theme, and he swinged it. It was really fun. For those that know the Art of Fugue, just imagine the theme swinged!!!

Although I am not a jazz fan, I can listen to it without getting very bothered. The other day, coming home from work, they were playing some horrible opera stuff on the radio. Now there are two classic channels here, and I switched to the other. To my dismay, they were in a jazz mood. I felt I was going to turn it off, but had my hands and eyes busy, so it ran for a couple of seconds. I switched to the opera; then re-switched to the jazz. And actually left it there. It was very cool, piano, sobre drumming and perhaps a xylophone. But I actually liked it: very soothing.

As I went completely off topic, I CAN ONLY CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS PARTICULAR SPOT:

Try to get a Bach compilation from French Harmonia Mundi. I'm not sure, but i think Davitt Moroney played something from the WTC and probably there is an ouverture or two.

But try to stick with the 'classic' labels: DGG, Philips, Decca, Emi. If I find something I'll post it.

Concerning the Loussier record, keep it: you may find it very usefull when you must come up with something to offer as a birthday present to some snobish girl. :RdS:

 

I seem to remember Tones saying he really quite liked Loussier (although I may be confused - Walter/Wendy Carlos also entered the discussion). I can't specifically remember hearing him myself. My first exposure to Bach though was by "Les Swingle Singers" - and I still think it sounds great in small doses (along with plain scandinavian style furniture, tie-died clothes etc ).

 

Jacques Loussier has to be accepted - or rejected - on his own terms. It's not really Bach, but neither is it jazz, and yet, curiously, it is both. You like it or you don't. Personally, I quite like it in small doses (I have a double LP of Loussier & Co. live - they are very accomplished musicians).

The whole issue of mixing jazz and classical forms is an interesting one, that goes back to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in blue". Being a thoroughgoing pleb with a love for Bach, I have no problems with many of them. Indeed, a favourite CD (and LP) is the music of Jean-Philippe Rameau played by American jazzman Bob James. James's synthesiser sounds and Rameau's music seem to blend together very nicely. Then there are Claude Bolling's suites for jazz trio and instrument, of which there are at least three, for flute (with Jean-Pierre Rampal), with trumpet ("Toot Suite"!) (with Maurice André) and guitar (Angel Romero and the George Shearing trio). Going back further, Maurice André produced a sensational jazz crossover album called "Trompettissimo" with a jazz trio, jazzing classical pieces and French folk songs - the young André was at the very height of his powers, and the playing of the famous Badinerie from Bach's orchestral suite No.2 is sensational. Sadly, it doesn't exist on CD, so I have only my old vinyl.

So, what am I saying? Basically what I said at the beginning, these things have to be taken at face value and not considered as to their origins. It's not at all snobbish to reject them; after all, it all comes down to a matter of personal preference, and if you don't like 'em, you don't like 'em. I don't mind them at all.

 

I'm quite fond of this too! The way some of the vocals overlap to cover big octive scales is pretty impressive! Played it a few times when I first bought it, but not for a while. Shall dig it out again soon

 

I blame my parents. They brought me up on Lousier, bouncing me round the room to him when I was a toddler. I now have a deep in grained love of his music. It may not be true jazz and it certainly is Bach but a style based on both. Yet the musicianship of the band members is astounding, listen to Vincent Charbonnier play bass.

JLdoesn't always get it right, his ventures into Handel & Vivvaldi aren't great but there again try his variations on Satie's Gnossienne & Gymnopedie, true swing.


Cookiemonster, didn't you notice the musicians on the back? Surely that would have given the game away.

 

The cover only had JL on the front sat at a piano, and the reverse just had track listings. So no jazz giveaways unfortunately, until i got it home, broke the cellophane and read the first few lines of the liner notes whilst listening to the opening bars of track 1.

BTW - despite not really liking this hybrid disc, i'm only having a bit of fun in my original post - it was also facilitated with a splash of vino at the time. I'm sure he is an accomplished musician, but it's just not my cup of tea, at least not yet, and i don't see it becoming so.

Anyway, welcome to the forum Tom

Mo - you show up everywhere mate, even in these little inhabited waters.

cheers

 

Although I've not heard JL, sounds like I might like it (I'm certainly not averse to re-arranged Bach - in addition to the Swingles, the Stokowski arrangements also get a spin from time-to-time, and Vlilla-Lobos' arrangements for cello choir are wonderful.....not at all sure about Carlos though). If you fancy offloading it I could take it off your hands. Since you live fairly close, if you want to come round for a listen too...you're most welcome .

 

Probably not a recommendation but it's alledged that Emminem lifted one of JL tracks for sampling & is now being sued.

 

Graham

I think i would happily part with my JL to a discerning listener such as your good self. Someone can then get some pleasure from it. Thanks for the invite - you are welcome also to casa cookie where the door is always open for good music and discourse - will have to PM and sort something out.

cheers

 

I actualy came looking to see if Graham had posted any thought on Aphex Twin after Robbo mentioning he was taking it over and then being reminded of it on the amp review thread. No mention so had a little browse and shock horror! A mention of an album I actualy own! Jazz Sebastien Bach!

I've actualy got it playing now and the funny thing is, my dad has just got in from work and didn't utter a word when I had the new radiohead album blasting out, but just asked me to turn this down! You kids and your bloody music!

So, Graham! Get on over to the aphex thread and add your thoughts! I'm innnnnnnnnnnterested how it went down

Cheers MO

 

just to let you know Graham has since said that Aphex twins drukqs album is the greatest composition he has ever heard! You should all go out and buy it NOW! Honest guv'

 

Nooorty MOnkey - you know that's not true - it's David S Ware's "Corridors and Parallels"! nice bedtime listening

 

Woohoo, time to exhume an 8-month-old thread FWIW I think Loussier and trio are really very good - I've heard them live too and the bassist in particular was stunning.

 

I like Loussier too. My good friend Paul Duerden was kind enough to send me a CD of Loussier just this week, along with a similarly-excellent CD of some Chopin played by John Ogden.