Record Review: Jacques Loussier's "Play Bach" on Telarc
Chuck Ross
I live until the next new release by Jacques Loussier; they don't seem
to come along very often, the last one known by me prior to the subject of
this review was "Reflections of Bach", on the Chrysalis label released in
1988 (VK 41591) and not easy to find these days. There was also a video
presentation of "Reflections of Bach" aired on the A & E cable channel,
which contains the music from the CD, but in much longer arrangements. I
am one of the happy owners of that broadcast taped off the air. I also
have a few of his old LPs from the '50s that seem to be pretty unavailable
in CD format.
The release of "Play Bach", the subject of this review, on the Telarc label
was an occasion that some people, including myself, were really excited
to hear about. It was released in '96, and the album number is D 100321.
The Jacques Loussier Trio, consists of Loussier on piano, Vincent
Charbonnier on bass and Andri Arpino on percussion, and his sidemen
are both superb instrumentalists in their own right. The trio has
changed a bit over the years, but the basic style is the same.
Jazzing up the classics is not exactly a new idea. Many jazz as well as
classical performers have been doing that for a long, long time. In fact,
even many of the classics could well be described as "jazzed-up" classics.
After all, aren't variations similar to jazz? And what is jazz if not
variations on an original theme?
Fats Waller is one of the earliest and best-known composer/performers who
dabbled in jazzing up the classics as well as doing it the other way 'round,
performing some of his own compositions as if they were written by Bach,
Mozart or Wagner. Art Tatum caught on to this idea, and did some incredible
jazzed-up arrangements of Dvorak and Massanet, and possibly some others. His
recording of Massanet's "Elegie" is strikingly vivid and exciting, with some
of the fastest "note-and-a-chord" bass ever performed at that time, and possibly
even up to now, in the amazing finale of this recording.
Many jazz musicians have long been fascinated by the music of Bach. Alec
Templeton did some interesting arrangements of Bach's works and one of
his best-known efforts was "Bach Goes to Town". The idea caught on, and more
and more performers tried their hand at jazzing up Bach, for piano and also
instruments like harp and organ. But when Jacques Loussier, a young French
piano virtuoso caught on to the idea in the early '50s, it was at once apparent
that no-one did it quite as well; in fact, his interpretations are
unsurpassed to this day. Loussier's idea spread to the Swingle Singers, a
versatile and talented vocal group which specialized in jazzed-up Bach as
well as Handel and Mozart. The Swingle Singers did very little to the original
music of Bach, but added a little syncopation and bass and drum accompaniment.
Loussier also did very little to the original music early on, but as the years
went by, he did a LOT to the music, using several jazz art forms including
straight-ahead driving jazz, Carribean tempos, and even rock styles.
Bach's music lends itself very well to this treatment; the keyboard music
has great bass lines and opens itself up to chord expansion and syncopation,
and, in fact, Bach himself did it to a number of his own pieces, including
the famous Goldberg Variations and other variations. Couterpoint, extensively
used in Bach's originals, is a major ingredient of the jazz technique.
Loussier has experimented with several jazz instrumentation formats, the
first-known being the basic trio of piano, bass and drums, but he's done
a few things playing both piano and organ, an enterprise which was not
terribly successful, but which illustrated the wide capabilities of the
re-organization of Bach's basic music. Loussier's best format is the
trio form, in my opinion, and this CD is the best yet.
The disc starts with the Bach Fugue #5 in D Major from Book 1 of the
48 Predudes and Fugues, "The Well-Tempered Clavier". It starts rather
quietly, but within a few measures, Loussier speeds things up and
really leans into the piano with suprising force and technique. If you
don't get up from your chair and start wagging your can around to this
track, you're either dead or asleep. Some of the beautiful chord changes
in this piece as well as many of the others, sound a lot like Art Tatum's
incredible chord ideas, especially right at the beginning of the track.
Next, the "Italian Concerto" receives the full treatment from Loussier.
The well-known keyboard artist, Don Dorsey, had his way with this piece
on his Telarc album, "Bachbusters", performed on various synthesizers,
but not with the incredible beauty that Loussier lends to this piece with
the full accoustic instrumentation of piano, bass and percussion. The
last movement is named "Presto", and boy, what dazzling, stupendous
pianistic fireworks!
"Pastorale" in C Minor follows, in turn followed by the "Air on a G String",
which was arranged by Loussier for an internationally broadcast cigar
commercial, and his performance on this CD is just about exactly the way
it was originally performed for the commercial, because, as Loussier says,
"It's too well-known to fool around with".
The "Tocatta & Fugue in D Major" is the next recipient of the Loussier
style, followed by the "Gavotte in D Major", which contains quite a lot
of the Caribbean tempi mentioned earlier.
The last item on the disc are the three movements of the "Concerto in D Minor",
and this is the longest piece on the album at some 22 minutes, but contains
some lengthy solo work by the great sidemen. The entire albums plays for
over 68 minutes, so you really get your money's worth.
Sonically, this CD is *insanely* great; probably the best recording of a jazz
trio I've ever heard. The standup bass is extremely weighty and full, the
piano is superbly recorded, and the percussion has tremendous snap and
power. As someone who used to wince a bit at the idea of listening to
another CD release, my apprehensions amounted to nothing. Compare this
sound to the best analog you've ever heard, and the CD wins! Crank it
up when you play it; it will take over the room completely!
Why did I write this review? Because I sincerly hope that everyone who reads it is motivated to get out and buy a copy, so that Telarc is motivated to do another Loussier album, real soon, now. Absolutely a must!
Please give a listen to this disc; you just might fall in love with it.
--
-Chuck
ckr...@enteract.com
Brian W. Camp
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Chuck Ross <ckr...@enteract.com> wrote in article
<5gknje$d...@canyon.sr.hp.com>...
> I live until the next new release by Jacques Loussier; they don't seem
> to come along very often, the last one known by me prior to the subject
of
> this review was "Reflections of Bach", on the Chrysalis label released in
> 1988 (VK 41591) and not easy to find these days. There was also a video
> presentation of "Reflections of Bach" aired on the A & E cable channel,
> which contains the music from the CD, but in much longer arrangements. I
> am one of the happy owners of that broadcast taped off the air. I also
> have a few of his old LPs from the '50s that seem to be pretty
unavailable
> in CD format.
>
> The release of "Play Bach", the subject of this review, on the Telarc
label
> was an occasion that some people, including myself, were really excited
> to hear about. It was released in '96, and the album number is D 100321.
Just thought I'd mention that the catalog number you gave above
appears to be a BMG club catalog #.... Those seeking this through
regular channels will, more than likely, not have much luck. On the
down side, I don't know the actual Telarc catalog number which for
some I'm sure is a bummer!!!!
Brian C. A.K.A. "CHIP"
Chuck Ross
>
> Just thought I'd mention that the catalog number you gave above
> appears to be a BMG club catalog #.... Those seeking this through
[cut -- moderator bt]
Right you are! The official Telarc disc no is TEL83411, and yes, I did
acquire my copy via BMG. It's called "Jacques Loussier Plays Bach".
Apologies.
--
-Chuck Ross
ckr...@enteract.com